C^EA calling for ideas for '85 legislative program
ALBANY-CSEA officials are now setting tlieir sights on
the upcoming legislative season. Joseph Conway, who chairs
the statewide Legislative and Political Action Committee, has
put out a call for ideas for the union's 1985 legislative program.
Says Conway: " W e ' r e seeking ideas so that the commit-
tee will have the broadest possible range to choose from. I
ask the rank and file to write us today with their suggestions."
Ideas for CSEA's 1985 Legislative Program should be
sent, by Nov. 9, to: Joyce Dimitri, CSEA Legislative Office, 150
State St., 5th floor, Albany, N.Y. 12206.
New political action coordinators, Pages 6 & 7
4
Official Publicatk)n of The Civil Service Employees Association Local 1000,
American Federation of State, Coiinty and Municipal Employees
AFL-CIO.
I ISSN 0164 9949)
Vol. 5, No. 52
Friday, October 5,1984
Victories in SuiSotk
Hazard-plagued Social
DEER PARK — CSEA has won the battle to
get Suffolk County to move the Department of
Social Services' Babylon Center to protect
members and clients from enduring elevator,
heating, ventilation, bug infestation and water
problems.
Nearly 100 CSEA members, who had done
their jobs in adverse conditions at the five-story
building for the last four months, have been temporarily moved to the Bay Shore Center. Within
weeks, the members will be permanently assigned to the Bay Shore, Amityville, Huntington and
Smithtown Centers.
About a week before the county's decision to
move Babylon Center, CSEA demonstrated outside the center, chanting, "Move us, don't abuse
us."
Working conditions at the center were horrendous," said Local 852 Acting President Lynn
Martins, a social services welfare examiner. "I
am very pleased the county recognized the plight
of our members and corrected the situation.
"We did everjrthing to force the county to
move," Martins said. "We filed a grievance and
a state Department of Labor complaint. We talked to the county. We lobbied the county
Legislature. We demanded the county executive
resolve the problem following the evacuation of
the center due to carbon monoxide fumes. Finally, we demonstrated.''
The demonstrating CSEA members were joined by sympathetic members from towns and
villages in Local 852, Kings Park Psychiatric
Center Local 411, Central Islip Psychiatric
Center Local 404, Pilgrim Psychiatric''Center
Local 418 and Long Island Developmental Center
Local 430.
"The demonstration at Babylon Center
lAYOFFS
AVERIED
center moved
dramatically illustrated the concern and strong
support of other CSEA members on Long Island
for those working at Babylon Center," said Long
Island Region President Danny Donohue, who
also marched.
"The leadership of Local 852, with the
assistance of Field Representative Irwin M.
Scharfeld, built such a strong case against
Babylon Center that the county had no choice but
to move."
CSEA's efforts to get the county to move the
center began on July 11 with a grievance about
the inoperable elevator due to flooding. A week
later, Martins informed Social Services Commissioner Anita Romano of the problems, seeking
her support in resolving the situation.
On July 24, CSEA filed a complaint with the
state Department of Labor, pointing out
numerous problems at the center. A. week later,
Local 852 Grievance Representative Sue Carbone requested a third-party hearing with the
county to resolve the matter. That request was
the first time a health and safety grievance had
gone that far.
On Aug. 10, DOL issued violations and orders
to comply to the county concerning Babylon
Center. Carbon monoxide fumes forced the
evacuation of the building two weeks later and
prompted Local 852 to lobby the county
Legislature to resolve the problems.
Martins, Local 852 First Vice President Jim
Persanti, Carbone and Field Representative
Scharfeld met with high-ranking county officials
to resolve the Babylon Center situation on Sept.
4. •
Not satisfied with the county's action on the
matter, CSEA Local 852 officers met with the
membership at Babylon Center to prepare the
demonstration that led to the move.
HAUPPAUGE — Massive layoffs appear to have
been averted in Suffolk County due, in large part, to the
passage of the early retirement option.
CSEA Local 852 lobbied heavily for early retirement
option in Suffolk County following a major drive by the
union to get the state Legislature to pass the early retirement incentive bill in June.
MOVE US, DON'T ABUSE US — CSEA Region
President Danny Donohue was among those who
demonstrated recently outside Babylon Center,
a Suffolk County social services facility plagued
by problems for months. One week after the
march, the county announced plans to move the
center.
Last week, County Executive Peter F. Cohalan submitted his proposed budget - which showed less than 10
layoffs — to the county Legislature.
"CSEA will continue to work to protect our
members' jobs," said Local 852 Acting President Lynn
Martins. "I am concerned that some members still face
layoffs, but the threat of massive layoffs has been
averted."
O CSEA Constitution and By-Laws, Pages 14-18 O
State health awareness program begins
•HIHI
•
Employees to receive
Personal Risk Profile
^
This month, all state employees will have an
opportunity to participate in an innovative
health program offered by the New York State
Department of Civil Service through its
Employee Benefits Division.
According to Civil Service Commissioner
Karen Burstein, the Personal Risk Profile is the
first step of the department's "Stay Healthy — It
Pays" program. The profile uses family medical
history, health habits and laboratory
measurements to determine an individual's
chances of becoming ill or staying well. Says
Burstein: "It is no secret, of course, that healthy
employees are more productive and have lower
health care costs."
The profile is provided at no cost to the
employee, and free blood tests, which help
measure risk of heart disease and stroke, will
also be available at more than 100 work locations
across the state. Every employee will have the
opportunity to fill out and mail the questionnaire.
Within two weeks, each participant will receive a
confidential, computer-generated report of
personal health risks. The questionnaire
processing and report production will be done by
General Health, Inc., an independent,
Washington, D.C.-based firm.
The profile details, in an easy-to-undertand
manner, how the ways in which we choose to live
affect our health — our risks of heart disease,
cancer, even auto accidents. By becoming more
aware of personal habits, individuals can
improve their health and possibly lengthen their
lives.
Both the questionnaire and the report are
'completely confidential. Employers will never
see any personally identifiable information
without an employee's express written consent.
Stay Healthy - It Pays!
Board of
Directors
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Public Sector regularly
publishes a summary of actions taken by CSEA's
statewide Board of Directors at the board's official
meetings. The summary is prepared by statewide
Secretary Irene Carr for the information of union
members.
By Irene Carr CSEA Statewide Secretary
ALBANY — The September meeting of CSEA's
Statewide Board of Directors convened here Sept.
13.
Acting on the Treasurer's Report, the Board moved to continue normal disbursements until a formal
budget is approved for the 1985 fiscal year and to
accept five overdue vouchers for payment.
Approving motions by the Local Government Executive Committee, the Board named David Mayo
to the Appeals Committee and elected Dominic
Spacone a trustee of the Political Action Fund.
Maximum allowances for delegates at the Lake
Placid meeting were set at $31 per May for meals
and $30 per day miscellaneous expenses, and the
Board agreed to correct and distribute the proposed
Meeting highlights
Standing Convention Rules for the 1984 delegates
meeting.
«
Regional political action committees were named, based on resolutions submitted by regional
presidents. The chairpersons are: Tom Stapleton,
Region I; James P. Heekin, Region II; Eleanor
McDonald, Region III; W. John Francisco, Region
IV; and Dorothy Penner, Region V. The Region VI
Conunittee is awaiting Regional Executive Board
action.
A new Retiree Division Constitution was approved, giving CSEA retiree members a degree of
autonomy.
Changes were also made in the local and unit Constitutions, as follows: A new Section 3 of Article IX
reads: "If a Local does not receive a rebate due to
its failure to comply with all of the provisions of the
mandated Local Constitution and the Statewide
Constitution, the Local is still obligated to pay
rebates to units which have complied with reporting standards, providing there are sufficient funds
in the Local treasury."
An amendment was also made in Article IX, Section 9 of the Region, local and unit constitutions.
UNFAIR LISI
regarding payment of honoraria. Under the new
wording, establishment of any honorarium or
changes in the amount of any existing honorarium
"must be approved prior to Nov. 1 in the year
preceding the election and shall not take effect until
after an intervening election has occurred."
Based on the Personnel Committee's recommendation, the position of conmiunications associate,
grade 18, in CSEA Headquarters was reclassified to
graphic artist typographer, grade 18/20.
The Board authorized the president to initiate action to purchase the building at 143 Washington
Ave., Albany, to serve as new CSEA Headquarters
building.
The Board also requested a report from the Joint
Apprenticeship Committee on the current apprenticeship programs. The report should include: the
number of applicants for each title, number who
were refused, and names, work locations and
seniority dates of selected candidates.
Questions by CSEA members concerning the
union's Board of Directors should be directed to
that member's Board representative of the
secretary's Board minutes are mailed to all Board
representatives and local presidents.
The Union Label and Service Trades Department, AFLrCIO has placed tion of Musicians, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees,
the loUowing employers on its unfair list. Please do not use their products Associated Actors and Artists of America;
or services.
New York Air, scheduled airline — Air Line Pilots Association;
Perdue Farms, dressed chicken and chicken parts—United Food & ComMichelin Tire Corp., automobile tires — United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum
mercial
Workers International Union;
& Plastic Workers of America;
United
Artists & Syufy Enterprises, motion picture theaters — Service
Nevada Resort Association, 26 Las Vegas hotel-casinos — Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees IntemationQl Union, American Federa- Employees International Union;
Page 2
THE PUBLIC SECTOR. F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
Boncoraglio warns menial health
commission's proposals 'dehumanizing'
ALBANY — Metropolitan Region President
George Boncoraglio says his experience as a
South Beach Psychiatric Center therapy aide
convinces him proposals to revamp New York's
mental health system will not work.
The proposals were recently unveiled by the
Governor's Select Commission on the Future of
the State-Local Mental Health System.
The union leader, testifying at a public hearing
held in conjunction with release of the
commission's final draft report, said, "I speak
as a worker at South Beach, an institution that
has been recognized by the American
^Once down this road
too late to turn back
will
be
a tragedy
mentally
ill in New
it will be
and
that
for
the
York.'
Psychiatric Association for its outstanding
service."
He then warned that the commission's
recommendations — especially the proposal to
reduce the resident population at state mental
health facilities — would "dehumanize the
system.
"Often when a patient is released into the
community that patient feels rejected. But, when
a patient is released to a community-based
program operated by the institution, that patient
still has contact with workers he is familiar with.
"As a result, the patient realizes that while the
setting is different, care is being provided by the
same family of workers."
In addition to reducing the resident population
at mental health facilities, the commission
recommended establishing regional agencies to
coordinate all services to the mentally ill, and
spending $35 million to hire case managers.
TESTIFYING - Metropolitan
Region 11 President George
Boncoraglio is pictured testifying
at the recent public hearing
concerning proposals made by the
Govemor^s Select Commission on
the Future of the State-Local
Mental Health System.
But these recommendations strike
Boncoraglio as "an uncharted course" and "a
radical departure from the existing system.
