FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 5, 2020
CSEA Statement
RE: City of Rochester furloughs and layoffs
“In response to the actions taken this afternoon by Mayor Warren, the members of CSEA take exception to her unilateral decision-making when deciding how to proceed when negotiating furloughs and layoffs for city library employees represented by our union.
City officials are showing complete disregard for our collective bargaining agreement and for the negotiating process. We rejected a rushed memorandum of understanding demand earlier today because of an arbitrary timeline designed to force an immediate agreement. We had no ability to review any proposals of the document. Meanwhile, a press conference hosted by the mayor was already scheduled.
This action is not a done deal. We are utilizing all our legal remedies to make sure city employees represented by CSEA are treated with dignity and respect moving forward.
In the big picture, CSEA realizes state and local government budgets are decimated and we are doing our part to make sure municipalities receive direct unrestricted federal aid from Congress to mitigate the loss of public services to our local communities. All public service workers are essential to fighting the pandemic and to re-opening our economy. We can do neither if we lay workers off.”
-Ove Overmyer
About CSEA:
The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) is one of the largest and most influential unions in New York and the United States. CSEA represents more than 275,000 members who work for state and local governments, school districts, library systems, childcare, and the private sector. Formed in 1910, CSEA continues to improve the lives of hardworking families by negotiating fair and decent collective bargaining agreements. CSEA is the largest affiliate of our International Union, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). For more information, go to CSEANY.org.
Media Contact:
Ove Overmyer
CSEA WNY Communications
ove.overmyer@cseainc.org
585-272-0800
