Guzman
ROCHESTER — Catalina Guzman is working hard to grow our union.
Just four years after she was elected to the Finger Lakes DDSO Local Executive Board, Guzman – now the local’s 4th vice president, has been honored with our union’s Membership Achievement Award for her many contributions to member recruitment and retention.
When Guzman became a CSEA member she noted that she did not know much about our union; just that she had been told a union job is a good job.
“I was not an active participant in our union,” said Guzman. “I just knew I was a CSEA member and if I had any questions or was brought in on an allegation, I had a union representative.”
Several years ago, Guzman Guzman was asked to run on a slate for her local’s executive board. She noted that she was very apprehensive about running for office and passed up the original offer.
A few months later, after another request from the slate, Guzman decided to make the jump and run for the position. She was elected and soon ended up becoming a local vice president.
Once elected to a local leadership position, Guzman strived for more education and information about our union, what being a CSEA member entails and how CSEA locals can help members.
With that knowledge, Guzman became a top recruiter for CSEA members, working hard to educate workers about CSEA membership and quickly getting them membership applications. Her hard work and dedication to the recruitment of members has paid off immensely for her local, which has a very high percentage of full CSEA members.
“We keep our non-membership numbers low,” said Guzman. “I always monitor non-member lists, and reach out at any time, day, evening, night and even weekends. If I had a hard time contacting the non-member, I would find them.”
Guzman attributes much of her success to the New Member Orientation classes to educate the new members on the benefits and offers CSEA brings to them.
“New Member Orientation classes are a huge success by educating them on [our union’s]benefits, including Pearl Insurance and Member Benefits programs, to make them aware of how much CSEA has to offer,” said Guzman.
Guzman is also a graduate of our union’s most recent Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Program, an intensive 12 -month program that helps prepare activists with the skills they need to continue to build and strengthen our union and the labor movement.
Guzman said she feels honored and blessed to be receiving the Member Achievement Award for the work she enjoys.
“I love talking to the members about CSEA and how important it is being in a union and how powerful the union is,” said Guzman. “I never expected an award, but it feels amazing to know that my hard, fun work was noticed.”
— Sydney Thomas