"If this course is followed, working systems,
like the one at South Beach, would be
dismantled, to be replaced by an unknown. The
result will be poorer care for the mentally ill.
"Once down this road it will be too late to turn
back and that will be a tragedy for the mentally
iU in New York."
Concludes Boncoraglio: "The path you (the
commission) recommend is a dangerous one.
Look again at the resources that already exist
and make better use of them."
Pay Equity
Comp worth study gets underway
ALBANY — Questionnaires will be distributed
this month to approximately 35,000 randomly
selected state employees in an attempt to find out
if there is sexual or racial bias in New York state
pay structures.
The questionnaires are the latest phase in the
* comparable worth project called for in the current
contracts between CSEA and the state. CSEA
represents more than 100,000 workers in the Ad-
—
ministrative, Institutional and Operational Services Bargaining Units.
Comparable worth, also known as pay equity,
goes a step beyond the "equal pay for^ual work"
dictum, and asks whether the traditional salary
structures underpay workers in jobs that have
been held primarily by women and minorities.
CSEA members who have been selected to participate in the survey are being urged to take the
time to respond to the 100 multiple choice questions. Employees will require from 20 to 60
minutes to fill out the questionnaire, and time is
being permitted for this during work hours.
The study is being conducted by the Center for
Women in Government, a unit of the State University of New York at Albany, with $500,000 in grant
money. It will examine some 3,500 job titles, ineluding some which are not in CSEA bargaining
units.
Preliminary work on the study began in June
1983, and pilot testing was conducted in the spring
of 1984. The questionnaires which go out this
month are the first major phase of the research.
Nationwide, the concept has been rapidly gaining credibility and acceptance. A Bureau of National Affairs report recently found that 15 states
have enacted statutes requiring comparable
worth systems for government employees.
Your help
is vital.
If you are among the
State workers
chosen to receive a
questionnaire, please
take the time to
respoi\d.
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
Page 3
»Pwblic-
SSECTOR
Official publication of
The Civil Service Employees Association
Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
33 Elk Street, Albany, New York 12224
The Public Sector (445010) is published every
other Friday by the Civil Service Employees
Association, 33 Elk Street, Albany, New York
12224.
Publication office, 1 Columbia Place, Albany,
New York 12207.
Second Class Postage paid at Post Office,
Albany, New York.
MICHAEL P. MORAN — Publisher
ROGER A. COLE - Editor
TINA LINCER FIRST — Associate Editor
BRIAN K. BAKER — Assistant Editor
Address changes should be sent to Civil Service Employees Association, The Public Sector,
33 Elk Street, Albany, New York 12224.
^BOR PRESSli
— C o n t r a c t
N e w s
New two-year contract for
Ossining village employees
SIGNED — Ossining Village Manager George Kupchynsky signs a
two-year contract between the village and the CSEA unit. The
contract provides for a 5 percent across-the-board pay increase
retroactive to Jan. 1; 2 percent retroactive to July 1; 4.5 percent
increase effective Jan. 1, 1985 and 3.5 percent as of July 1, 1985.
CSEA Collective Bargaining Specialist Manny Vitale led the
negotiations. Seated with^^^^jirn^^^J^upchynsky is Unit
President Lou Araisco. y ^ ö e ^ ^ S ^ v Standing are CSEA
members Dominic S a v i n o , / g ^ l l f ^ ^ S j f ö ^ Lillian Kelly and
Donald Balassone. ißt^KSfiJmW^IS^ Ossining is part of
County Local 860.
CSEA
Westchester
Three-year agreements for Niagara educational units
Niagara
Falls schools
NIAGARA FALLS — Agreement on a three-year contract has been
reached by the 350-member Niagara Falls Schools Unit of Niagara County
Educational Local 872.
Wage increases of 6 percent in each year of the pact, plus increments
in the third year, were gained by the custodial and clerical unit. Another major
gain for each employee is a $10,000 life insurance policy.
A joint salary study, with a report due in 1987, will recommend a new
basic salary for all job titles for successor agreements.
The negotiating team included Local 872 President Dominic Spacone, Unit
President Russell Bettis, Eugene Perry, Florence Lennox and Robert Hughes.
Chief Negotiator was Thomas B. Christy, CSEA field representative.
frainingcenter
offers advanced
seminars in
word processing
Page 4
Sfarpoint
STARPOINT — A new three-year agreement for the 50-member Starpoint
Schools Unit of Niagara County Educational Employees Local 872 includes
the CSEA Employees Benefit Fund Vision Care Plan.
Wage Increases of 7 percent, 7.5 percent and 8 percent in the first, second and third year, respectively, were also gained for the school employees.
Inequities in contract language regarding overtime procedures were also
clarified, according to Thomas B. Christy, chief negotiator.
The negotiating team also included Unit President Chester Kania, Doris
Gabris, Bob Lasal and Howard Leising.
ALBANY — The Information Training Processing
Center, established for employees of the state's Administrative Services Unit, is offering seminars for more
sophisticated application of word processing.
The advanced training is for employees who operate
word processors as part of their jobs. Among the seminars
available are the "IBM Displaywriter Skills Sharpener,"
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y . O c t o b e r 5, 1984
schools
"Xerox 860 Records Processing" and "Screen Sort."
The training center is part of the Clerical and
Secretarial Employee Advancement Program (CSEAP)
and is administered by the Department of Civil Service.
It is located in Albany and open to members statewide.
There is no fee.
Inquiries can be made to agency personnel offices or
call Betty Kurtik, CSEAP coordinator, at (518) 473-0667.
CSEA now offering
new study booklet for
social welfare examiner
ALBANY — The study review booklet desired for members
interested in taking^ the social welfare examiner series of CivU Service
exams is now available through CSEA's Education Department.
The booklet is the third in the study guides for Local Government
Division members, along with booklets on the secretarial and typing
series of exams and the custodial series.
The newest study guide is entitled "Social Welfare Examiner Series:
Review Work in Supervision and Administration; Interviewing; Understanding Social and Human Relations Problems."
Scheduled to be available this fall is a study booklet for the case
worker series.
j
LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXAM SERIES
I
I
Date.
The Civil Service Employees Association
(COUNTIES,
MUNICIPALITIES,
AND
NON-TEACHING
SCHOOL
DISTRICT PERSONNEL)
Attn: CSEA Education Department
33 Elk Street
Albany, N.Y. 12207
Please send me the t>ooklet(s) indicated. I understand the price is
$1.50 (Includes postage) for EACH booklet ordered, and I have
enclosed a check or money order for $
to cover the cost of
this order.
'
.SECRETARIAL AND TYPING SERIES. Review work in Supervision; Secretarial and Typing Practices; Spelling; Punctuation
and Capitalization; Usage.
.CUSTODIAL SERIES. Review work in Supervision; Building
Cleaning; Building Operations and Maintenance; Ability to
Read and Follow Written Instructions.
.SOCIAL WELFARE EXAMINER SERIES. Review work in Supervision and Administration; Interviewing; Understanding Social
and Human Relations Problems.
Please send t)ooklet(s) to:
Name
Address.
City.
Social Security Number.
.State/Zip.
.CSEA LocaL
Employer
(518)4344191
Agenda set lor CSEA
delegates convention
The schedule for the CSEA 1984 Annual Delegates Meeting, to be held at
the Lake Placid Olympic Center Oct. 21-26, has been finalized.
The convention will kick off Sunday, Oct. 21 at 11 a.m., with Board of
Directors registration beginning 11 a.m. and winding up at 12:30 p.m. A
Board luncheon meeting will be held from 1 to 5 p.m., and certification and
registration of delegates is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m.
Monday has been set aside for opening ceremonies and orientation from
9:30 to 10 a.m., and certification and registration of delegates from 10 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. Information tables and exhibits will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 5
p.m.
Standing Committee forums will be held 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and from
1 to 2:30 p.m. The committees represented include Convention, Education,
Insurance, Membership, Methods and Procedures, Constitution and ByLaws, Election Procedures, Federal and State Employment Training
Programs, Legal, Legislative and Political Action, and Safety and Health.
Educational seminars are scheduled from 2:30 to 5 jj.m. and include
"Civil Service Law: Issues for Local Government," "Local Government
Workers and the Federal Budget," "Early Retirement Incentive — Impact
on Local Government Members," and "Improving the Image of the Union in
Your Community: Good Neighbors/Good News."
Bargaining Unit meetings will be held from 2:30 to 5 p.m., and State
Departmental meetings will be held at 7:30 p.m. Meetings on issues in local
government will also begin at 7:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, educational seminars are scheduled from 8 to 9:30 a.m.
These include "Parliamentary Procedure," and "Out of Chaos . . . Establishing the Local Union Office."
Certification and registration of delegates and information tables will
be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and state and local government delegates
meetings will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:310 p.m. A retirees delegates meeting
will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Educational seminars are scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m. They include "AntiUnion Tactics: What They Are, What We Can Do," "Health Care Cost
Containment," "Getting Your Constitution to Work for You: Creating
Effective By-Laws," "Making the Difference: Strategies for Successful
Change," "Private Sector Labor Law — How It Affects Us As Officers," and
"Making Committee Meetings Work."
There will be divisional meetings from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., including
Division for Youth, Faculty Student Association, Military and Naval
Affairs, Office of General Services, Parks and Recreation, Parole, and State
Police.
Wednesday's schedule calls for certification and registration of
delegates, 9 a.m. to noon, and a general business session, from 9:30 to 3 p.m.
There will be a PEOPLE run at 5 p.m. and an AFSCME reception at 6:30 p.m.
General business sessions wiU be held Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Ready, set, go.., to PEOPLEthon
Delegates should plan now to participate in the PEOPLEthon scheduled
for Oct. 24 at Lake Placid. The 2.8-mile race around picturesque Mirror
Lake will begin at 5 p.m.
As usual, the entry fee is a minimum of $30 in pledges for PEOPLE —
Public Employees Organized for Legislative Equality. Money will be used to
make the union's impact felt in upcoming federal elections. Participants
should begin now to sign up'pledges.
In addition to the important political action goals of the race, the event
will also be a fun event for participants and spectators. Awards will be
presented to the top three male and female finishers, and the entrant
receiving the most money in pledges will receive a special award.
Pledge sheets and entry forms are available by contacting the CSEA
Legislative Office in Albany at (518) 436-8622. Or stop by the PEOPLE table
at the convention.
CSEA STATEWIDE HEADQUARTERS
33 ELK STREET, ALBANY, N.Y. 12224
(518)4344191
ROCHESTER SATELLITE OFFICE
BINGHAMTON SAfElLITE OFFICE
Sulto 218, Executive Office BIdg.
Blnghemton Plaza
33 W. State Street
BInghamton, NY 13901
607-772-1750
CANTON SAfELUTE OFFKE
P.O. Box 4 8 8
Canton, NY 13617
316-386-8131 or 8 1 3 2
MAYVILLE SATELLITE OFFICE
C.M.C. Building
3 6 9 9 W. Henrietta Road
Rochester, NY 14623
716-334-7140
UTICA SATELLITE OFFICE
P.O. Box 226
Mayvllle, NY. 14767
716-763-6290
PLAnSBURGH SATELLITE OFFICE
Broad Street Professional BIdg.
63 Broad Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
618-663-0701
2 8 9 Genesee Street
Utica, NY 13601
316-736-9272
WESTCHESTER SATELLITE OFFICE
2 2 2 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601
914-946-6906 or 6 9 0 6
•r..r- »..n.
r-tJ-
/^-.-L-.e
ion.
A NEW TEAM — At recent orientation in Albany, members of
CSEA's new political action team met with
President William L.
M c G o w a n and
L e g i s l a t i v e and
Political Action Director Thomas Haley. The
six coordinators returned to their regions to begin work last week.
First job will be voter registration of CSEA members
NEW COORDINATORS TO GIVE BOOST TO
POLITICAL ACTION IN CSEA'S REGIONS
ALBANY — Six political action coordinators,
one for each of CSEA's regions, recently assumed newly-created positions among the union's
professional staff.
According to Thomas Haley, director of
Legislative and Political Action for CSEA, the
new coordinators will fulfill a "multi-faceted
role," including serving as a "valuable professional staff resource" for local and regional
political action committees.
The first job for the six new employees will be
to increase voter registration and participation
among CSEA members. The union is compiling
lists of every unregistered CSEA member in the
state, which will be distributed to the local shop
stewards who then will try to register the
members.
with research information on such topics as
demographics and voting trends. The coordinators also will conduct training programs for
political activists and help to coordinate campaign efforts backed by political action
conmiittees.
"Dovetailing political action with the contract
season in the school districts and political subdivisions will be an important part of their
work," Haley added.
He pointed out that the coordinators will be
responsible for carrying out objectives of the
"This will be an on-going effort," said Haley.
"We're not just going to set up a table and sit
there for two months. When we hit 100 percent
registration, we'll be satisfied."
To aid them in lobbying efforts, the new
regional coordinators have been given briefing
books which Haley describes as "living
documents which will be continually updated."
The books include a listing of every elected official in the state, as well as their voting records.
They also list which governmeiTtal agencies have
contracts with CSEA locals, what the contracts
call for, when they expire and who negotiates for
the government. ^
While other specific duties will evolve to
answer the particular needs of each region,
Haley said that the coordinators will provide
regional officers and political action committees
Page 6
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
regional presidents and of CSEA's Political Action Fund. He emphasized also that they will support activities of the political action committees.
"This is not an effort to replace the network of
volunteers that already exists. The regional committees, for instance, will still decide who they
want to endorse, but now they will have a paid '
staff person to help coordinate their efforts,"
said Haley.
The six coordinators started their new jobs last
week following a four-day orientation on CSEA in
Albany.
SIGNING UP — Susan
Snyder, left, a member
of Monroe County Local
828, is registered to vote
by Region VI PAC Cochairwoman Florence
Tripi at a recent PEOPLE rally and Picnic.
Increasing voter
registration and participation among CSEA
members will be the
first job of the new
political action
coordinators.
WHO'S
WHO
7
REGION I
Notes on new
coordinators
REGION II
REGION III
Gus Nielson
Lauri Cohen
Doris J, Mason
Gus Nielson is a former C S E A m e m b e r w h o h a s
served a s 2 n d v i c e president of N a s s a u County Local
8 3 0 , president of t h e T o w n of H e m p s t e a d Unit a n d
N a s s a u C o u n t y representative on t h e union's B o a r d of
Directors. N i e l s o n , w h o h a s a d e g r e e in b u s i n e s s
administration from N a s s a u C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e a n d
a d e g r e e in labor relations from Cornell University,
r e s i d e s n o w in Long Island.
Lauri C o h e n c o m e s a b o a r d C S E A following stints in
c o m m u n i t y i n v o l v e m e n t including j o b s a s director of
t h e B e n s o n h u r s t T e n a n t s Council a n d of t h e N e w
York C o m m u n i t y Action N e t w o r k in B r o o k l y n . S h e
a l s o w o r k e d a s an adjunct professor at P a c e
University a n d h o l d s an M . S . in m a t h e m a t i c s . Heavily
involved in politics during t h e p a s t year, C o h e n s e r v e d
a s coordinator in t h e 1 0 t h C o n g r e s s i o n a l District of
J e s s e J a c k s o n ' s Presidential c a m p a i g n a n d a s a
d e l e g a t e t o t h e D e m o c r a t i c N a t i o n a l C o n v e n t i o n in
S a n F r a n c i s c o . S h e r e s i d e s n o w in B r o o k l y n .
Doris Mason, a graduate of C a s e Western Reserve
University in C l e v e l a n d , O h i o , is a g r a s s r o o t s political
activist, w h o in the past elections always h a s g o n e out
a n d p o u n d e d t h e p a v e m e n t . S h e h a s w o r k e d on
m a y o r a l a n d presidential c a m p a i g n s by c a n v a s s i n g
door-to-door,
organizing rallies,
distributing
literature, registering v o t e r s a n d w o r k i n g o n p h o n e
b a n k s . M a s o n , w h o lives in W h i t e Plains, h a s d o n e
p o s t g r a d u a t e s t u d i e s at t h e University of M a s s a c h u s e t t s in A m h e r s t a n d l o n a C o l l e g e in N e w
Rochelle.
REGION V
REGION IV
Edward J. LaPlante
Edward LaPlante, a n o t h e r former m e m b e r of
C S E A , h a s well over a d e c a d e of e x p e r i e n c e working
in political a c t i o n for t h e union, including serving a s
P A C c h a i r m a n for R e n s s e l a e r C o u n t y Local 8 4 2 ,
political a c t i o n liaison for t h e 1 0 0 t h A s s e m b l y
District, a n d m e m b e r of t h e Political
Action
C o m m i t t e e in R e g i o n IV. LaPlante a l s o held p o s i t i o n s
a s vice president a n d president of t h e Troy Unit, H e
a t t e n d e d H u d s o n Valley C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e , Troy,
a n d S o p h i a University in J a p a n w h e r e h e studied
military law. H e lives in Troy n o w a n d h e s e r v e s a s
c o n i m i s s i o n e r on t h e Mayor's Charter Revision
C o m m i t t e e a n d local g o v e r n m e n t representative to
t h e United W a y of H u d s o n Valley.
REGION VI
Tim Burns
Joseph X. Martin
Tim Burns is a former public s c h o o l t e a c h e r of 1 3
y e a r s w h o h a s h e l d e l e c t e d p o s i t i o n s in t h e R o m e
T e a c h e r s A s s o c i a t i o n a n d N e w York S t a t e U n i t e d
T e a c h e r s . H e a l s o w o r k e d for t h r e e y e a r s a s
administrator of a private a g e n c y serving t h e blind.
B u r n s h a s a d e g r e e in E n g l i s h a n d political s c i e n c e
from S t . J o h n Fisher C o l l e g e in R o c h e s t e r a n d M . A . s
in public relations from N e w h o u s e S c h o o l , S y r a c u s e
University, a n d in e d u c a t i o n from S U N Y . Making his
r e s i d e n c e n o w in R o m e , Burns h a s served for 1 4 y e a r s
a s a D e m o c r a t i c c o m m i t t e e m a n a n d h a s long b e e n
a c t i v e in O n e i d a County political c a m p a i g n s .
J o s e p h Martin, w h o j o k e s t h a t h e w o r k e d in a "few
million political c a m p a i g n s , " is a g r a d u a t e with a
d e g r e e in political s c i e n c e from G e n e s e o S U C . Living
n o w in Buffalo, Martin h a s s e r v e d a s e x e c u t i v e
a s s i s t a n t t o t h e m a y o r of that city, o n t h e staff of a
state senator and as a Democratic c o m m i t t e e m a n .
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
I
uu J )
V' J
Page 7
New Westchester lecal president settling inte \oh
WHITE PIJVINS - A CSEA activist who says
she "never had the desire to be president" is now
president of the largest local in Region III.
Janice McGuiness, who joined CSEA in 1967
when she was a teacher's aide in the Yonkers
City School District, moved into the Westchester
County Local 860 number one spot when Pat
Mascioli was elected president of Region III in
June. "I was delighted when he won," said
McGuiness, who was Mascioli's campaign
manager.
Setting priorities has been the first order of
business for McGuiness. Education will be
emphasized, said the new president, who would
like to plan monthly shop steward training
sessions and an all-day leadership training
workshop in November.
McGuiness has already appointed a health and
safety committee and a womens' committee,
and plans to encourage the appointment of such
committees in each of the units.
Commenting on the Womens' Committee,
McGuiness remarked that issues that are
traditionally "womens' issues" are in fact those
that affect male and female employees. Such
concerns as day care, comparable worth and
sexual harrassment are concerns of all workers,
she said.
One of McGuiness' goals in her new job is to
get more members actively involved in CSEA.
"I'd like to see the union expand," she said.
"People think we're only here to negotiate
contracts. For instance, political action is
important and members should realize just how
much that affects them."
McGuiness said she would also like to "take
her local meetings on the road" and hold
monthly meetings throughout the county so that
more members will attend.
Certain units, such as school districts, should
also meet together occasionally to discuss
common problems, she says.
On a personal note, McGuiness explained that
CSEA has had a profound effect on other aspects
of her life. It was at a CSEA convention that she
met her husband, Jim. They were married in
January of 1983. "Jim is very supportive," she
says. "I go to his meetings and he goes to mine.
He's state (with the Palisades Park
Commission) and I'm local, so we've learned a
lot about each other's locals."
JANICE McGUINESS
it's Terry, not Gerry
vjonien. ft"" ,
T u n e j n to the
stations
gvf season
PubUc
; on
p
Bggite
j M « ^
. „ . e d by t h e
and station.
FAMOUS FERRARO FACE — Geraldine Ferraro, the outspoken vice
presidential candidate from Queens, may not have met her match, yet, but
she has one. Her name is Theresa D. Mercandante, a CSEA member of Tax
and Finance Local 690. Mercadante, a 40-year-oId grandmother with high
cheekbones and a frosted haircut in a modified wedge, is a Ferraro carbon
copy and a front-runner in a contest sponsored by Ron Smith's Lookalike
Agency of Los Angeles. Like Ferraro, she juggles a fulltime career with
motherhood and is a registered Democrat. Mercadante is pictured above
with Local 690 President Carmen Bagnoli.
3,700 DOT employees
will receive training
program for winter
Page 8
'
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, P r i d b y , O c t o b e r ' 5 ^ 1 ^ 9 8 4
ALBANY One of the harbingers of winter this year will be a snow and
ice training program for 3,700 state Department of Transportation
employees.
The idea, according to CSEA President William L. McGowan, is to
provide "sufficient training to reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities
among^DOT personnel."
• Training activities include a full day of classroom instruction on general
safety practices followed by hands-on shop training utilizing vehicles and
equipment employees will operate during the season.
The program is being partially funded by the New York State/CSEA
Safety and Health Maintenance Conmiittee.
^ ^ T h e i s s u e is ti»e f u t u r e ^ ^
reasons to
vote for
Fritx and Get.
Nov. 6
They're for a future of fairness to all Americans rather than favor
to rich Americans.
They're for full employment policies with teeth in them as the
foundation of a strong, growing economy.
They're for federal policies to encourage job-creation so all have
work.
They're for special jobs programs ifa slump seems imminent.
They're for jobless benefits adequate in amount and duration in
the event of unemployment.
They're for continued special benefits for workers displaced by
imports.
They're for fair trade that benefits U.S. workers and industries as
well as our trading partners.
8
9
14
They're for tax reform that obliges wealthy individuals. Big Oil
and other corporations to pay their fair share, as workers always
have.
15
They're for keeping a lid on energy costs.
16
They're for increased aid to upgrade public schools, boost teacher
salaries, to provide America's children with the best possible
education.
17
They're for a generous higher education loan program to help
children of workers and the needy attend college.
18
They're for protection against schemes to establish sub-minimum
wage for young workers.
19
They're for ERA; for strong enforcement of Voting Rights Act; for
full rights for women, minorities in all aspects of economic and
political life.
20
They're for construction of homes within reach of low- and middleincome families and for interest rates they can handle.
21
They're for effective restraints on hospital, doctors' charges and
for improvements in Medicare, Medicaid.
They're for ''content law" requiring certain portion of U.S.-made
parts in foreign products sold here.
They're for labor-business-govemment consultation, planning and
cooperation to help save and strengthen basic U.S. industries on
which the jobs of millions, and national defense, depend.
They're for restoring Reagan cuts in nutrition, child care, health
and housing programs.
They're for stronger enforcement, broader coverage of job
safety/health protections.
They're for repair of needed facilities
(the nation's
"infrastructure") — highways, bridges, ports, transportation
systems.
QU
They're for clear identification of, protection against, hazardous
substances in the workplace.
12
They're for requiring adequate notice of plant closings to give
workers, communities lead time to ease or avoid economic shock.
13
They're for strengthening labor laws to more fully protect worker
rights to join a union.
24
They're for building a strong, versatile national defense within
reasonable financial boundaries.
25
They're for serious, continuing talks with Russia on substantial,
verifiable arms reduction and control.
Vole MONDALE/FERRARO
THE PUBLIC SECTOR. Friday, October 5, 1984
Page 9
X
V
t
1
.«a»
mQ
CS
PARADE OF SUPPORTERS — CSEA members from the
Metropolitan Region, left, turned out in force last month for
the Labor Day Parade brandishing Mondale/Ferraro signs.
Above, Vice Presidential running mate Geraldine Ferraro;
below, Mondale at the podium at CSEA convention at the
Concord last year, flanked by President William L.
McGowan and Secretary Irene Carr.
THE MOMDALE RECORD
Making decisions is what government is
all about. More than any other officeholder,
the president is called upon to make
decisions, and the decisions he makes
directly affect the future well-being of
millions of people.
In picking a president, we need to know
what kind of decisions he will make. To do
that we need to know where a candidate's
loyalties lie, since this will inevitably
inhuence the decisions he will make.
There is no better place to see Walter
Mondale's loyalties than in his record
during his 12 years in the U.S. Senate.
Second only to the president, a senator
makes visible decisions on a day-to-day
basis that affect people's lives.
Look at Fritz Mondale's record in the
Senate. See who he sided with. See whose
interests he fought for. And then judge
whether he would be a president who would
stand up for your interests.
MANY FACES OF FRITZ — Mondale,
frSid of labor, is shown at various labor
[tings in the past year: at top left,
ressing the 1983 CSEA Annual Delegates
mention; above, with AFSCME President
lid McEntee; left, in Plainview, with
lion J President Danny Donohue and
suKortCT during a sweep through Long Island
fre last spring's Democratic prunary.
iiwto for usl
1965-66
• Fought to change restrictive ^'right to
work" measures.
• Upheld one man, one vote principle
in state elections.
• Voted for manpower training.
• Supported expansion of the DavisBacon Act.
• Backed rent subsidies for low-income
families.
• Voted for Medicare.
• Supported consumer protection in
weights and packaging.
1967-68
• Opposed gerrymandering and unfair
congressional districting.
• Fought efforts to reduce Social
Security.
• Supported aid to education.
• Fought for open housing legislation.
• Tried to limit runaway shops.
• Supported job creation programs.
• Fought for Head Start program.
1969-70
• Supported Legal Services program.
• Backed school lunch and child
nutrition programs.
Page
10
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
• Defended Voting Rights Act.
• Opposed anti-worker nominees to the
Supreme Court.
• Voted for expanded personal income
tax deduction.
• Defended COPE from right wing
attack.
• Fought for increased hospital
construction.
• Supported the rights of postal and
agricultural workers.
1971
• Fought for expanded public works
and jobs programs.
• Backed federal meat inspection
program.
• Supported tax reforms to benefit
individual taxpayers.
• Defended COPE once again.
• Fought for child care program.
1972
• Fought to raise minimum wage.
• Supported community-oriented child
care.
• Backed strong equal opportunity
enforcement measures.
• Opposed weakening OSHA.
• Supported no-fault insurance.
1973
• Fought to protect minimum wage
from conservative attack.
• Supported negotiatied pre-paid legal
benefits plans.
• Opposed efforts to deny strikers food
stamps.
• Opposed deregulation of natural gas.
• Fought for simplified national voter
^registration.
• Supported vocational rehabilitation.
1974
• Sought to lower oil prices.
• Supported COPE activities once
again.
• Opposed further efforts to weaken
OSHA.
• Backed civil rights' measures to
desegregate schools.
• Backed extension of labor rights to
hospital workers.
•
1975
^
• Fought for public works and job
creation bills.
• Supported situs picketing legislation.
• Fought to close tax loopholes on
foreign profits.
ported continuation of oil price
c<Ktrols.
* 0] losed natural gas decontrol.
* F ight to protect and extend Voting
R [htsAct.
• F ight to end "redlining" by
• ii iirai^e companies.
* B ;ked increased aid to education.
197(
* Fl Ight for public works biUs.
* Si »ported continued research in
li( ilth fields.
* Si ported funding for day care.
* T ed to close tax loopholes
b< lefiting rich.
. * B »ked anti-tnist enforcement*
F ighyo protect Davis-Bacon Act.
F
vic<
a t
woi
^igl'
^ouj
int€
H
^ur
^Moi
OCAL 1000
/brAmerica
\
IN
tz Mondale left the Senate for the
iresidency, a different arena with
ferent style. For four years he
ed there, behind the scenes,
[ng the same kinds of fights he had
It in the Senate on behalf of the
Bsts of the majority of Americans.
has kept faith with us. Now it's
urn to keep faith with him. Vote
lalefrerraro on November 6.
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
P a a e 11
Pp
HM
The Reaganization of the NLRB
BoonI dedsioiis cut back woihcr rights, redace union bargaining Mwcr
For those who wonder whether it really makes
a difference who sits in the White House, the
National Labor Relations Board offers a good
lesson.
President Reagan has now appointed three of
the NLRB's five members, with another seat
vacant and awaiting a presidential appointment.
Without exception, the new members of the
NLRB are conservative and pro-management in
orientation.
NL'RB Chairman Donald Dotson once
expressed his attitude towards labor unions in a
letter to a legal journal, arguing that "collective
bargaining frequently means labor monopoly,
the destruction of individual freedom, and the
destruction of the marketplace."
Another appointee, Robert Hunter, is a former
aide to ultra-conservative Sen. Orrin Hatch and
Was a leader in the movement to block labor law
reform in the late 70s.
NLRB Solicitor Hugh Reilly was an attorney
with the anti-union National Right to Work Legal
Defense Foundation.
The new leaders of the NLRB have abandoned
the Board's traditional non-partisan approach
towards protecting the right of workers to
organize and bargain collectively. They have
turned the NLRB into a management weapon.
Rules and regulations that have been years in
the making have been reversed by ttie new
NLRB. Long established principles of fairness
and proper procedure have been abandoned.
• In a 'case involving a Painters'; local, the
Board expanded its definition of secondary
boycotts to limit the ability of a union to seek
a
Page 12
relief for possible contract violations and shifted
the burden of proof when there is a complaint
against a union. The union is now guilty until
proven innocent.
• In another case, the Board reversed policy
by ruling an employer can refuse to reinstate
C In three short
years... this allimportcmt agency
has been turned
into a partisan
tool to be used
against workers
and their
unions. 9
strikers for making only verbal "threats"
against strike-breakers — even if no physical
action was involved. Hot words in a moment of
passion on the picket line can now be used to deny
workers their livelihood.
• The Board ruled that an individual worker
complaining about unsafe working conditions is
not protected from employer retaliation unless
he complains in conjunction with other
employees — another reversal.
• In still another case, the Board effectively
wiped out contract provisions that allow workers
to refuse to cross a picket line, allowing an
employer to fire a sympathy striker — even
though the contract stated the employee had the
right to refuse to cross the picket line.
• In another reversal, the Board ruled that a
union cannot restrict a member from resigning
during a strike and crossing a picket line and
prohibited the union from imposing any fine.
The list of cases decided against workers
seeking the protection of the law goes on and on.
It will continue to grow until there is a change at
the NLRB.
For almost half a century, through both
Republican and Democratic administrations,
the NLRB pursued an impartial course. In three
short years, that course has been reversed and
this all-important agency has been turned into a
partisan tool to be used against workers and
their unions.
The NLRB takes its lead from the President.
The last three years have shown us exactly what
difference our choice of President can make.
Last October, Walter Mondale described his
vision of government for the members of the
AFIXJO: "Government does not belong on your
back, but it does belong on your side, and that's
where it's going to be again."
A vote for Mondale/Ferraro on November 6 is
a vote to return to fairness in labor-management
relations.
Vole MONDALE/FERRARO
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, October 5, 1984
STOP REAGAIVS RERUN
Botfered by Reagan recession,
unions nationwideffigiilingiiacic
WASHINGTON — After a period of "giveback" during the long Reagan
Älecession, the mood of unions facing tough bargaining battles has now
changed to "fight back."
The past year has been marked by long and bitter strikes by 13
unions representing copper workers against Phelps-Dodge in the Southwest; by the Amalgamated Transit Union against Greyhound; by the Carpenters and Woodworkers against Louisiana-Pacific on the West Coast; and
by hotel workers, musicians and stagehands against Las Vegas resort hotels.
In a pattern repeated in smaller plants and different industries, 10,000
members of 11 unions struck West Coast shipyards after employers broke
a 45-year stable bargaining relationship. The shipbuilders demanded large
wage and benefit cutbacks and more takeaways on seniority, craft jurisdic•tions and holidays.
Even unions in highly profitable industries weren't immune. Some 600,000
members of the Communications Workers and the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers had to strike AT&T's Bell System to fend off the giant company's giveback demands as the court-ordered divesture date neared.
Solidarity in union ranks helped beat back most of these give-backs and
union-busting attempts. Unions also refined and strengthened the old economic weapons of national boycotts and corporate campaigns with intensive public
education efforts to successfully increase their clout.
The reforged weapons also were aimed against persistent labor law violators and corporations using more subtle anti-union tactics, like Litton In•dustries. General Dynamics Corp., the Coors company, and the Beverly
Enterprises nursing home chain.
But as the new pillars of united strength were erected, unions saw the
foundations of organizing and bargaining strength being chipped away by the
National Labor Relations Board.
Delays caused by record backlogs of pending cases at the NLRB hurt union organizing and bargaining efforts and individual union members deeply
over the past three years. But solidified control of the board by the Reaganappointed pro-business majority the past year brought a slaughter of timehonored labor law precedents.
Led by Chairman Donald L. Dotson, the board handed down a decision
•which severely curtailed the circumstances under which a worker can refuse unsafe work. And it reversed earlier board rulings to allow employers
to move operations, even to non-union plants, without bargaining or consent
from unions, even in the middle of a contract period.
The board also ruled that employers may question employees who are
open union supporters during an organizing effort as long as there is no blatant threat or promise. In another policy reversal, the board refused to order an employer found guilty of numerous serious labor law violations to
bargain because the union did not represent a majority of the workers; first,
however, the Dotson board enlarged the unit so the union became a minority.
Added to this erosion of worker rights protections, the Supreme Court's
•Bildisco decision in February which said even solvent companies could cancel union contracts by filing for bankruptcy stunned the labor movement.
Bankruptcy was the new gun aimed at labor's head in the past year. The
management of Wilson Foods used it against the Food and Commercial Workers and Continental Airlines used it against the Airline Pilots, Machinists
and Flight Attendants, with bitter strikes provoked in both cases as the employers tore up union contracts.
After the initial shock, however, organized labor mobilized lobbying efforts and Congress finally agreed to plug the bankruptcy law loophole.
In other areas, the Republican-controlled Senate and the Democraticdominated House mostly produced stalemates. Job creation programs,
•domestic auto content legislation, an attempt to cap Reagan tax cuts and a
health insurance program for the unemployed died in the Senate.
House and Senate Democrats managed to stanch the bleeding of most
social programs caused by the Reagan administration in areas like food
stamps, child nutrition and education. But they weren't able to surmount
deficit worries and administration opposition to restore previous cuts, despite
consistent reports showing increased hunger and misery among the poor and
jobless and women and children caused by Reagan administration tax and
budget cut policies.
Congress did pass a $15.6 billion housing bill, which included money for
^community development and subsidized housing. The Senate rejected the
administration-badfed school prayer amendment and tuition tax credits for
families with children in private schools.
Washington M Window
Reagan's deficits — the coming crisis
The federal deficit has become a hot topic of political conversation.
For most people, deficits remain a distant abstraction unlike, say, unemployment or inflation.
Deficits used to be something Republicans chided Democrats about.
Democrats beginning with FDR countered that deficits weren't necessarily
bad — that temporary deficit spending to pump prime the economy out of
a recession was a good thing.
Ronald Reagan often talked about the evils of deficits before he became
president. He attacked President Carter for his 1980 recession-year deficit
of $60 billion and promised, if elected, to balance the budget by 1983.
But by 1983, the Reagan deficit had soared to a record $195 billion. In this
year of "recovery," it's still running at a sky high $172 billion.
These days, however. President Reagan tries to avoid talking about
deficits or tells people not to be overly concerned, and that his "recovery"
will take care of things. He scoffs at "doom criers."
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently projected that the Reagan deficits, unless revenues are raised and spending is cut,
will continue to grow for the rest of the decade, mushrooming to $263 billion
by 1989.
CBO Director Rudolph Penner, a conservative Republican economist, told
reporters that unless action is taken to reverse the trend, "there is a severe
danger that deficits would run away from us."
The Reagan deficits already are taking their toll on the economy. Penner said they have kept real, inflation-adjusted interest rates at "extraordinarily" high levels. The CBO predicted that these high rates will slow
economic growth for the rest of the year and to 2.8 percent in 1985, about half
this year's estimated rate. Lower growth rates, of course, mean longer
unemployment lines.
Penner noted that the deficits were forcing huge Treasury borrowings
which soak up the savings otherwise available for job-producing capital investment.
The Reagan deficits are different from those in the past not only in their
size but because they don't shrink as the business cycle turns up and adds
revenue to the Treasury.
Thus the Reagan revenue gap is a new phenomenon which Penner and
other economists call "structural deficits." The main reason is that the interest which the government must pay on its borrowings to finance the deficit
has been growing even faster than the deficit itself. It's a vicious cycle of high
interest rates and big government borrowings feeding each other.
These interest payments on the federal debt are a built-in, uncontrollable expense which this year will reach $110 billion, more than twice the 1980
level. That's more than half this year's total deficit. It's about $300 million
every day of the year.
\This cost of servicing the national debt could soon account for the entire
federal deficit. Under Reagan, the debt has ballooned from $1 trillion to $1.5
trillion. By 1989, the CBO predicts it will rise to over $3 trillion under the current Reagan tax af!d spending program. The CBO projects interest on the
debt to reach $214 billion by 1989.
As Penner put it, "The mathematics are in place for an explosion, and
we cannot remain on that path forever."
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
\
.
I'-..--
• '
Page
13
CSEA'S CONSriTUTION AND BY-IAWS
EDITOR'S NOTE: The C o n s t i t u t i o n and By-Laws of The Civil
Service Employees Association are at the very heart of the union.
They govern the operation of the union and therefore have a direct
impact upon the membership.
The Constitution and By-Laws Committee has met three times since the Annual
Delegates Meeting in October, 1 9 8 3 . The meeting dates were February 15, 1 9 8 4 ;
May 2 4 , 1 9 8 4 ; and August 9, 1 9 8 4 . The Constitution and By-Laws Committee has
as its function the recommendations to the delegates of amendments to the CSEA
Constitution and By-Laws. The Committee reviews suggestions made from individuals and Locals and acceptes referrals from the delegates and Board of Directors.
Additionally, the Committee can initiate proposals which it determines to be in the
Key: Italic = New Material
Brackets = Removal of Old Material
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE PRESENTED TO THE
DELEGATES FOR A SECOND READING. IF PASSED. THE
AMENDMENTS WILL BECOME PART OF THE CSEA CONSTITUTION.
(1) The following amendment to Article IV, Section 4 of
the Constitution was submitted on behalf of the Statewide
Officers by Joseph E. McDermott, Executive Vice President,
by letter dated July 2 5 . 1 9 8 3 .
"ARTICLE IV
ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 4. DIRECTORS' COMMITTEE. The Board of
Directors shall elect from its membership a Directors' Committee, to consist of not less than ten and not more than
[twenty-one] twenty-two
members. Such committee shall
include the officers of the Association, the Chairperson of
the State Executive Committee and the Chairperson of the
County Executive Committee, and as many other members
as the Board deems necessary not to exceed [twenty-one]
twenty-two.
Such Directors' Committee shall be vested with
the power and authority of the Board of Directors when the
Board is not in session."
Explanation: The Statewide Officers are recommending
that the number of members on the Directors' Committee
be increased by one member. This would allow both the
State and County Executive Committees, which are approximately equal in composition, to select an even number of
members to be elected as their representatives. The amendment would eliminate any unfairness caused by one group
designating an extra committee member which causes a
problem during Board organizational planning. The Committee recommends adoption of the amendment.
(2) The following amendment to Article IV, Section 5(a)
of the Constitution was submitted by both Barbara Fauser,
Statewide Treasurer, by letter dated March 3 0 , 1 9 8 3 , and
Elizabeth Kurtik, Local 6 7 5 , by letter dated March 1, 1 9 8 3 .
"ARTICLE IV
ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 5. OFFICERS.
(a) ELECTION. The four statewide officers of the Association shall be elected by secret ballot tri-annually (every three
years) commencing with the term of office to begin on July
1, 1 9 7 9 . The six Vice Presidents of the Association shall
be elected for a term of two years commencing July 1,
1 9 7 9 . Thereafter the six Vice Presidents of the Association shall be elected for a term of three years commencing
with the term of office July 1, 1 9 8 1 . They shall hold office
for the term for which they were elected or until their successors shall have qualified. Vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the Executive Vice President. Vacancy
in the office of Executive Vice President shall be filled by
the Board of Directors by appointing any one of the six Vice
Presidents, the Secretary
or the Treasurer."
REST OF SECTION REMAINS THE SAME.
Explanation: Since all the Statewide Officers now hold fulltime positions, they should all be considered when a vacancy
in the office of Executive Vice President occurs. The Committee recommends adoption of the amendment.
(3) The next several pages of the Committee's Report encompass a comprehensive revision of existing language
designed to update the Constitution with current practices
and to eliminate inconsistencies which may exist between
the Statewide Constitution and the Region, Local and Unit
Constitutions, as well as inconsistencies with appropriate
laws governing CSEA elections.
NOTE: BECAUSE THE DELEGATES HAVE ALREADY APPROVED EACH OF THESE AMENDMENTS AT THE LAST
P a g e 14
CSEA delegates will be considering a number of important
changes to the C o n s t i t u t i o n and By-Laws during the 7 4 t h Annual
Delegates Meeting scheduled for Oct. 2 1 - 2 6 in Lake Placid. The proposed changes are presented on pages 13-18 of this edition of The
Public Sector.
best interests of the Association. All recommendations made by this Committee are
made to the delegates together with the reasons for the recommendations.
REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS COMMITTEE
Carmen Bagnoli, Chairperson
Rita Wallace
Fred Daniels
ANNUAL MEETING, THE COMMITTEE WILL ASK FOR APPROVAL BY THE DELEGATES OF THESE AMENDMENTS
IN ONE M O t l O N RATHER THAN ADOPTING EACH
CHANGE INDIVIDUALLY. INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN
DISCUSSING THE AMENDMENTS PRESENTED IN THIS
PORTION OF THE REPORT SHOULD DO SO AT THE
COMMITTEE FORUM. BY FOLLOWING THIS COURSE OF
ACTION. THE COMMITTEE BELIEVES THAT A LENGTHY
DISCUSSION ON THE CONVENTION FLOOR WILL PROVE
UNNECESSARY.
"ARTICLE I
NAME
This organization shall be known as THE CIVIL SERVICE
EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION, INC. The headquarters of the
Association shall be maintained in the City of Albany.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE AND POLICY
This Association is organized and exists to promote
the
organization
of workers in general and public employees
in
particular, to represent its members with respect to all terms
and conditions of employment, to uphold and extend the
principles of merit and fitness in public employment, to maintain and promote efficiency in public service and to advance
the interests of all civil service employees. It is dedicated
to the principle that Government is the servant and not the
master of the people, that its objectives are to be attained
by truly democratic methods.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
NO CHANGES
ARTICLE IV
ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 1. DIVISIONS. No change.
Section 2. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The power and
authority to transact all business of the Association shall,
subject to the power and authority of the Delegates at meetings of the Association, be vested in a Board of Directors
which shall consist of the following:
(a) Voting Members — The voting members of the Board
of Directors shall be the Officers of the Association, members of the Executive Committee of the State Division, members of the Executive Committee of the County Division who
represent [l]Locals having 1 0 0 or more members as of the
preceding January 1 st, and one additional member of the
County Executive Committee, to be elected by the members of the County Executive Committee, representing
County Division [IjLocals which have membership of less
than 1 0 0 on the preceding January 1 st.
(b) Non-Voting Members — The non-voting members of
the Board of Directors shall be the Chairpersons of all Standing Committees as established in Article VI, Section [I] 1 of
the By-Laws and the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of
the Retirees Section Executive Committee.
Non-Voting Members of the Board of Directors shall not
introduce, second, or debate any action before the Board
except matters affecting the non-voting member's own Committee.
The Board of Directors shall establish and appoint committees to be known as Board Committees. The Board Committees shall consist of only voting members of the Board
of Directors and each committee shall elect its own Chairperson.
Section 3. No member of the Board of Directors of the
Association shall be a member of a competing labor organization. * No elected public officiai^who
is deemed
to have
a conflict of interest by the Judicial Board of CSEA shall continue as a member
of the Board of
Directors.
*[NOTE: For the purpose of this section, a] A competing
labor organization shall [mean] be defined as any organization which is seeking [recognition] or has sought to
represent
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
Jerry Barbour
Bruce Larsen
Charlotte Murray
Ronald Stanton
employees
[certification] for purposes of collective bargaining [pursuant to the Taylor Law].
Section 4. DIRECTORS' COMMITTEE. No change except
as noted in Item (1) lines 1 9 through 3 0 of this report. I
Section 5. OFFICERS. The officers of the Association shall
be a President, an Executive Vice President, six Vice Presidents to be the six Region[al] Presidents, the Secretary and
Treasurer.
(a) ELECTION. The four statewide officers of the Association shall be elected by secret ballot tri-annually (every three
years), [commencing with the term of office to begin on July
1, 1 9 7 9 . The six Vice Presidents of the Association shall
be elected for a term of two years commencing July 1,
1 9 7 9 . Thereafter] [t]7he six Vice Presidents of the Association shall be elected for a term of three years [commenc4
ing with the term of office July 1, 1 9 8 1 . ] , such
elections
to be conducted
concurrent
with Region elections.
[They]
All officers of the Association
shall hold office for [the term
for which they were elected] a term of three years,
commencing on July 1 of the year in which they were
elected,
or until their successors shall have qualified. Vacancy in the
office of President shall be filled by the Executive Vice President. Vacancy in the office of Executive Vice President shall
be filled by the Board of Directors by [appointing]
electing
any one of the six Vice Presidents, the Secretary
or the
Treasurer.
A vacancy in the term of any of the Vice Presi-^
dents shall be filled according to the Constitution and ByLaws of the respective [r]ffegions. Vacancies in the office
of Secretary and Treasurer may be filled for the remainder
of the term by the Board of Directors. [Commencing with
the 1 9 7 9 election,] [n]No statewide officer shall be an officer
of a [l]Local or [u]C/nit. [if such officer is serving on a paid
basis from CSEA, exclusive of the honorarium or expenses
approved by the CSEA Board of Directors.]
(b) NOMINATIONS. No member who agrees to serve on
the Statewide
Nominating
Committee
shall be eligible
for
nomination or election to any statewide
office or to the Sfafe"
or County Executive
Committees.
The Statewide
Nominating
Committee
shall serve
from
January
15th of the election year in which they were appointed until a successor
committee
has been
constituted.
They shall be responsible
for filling all vacancies in
statewide
office or on the State Executive
Committee
during their term
of office.
The Statewide Nominating Committee[s] shall be elected
[for a one year term] as follows:
1. For those election years in which the four [S]statewide
officers are elected, each Region shall nominate for t h e '
Statewide Nominating Committee at least seven (7) members who have been members in good standing of CSEA
for at least two (2) years prior to January
1 of the
election
year.
2. Executive Board of each Region shall elect three (3)
members from the seven (7) nominees, no more than two
of whom shall be a state or county member, except in the
Metropolitan Region which shall have three state division
members. Such election shall be by secret ballot.
3. The names of the committee members selected by the
various Regions shall be filed with the Secretary and E x - '
ecutive Director of the Association not later than January
[1st] ) 5 of the election year.
4. The Statewide Nominating Committee shall make a
good faith effort to select at least two (2) nominees for the
offices of President. Executive Vice President, Secretary
and Treasurer. [In all cases an incumbent, upon consent and
if otherwise eligible, shall be one of said nominees.] No
nominee shall be eligible [as] to be a candidate for more than
one (1) statewide office.
5. For those election years in which the State Executive^
(Continued on following page)
csEA's coNsnninoN AND BY-IAWS
Committee is elected, each Region shall nominate for the
Statewide Nominating Committee at least seven (7) state
members who have been members in good standing
of
CSE A for at least two (2) years prior to January
1 of the
election
year.
A 6. The Executive Board of each Region shall elect three
(3) members from the seven (7) nominees. Such election
shall be by secret ballot.
7. The names of the committee members selected by the
various Regions shall be filed with the Secretary and Executive Director of the Association not later than January
[1st] 15 of the election year.
8. The Statewide Nomihating Committee shall mal<e a
good faith effort to select at least two (2) nominees for each
position on the State Executive Committee. (In all cases an
incv.jmbent, upon consent and if otherwise eligible, shall be
^ n e of said nominees.]
No person shall be eligible for nomination unless that person shall have been a member in good standing of [the Association] CSEA since June 1 [st] of the year preceding [the
year in which] the election [is held]. The Statewide Nominating Committee shall file its report with the Secretary and Executive Director of the Association no later than March 1 [st]
of the election year and shall simultaneously notify all candidates of their nomination by certified mail, return receipt
requested. Nominees who desire to decline shall do so [no
later than March 20th of the election year] by notifying the
S e c r e t a r y and the Executive Director of the Association by
registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, no.la^er
than the date published
in the election
schedule.
The
Statewide Nominating Committee, in the event of a vacancy created by a declination or otherwise, [by March 20th
of the election year] shall [name substitute nominees] reconvene and make a good faith effort to select another
qualified candidate
if necessary,
and shall file [and report said]
the names of those nominees to the Secretary and the Executive Director no later than April 15[th] of the election year.
The new nominees shall be notified by registered mail, return
•"eceipt requested, on or before April 15[th] of the election
year. [No member who agrees to serve on the Statewide
Nominating Committee shall be eligible for nomination or
election to any statewide office or to the State or County
Executive Committees.]
(c) INDEPENDENT NOMINATIONS. Nominations for President, Executive Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer
may also be made by official petition provided by the Executive Director of the Association upon written request of
any member. Such petitions shall be signed by not less than
two percent (2%) of the members of the Association eligi^ble to vote in the election.
The names of such candidates
shall be printed on the official ballot if such nominations are
filed with the Secretary and the Executive Director of the
Association on or before April 15[th] of the election year.
Nominations for members of the State Executive Committee may also be made by official petition provided by the
Executive Director of the Association upon written request
of any member. The petition must be signed by not less than
ten percent (10%) of the members in the Department [making such nominations] or Agency eligible to vote in the election, but in no event will more than 4 5 0 valid signatures be
•required. The names of such candidates shall be printed on
the official ballot if such nominations are filed with the Secretary and Executive Director of the Association on or before
April 15[th] of the election year.
(d) No change
Section 6. OATH. No change
ARTICLE V
REGIONS
For purposes of internal organization of [t] The Civil Service Employees Association, Inc., the state shall be divided
into six [r]/?egions as follows:
D
1. No change
2. No change
3. No change
4. No change
5. No change
6. No change
All [l]Locals shall be members of the [r]/?eglon in which
the [I]Local headquarters is located.
(a) Each [r]Region shall be under the direction of a
Region[al] President, and shall have a minimum of three Vice
Presidents, a Treasurer and a Secretary, who shall be elect' ed by the members [assigned to their] in the respective
[r]flegions.
(b) Each [r]Region shall have a [r]flegion[al] [e]Executive
[b]Soard which shall consist of the elected officers, the [\]Local presidents, and shall reflect, where applicable, representation of the state departments, county division, school
districts, judiciary, authorities and community of interest
which may be deemed necessary within the [r]ffegipn.
ARTICLE VI
STATE DIVISION
Section 1. STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The power and authority to transact business relating to state employees shall, except as provided herein, be vested in a
State Executive Committee. The State Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Association, and one
representative from each State Department. The Judiciary,
the State University, the Waterfront Commission and state
public authorities as one unit, shall be deemed State Departments. The Faculty Student Associations-and Teachers'
Retirement System shall as a unit be deemed a State Department. [In addition to the foregoing,] [e]Each State Department with more than 3 , 0 0 0 members as of January 1 [in
the year of an election] of the election year shall, for the
term of office beginning the following July, be entitled to one
representative on the State Executive Committee for each
3 , 0 0 0 members or major fraction thereof. The members
of
the Department
of Mental
Hygiene
shall be elected
by
Region. In all other departments
entitled to more than one
representative
on the Board of Directors,
members shall be
elected from the departments
on an at-large basis. The State
Executive Committee shall elect from its membership one
member to be known as the Chairperson of the State Executive Committee. The State Executive Committee may
create one or more subcommittees to perform such duties
as the State Executive Committee shall delegate. Each
department representative shall be elected by ballot by the
members in" that person's department in the manner
prescribed in the By-Laws. No person shall be eligible for
nomination unless that person shall have been a member
in good standing of CSEA [the Association] [on or before]
since June 1 [st] of the year preceding the [year in which
the] election [is held]. They shall hold office for a term of
[two] three (3) years or until their successors shall have
qualified. [Commencing with the term of office beginning July
t , 1 9 8 3 and each term thereafter, the term of office shall
be three years.] Vacancies in the office of the State Department representative including termination of employment
with the Department may be filled for the remainder of the
term by members of the Association employed in such
department at a special election to be called by the Board
of Directors within fourteen days after the first meeting of
the Board subsequent to the time that such vacancies occur under rules established by the Board; however, where
the unexpired term of office is six (6) months or less, the
President of the Association may fill such vacancy without
an election with the approval of the Board of Directors.
No statewide officer shall be eligible [for nomination to or
serve as an elected member of] to be a candidate
for any
. pos'ition on the State Executive Committee, [except for the
1 9 8 1 elections in which case a member may be a candidate for statewide office (Region President) and a candidate
for member of the State Executive Committee; however, a
member elected to both positions shall be ineligible to serve
in both capacities.]
Section 2. LOCALS. A [I]Local may be formed by the
members in the State Division in any department or locality
upon the approval by the Board of Directors of the Constitution and By-Laws of such [l]Local. In the event that a [u]ühit
of state government is transferred to the government of a
political subdivision and provided that the employees of such
government [u]Uni\ transferred would not be eligible for
membership in another [l]Local, such [u]L/hit may be affiliated
with the [l]Local to which the employees of such government [u]Un\l belonged prior to becoming employees of the
political subdivision. Each such [l]Local shall make available to the duly authorized representative of the Association
at the request of the President or the Board of Directors
at reasonable internals, all [I]Local records for inspection by
the Association. It shall be discretionary for each [I]Local
to establish [u]L/nits within its [IjLocals where more effective representation of its members would be thereby accomplished. A [l]Local may be placed in trusteeship by the
President of the Association with the approval of the Board
of Directors or the Board of Directors' Committee for failure
to comply with a request for an inspection of the books and
records of the [IjLocal within ten days of such request. A
[I]Local may be placed in trusteeship for any reason deemed
good and sufficient by the President of the Association
provided a hearing is afforded before the Board of Directors and written charges are served within ten days of placing the [l]Local in trusteeship. The Board of Directors by a
two-thirds vote may dissolve the [IjLocal or suspend it for
a period not to exceed ninety days after such charges have
been served upon the [IjLocal and it has been given an opportunity to be heard.
ARTICLE VII
COUNTY DIVISION
Section 1. COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The power and authority to transact business relating to employees
of the political subdivisions of the state shall, except as otherwise provided herein, be vested in a County Executive Committee which shall consist of the officers of the Association
and one representative from each County Division Local,
and one County Educational Local representative from each
CSEA Region elected by the County Educational Local members within each [r]f?egion. In addition to the foregoing, each
County Division Local with more than 1 0 , 0 0 0 members as
of January 1 in the year of an election shall, for the term
of office beginning the following July, be entitled to one additional representative. The County Executive Committee
may create one or more subcommittees to perform such
duties as the County Executive Committee shall delegate.
The representatives of a County Local shall be elected by
such [IjLocal for a [two] three (3) year term of office to be
coincident with the term of office for members of the State
Executive Committee. [Commencing with the term of office
beginning July 1, 1 9 8 3 and each term thereafter, the term
of office shall be three years.] The County Executive Committee shall elect from its membership one member to be
known as the Chairperson of the County Executive Committee. No statewide officer shall be eligible [for nomination
to or serve as an elected member of] to be a candidate
for
any-position
on the County Executive Committee, [except
for the 1 9 8 1 elections in which case a member may be a
candidate for statewide office (Region President) and a candidate for member of the County Executive Committee;
however, a member elected to both positions shall be ineligible to serve in both capacities.]
Section 2. LOCALS.
(a) A [IjLocal may be formed by members in the County
Division in any county, or in any [r]Region containing one
or more counties, upon the approval by the Board of Directors of the Constitution and By-Laws of such [IjLocal. One
Local for non-teaching employees of school districts may
be formed in each county provided fifty (50%) percent of
the eligible school district [ujL/nits, but in no event less than
2 0 0 school district members, shall request formulation thereof. Each such [IjLocal shall make available to the duly authorized representative of the Association at the request of the
President or the Board of Directors at reasonable intervals,
all [IjLocal records for inspection by the Association. A [IjLocal may be placed in trusteeship by the President of the Association with the consent of the Board of Directors or the
Board of Directors' Committee for failure tq comply with a
request for an inspection of the books and records of the
(IjLocal within ten days of such request. A [IjLocal may be
placed in trusteeship for any reason deemed good and sufficient by the President of the Association provided a hearing is afforded before the Board of Directors and written
charges are served within ten days of placing the [IjLocal
in trusteeship. The Board of Directors by a two-thirds vote
may dissolve the [IjLocal or suspend it for a period not to
exceed ninety days after such charges have been served
upon the [IjLocal and it has been given an opportunity to
be heard.
(b) The members employed in each political subdivision
in a [IjLocal shall be entitled, if they have 2 0 0 members or
fifty (50%) percent of the employees within the division as
members, whichever is smaller, with a minimum of 7 5 members, to the formation of a [ujL/nit. Other [ujL/nits may be
organized as the Board of Directors or Executive [Council]
Boardoi
the [IjLocal may determine is in the best interests
of the members involved. Each [ujL/nit shall be entitled to
elect its own [ujL/nit officers and to establish its own
progress.
(c) It shall be discretionary for each County Local to provide for the granting of [sjSections within the [ujL/hits of the
[IjLocal, each of which shall be empowered to elect its own
officers.
(Continued on following page)
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
P a g e 15
CSEA'S CONSTITUTIOH AND BY-LAWS
(Continued from page 15)
ARTICLE VIII
DELEGATES
Members of each [l]/-ocal shall elect from their membership one or more delegates and/or alternates
to represent
the members of the [I]Local at all meetings of the Association, except that the [l]Local [p]President, Vice
Presidents
in ranl<ing order, Secretary
and Treasurer,
shall, by virtue
of [that] their offices, automatically be designated as [a]
delegates and/or alternate
delegates.
Prior to July 15[th]
of each year, each [I]Local shall file with the Secretary of
the Association an accurate list containing the names and
addresses of its delegates and alternate
delegates
for the
ensuing year[, and names and addresses of alternate
delegates may be submitted to the Secretary thereafter].
Such delegate or delegates shall have one vote for each
one hundred (100) members or fraction thereof in such [l]Local , based upon the paid membership in the Association
on the first day of June preceding the meeting. The number of votes each [l]Local or [d]Department is entitled to cast
shall be determined by the N/lembershIp Committee. Members in the State Division who are not entitled to representation by Local Delegates pursuant to this section shall be
represented at all meetings of the Association by members
of the State Executive Committee as delegates representing each of the State Departments, and each such delegate
shall have one vote for each one hundred (100) members,
or fraction thereof, in the [d]Department from which the
delegate was elected, excluding those members who are
represented by Local Delegates as provided in this section.
All other members of the Board of Directors shall have all
the rights and privileges of delegates at meetings of the
delegates except the right to vote. Such delegates selected or appointed pursuant to this section shall have and may
exercise all the powers, rights and privileges of members
at any meeting of the Association.
When State and/or County Division Delegates meet in official session, the motions passed with regard to items affecting solely their respective divisions and not the
Association general policy shall be presented to the delegate
body by the respective Chairpersons for informational purposes only.
Region[al] IO]officers not in the capacity of Local
[d]Delegates shall be delegates at all delegate meetings of
the Association. They shall have all the rights and privileges
of delegates at meetings except the right to vote. Allowed
expenses may be paid by the [r]Region.
ARTICLE IX
FUNDS
Section 1. No change.
Section 2. Any funds appropriated by a [I]Local to contribute jointly to any cause with any other employee organization must be approved by the Board of Directors of the
Association before such funds may be expended or any obligation for such expenditure may be incurred.
ARTICLE X
AFFILIATION AND MERGER
No Change
ARTICLE XI
RETIREES SECTION
Section 1. RETIREE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The power and authority to transact business relating to retired members shall, except as provided herein, be vested in the
Retiree Executive Committee. The Retiree Executive Committee shall consist of one representative from each CSEA
Region elected by the Presidents of the Retiree Locals in
that Region and the retired member appointed by the President of CSEA to serve on the Statewide Political and Legislative Action Committee. The Retiree Executive Committee
shall elect from its membership one member to be known
as the Chairperson of the Retiree Executive Committee,
[and] a [v]l/ice [c]Chairperson and a [s]Secfetary. The
Retiree Executive Committee may create one or more subcommittees to perform such duties as the Retiree Executive Committee shall delegate. Terms of office of Retiree
Executive Committee members shall be coincidental with
the terms of office of members of the Bogrd of Directors.
Section 2. DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS. The Chairperson
of the Retiree Section Executive Committee shall be the
chief spokesperson of the Section, the Executive Committee, and the retired members. [He/she] The
Chairperson
shall be the liaison between the Retiree Section and the
[S]statewide (0]officers of the Association. The Chairperson or the Vice Chairperson of the Retiree Section Executive Committee, by virtue of [his or her].the office sflfell be
Page
16
a non-voting member of the Board of Directors of the Association,.and [in said capacity] shall represent the interests
and concerns of the retiree [l]Locals and their members. The
Chairperson, and in his or her absence, the Vice Chairperson, shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee of the Section and shall perform such other duties and
functions consistent with the purposes of the office and as
prescribed by the Board of Directors. The Secretary of the
Retiree Executive Committee shall be responsible for the
official minutes of meetings.
Section 3. LOCALS. A [l]Local may be formed by CSEA
retiree members in any county or in any contiguous group
of counties in New York State or any other State of the
U.S.A. upon approval of the Retiree Executive Committee
and the Board of Directors of the Association. The Board
of Directors shall approve the Constitution and By-Laws of
such [I]Local. Each such [I]Local shall make available to a
duly authorized representative of the Association at the request of the President or the Board of Directors at reasonable intervals all [I]Local records for inspection by the
Association. A [l]Local may be placed in trusteeship by the
President of the Association with the consent of the Board
of Directors or the Board of Directors' Committee for failure
to comply with a request for an inspection of the books and
records of the [l]Local within ten days of such request. A
[I]Local may be placed in trusteeship for any reason deemed
good and sufficient by the President of the Association
provided a hearing is afforded before the Board of Directors and written charges are served within ten days of placing the [l]Local in trusteeship. The Board of Directors by a
two-thirds vote may dissolve a [I]Local or suspend it for a
period not to exceed ninety days after such charges have
been served upon the [I]Local and it has been given an opportunity to be heard.
Section 4. No change
Section 5. The [p]President of the Association shall appoint a retired member to the Statewide Political and Legislative Action Committee who shall represent the retirees'
interests on that committee and shall be a voting member
thereof.
ARTICLE XII
AMENDMENTS"
No Change
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE PRESENTED TO THE
DELEGATES BY THE COMMITTEE AS PROPOSED
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION. THE PRESENTATION TO THE DELEGATES AT THIS MEETING CONSTITUTES A FIRST READING OF THESE AMENDMENTS.
(1) The following amendment to Article IV, Section 5 is
submitted to the Delegates by the Constitution and By-Laws
Committee.
"ARTICLE IV
ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSOCIATION
Section 5. OFFICERS.
(c) INDEPENDENT NOMINATIONS. Nominations for President, Executive Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer
may also be made by official petition provided by the Executive Director of the Association upon written request of
any member. Such petitions shall be signed by not less than
[two percent (2%) of the] 1,500 members of the Association. The names of such candidates shall be printed on the
official ballot if such nominations are filed with the Secretary and the Executive Director of the Association on or before April 15th of the election year."
Explanation: The election of statewide officers is under
the jurisdiction of the LMRDA (Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act). The United States Department of
Labor, which is charged with enforcing the LMRDA, has informally indicated that the current provisions of the Constitution which require almost 4 , 0 0 0 signatures are probably
not in conformance with the LMRDA in that they constitute
an unreasonable burden upon persons seeking to become
a candidate for statewide office by using the petition method.
After consultation with Counsel on the matter, the Committee believes that an absolute number of 1 , 5 0 0 signatures
will satisfy the requirements of the LMRDA and the internal
necessities of CSEA which require that a candidate for
statewide office demonstrate a reasonable basis of support.
The Committee recommends adopbon of the amendment.
(2) The following amendments to Article VI, Section 2 and
Article VII, Section 2 of the Constitution are submitted to
the Delegates by the Constitution and By-Laws Committee.
Although two different Articles are affected, they shall be
read and voted on together.
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
"ARTICLE VI
STATE DIVISION
Section 2. LOCALS. A local may be formed by the members in the State Division in any department or locality upon
the approval by the Board of Directors of the Constitution
and By-Laws of such local. In the event that ä unit of state
government is transferred to the government of a political
subdivision and provided that the employees of such goveriv
ment unit transferred would not be eligible for membershp
in another local, such unit may be affiliated with the local
to which the employees of such government unit belonged
prior to becoming employees of the political subdivision.
Each such local shall make available to the duly authorized
representative of the Association at the request of the President or the Board of Directors-at reasonable intervals, all
local records for inspection by the Association. It shall be
discretionary for each local to establish units within its locals where more effective representation of its members
would be thereby accomplished. [A local may be placed u^
trusteeship by the President of the Association with the a ^
proval of the Board of Directors or the Board of Directors'
Committee for failure to comply with a request for an inspection of the books and records of the local within ten days
of such request. A local may be placed in trusteeship for
any reason deemed good and sufficient by the President
of the Association provided a hearing is afforded before the
Board of Directors and written charges are served within
ten days of placing the local in trusteeship. The Board of
Directors by a two-thirds vote may dissolve the local or suspend it for a period not to exceed ninety days after sue
charges have been served upon the local and it has bee
given an opportunity to be heard.]"
I
"ARTICLE VII
COUNTY DIVISION
Section 2. LOCALS.
(a) LOCALS. A local may be formed by members in the
County Division in any county, or in any region containing
one or more counties, upon the approval by the Board of
Directors of the Constitution and By-Laws of such local. One
Local for non-teaching employees of school districts m a ^
be formed in each county provided fifty percent of the eligible school district units, but in no event less than 2 0 0 school
district members, shall request formulation thereof. Each
such local shall make available to the duly authorized
representative of the Association at the request of the President or the Board of Directors at reasonable intervals, all
local records for inspection by the Association. [Alocal may
be placed in trusteeship by the President of the Association with the consent of the Board of Directors or the Board
of Directors' Committee for failure to comply with a requestfor an inspection of the books and records of the local w i | |
thin ten days of such request. A local may be placed in
trusteeship for any reason deemed good and sufficient by
the President of the Association provided a hearing is afforded before the Board of Directors and written charges
served within ten days of placing the local in trusteeship.
The Board of Directors by a two-thirds vote may dissolve
a local or suspend it for a period not to exceed ninety days
after Quch charges have been served upon the local and
it has been given the opportunity to be heard.]"
Explanation: The Committee believes that the language
contained in these two Articles concerning the placing o ^
a Local into trusteeship is no longer necessary or desirecr
in view of the language contained in Article V of the By-Laws
dealing with the Judicial Board. The Committee recommends
adoption of these amendments.
(3) The following amendment to Article XII of the Constitution is submitted to the Delegates by the Constitution and
By-Laws Committee and is the result of recommendations
made by Statewide Secretary Irene Carr by letter dated December 12, 1 9 8 3 .
"ARTICLE XII
AMENDMENTS
^
Delete entire Article; insert the following new language:
This Constitution
may be amended
as
follows:
(a) A proposed
amendment
must be submitted
in writing
to the Secretary
of the Association
at least ninety (90)
days
prior to the opening of the delegate
meeting at which it is
to be presented,
and
(b) A majority of the delegates
present and voting at the
meeting must approve the proposed
amendment
or a substantially similar amendment
and order that it be
published
in the official newspaper
of CSEA at least ten (10) days prior to the next meeting of the Association,
and
0
(Continued on following page)
CSEA'S CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
(Continued from page 16)
(c) The proposed
amendment
as published
is
approved
by a two-thirds
vote of the delegates
at the next
meeting
of the
Association."
Explanation: The Committee concurs with Secretary Carr
that amendments must be submitted at least 9 0 days prior
to the opening of the Delegates Meeting in order to provide
P l o u g h time for the Committee to meet and make a recommendation within 3 0 days and submit its report within the
required 6 0 days. The remaining language contained in this
amendment is merely a more orderly and logical rewording
of the current language. The Committee recommends adoption of this amendment.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE PRESENTED TO THE
DELEGATES BY THE COMMITTEE AS PROPOSED
AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS. IF PASSED AT THIS
MEETING, THE AMENDMENTS WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
• (1) The following amendment to Article II, Section 1 of the
By-Laws is submitted to the Delegates by the Constitution
and By-Laws Committee at the recommendation of Executive Vice President Joseph E. McDermott as a result of input from the Delegates at the last Annual Meeting' where
discussion took place regarding a more orderly method for
presenting proposed resolutions (motions) to the delegate
body. After reviewing the proposal submitted by Mr. McDermott, the Committee made certain adjustments which it felt
would aid in providing the Delegates with as much advance
information regarding proposed resolutions as possible given
^ h e size of our organization and our delegate body.
"ARTICLE II
MEETINGS
Section 1. ANNUAL MEETING. Remains the same.
New language under Section 1 to read:
Any resolutions
which are to be submitted
for action by
the delegate
body concerning
any subject matter must be
submitted
to the Secretary
of the Association
at least sixty
(60) days prior to the beginning
of the Annual Meeting
at
which the resolution
will be considered.
The Secretary
will
forward
the resolution
to the Resolutions
Committee
for
study and recommendation
to the delegate body. The Resolutions Committee
will publish the resolutions
together
with
its recommendations
in the official newspaper
of CSEA at
least fifteen (15) days prior to the beginning
of the Annual
Meeting
at which the resolutions
will be considered.
Any
resolution which does not comply with this provision'can
be
presented
for action to the delegate
body only upon the affirmative vote of three-quarters
of the delegates
present
at
the delegate
meeting.
The Resolutions
Committee
will be appointed
on or before July 15 in each year as
follows:
One delegate
to the convention
from each region to be
appointed
by the President
of CSEA, and one delegate
to
the convention
from each region to be appointed
by the
respective
Region Presidents.
The Committee
will review
all resolutions
submitted
in accordance
with the
procedure
described
herein and will make the necessary
recommendations to the delegate body regarding the action to be taken
on the proposed resolutions.
The Committee
should use appropriate resources
within CSEA so that it is fully
knowledgeable of the issues regarding
each proposed
resolution
and
^can make an informed decision and recommendation
to the
delegate
body."
Explanation: The proposed amendment would provide for
the establishment of a Resolutions Committee whose sole
function would be to receive proposed resolutions from individual delegates or groups of delegates sufficiently in advance of a delegate meeting to allow for proper research
and evaluation of the proposed resolutions. The Resolutions
Committee would then file a report with the delegates setting forth the proposed resolutions, the Committee's recom^ m e n d a t i o n , and the reasons or justification for the
recommendation. The Constitution and By-Laws Committee
has spent a considerable amount of time working with this
proposal and enthusiastically recommends its adoption to
the delegate body. An important feature of the proposal is
that proposed resolutions which are not submitted in accordance with the timetable provided may still be acted upon
by the delegate body if a sufficient number of delegates believe that the issue is important enough to act upon outside
the norrnal procedure and if the explanation given by the
proponent or proponents as to why it was not submitted to
0 the Resolutions Committee in accordance with the procedure is sufficient. The Committee recommends adoption of
the amendment.
(2) The following amendment was submitted on he floor
of the 1 9 8 3 Annual Meeting by then Region President Raymond O'Connor. The delegates referred the motion to the
Constitution and By-Laws Committee for further study. The
amendment provides that only members of CSEA in bargaining units represented by CSEA shall be eligible to hold office
in CSEA. Jerome Donahue, President of the Nassau Local,
had submitted a'similar amendment which was referred to
the Committee but has since indicated to the Committee that
he wishes to withdraw his proposal.
"ARTICLE III
STATEWIDE ELECTIONS
Section 1. ELECTION PROCEDURE. Remains the same
New paragraph under Section 1 to read:
Candidates
for Statewide
Office,
Region Office,
Local
Office, and Unit Office must be members
in good
standing
of a bargaining
unit for which CSEA has been
recognized
or certified as the bargaining
agent pursuant
to the
law."
Explanation: This proposed amendment would have serious negative aspects which would greatly hamper CSEA in
its potential organizing capabilities. It is not uncommon when
attempting to organize groups of employees who are not
yet organized to create a local or unit for those employees
prior to winning 9 collective bargaining election. The creation of a focal point in the organizing process is extremely
important and an essential ingredient to winning the ultimate
collective bargaining election. While CSEA has recently won
a lawsuit with the State of New York over the ability to bargain collectively for employees of the Division of Military and
Naval Affairs, we have for the last decade allowed these individuals to be members and have had Locals in many of
the armories around the State. If this amendment were
adopted, it would exclude Armory employees from being
able to hold Local office which, In effect, would abolish the
Locals and lead to a significant loss of membership.
In addition, the Committee has inquired as to. whether or
not there are any problems created by not having this
amendment in the Constitution, such as, members of CSEA
who are not in bargaining units represented by CSEA being
elected to office and leading Locals which bargain collectively with an employer. There appears to be no such situation existing within CSEA at this time and it is not anticipated
that such an occurrence is at all likely in the future. For the
foregoing reasons, the Committee strongly recommends
defeat of the amendment.
(3) The following amendment to Article IV, Section 2(d)
was recommended to the Committee by the Statewide
Officers of CSEA to provide the necessary language in the
By-Laws to conform with existing CSEA policy.
• "ARTICLE IV
FINANCE
Section 2. DUES AND AGENCY SHOP FEE.
(d) DISABLED MEMBERS. A member in good standing
who becomes [totally] incapacitated by accident, [or] illness,
or maternity
and, as a result of such [accident or illness]
incapacity,
is placed on a leave without pay, upon proper
notification to the Membership Records Department of
CSEA, will be granted a gratuitous membership for the duration of that member's leave without pay, not to
exceed
one
year."
Explanation: The amendment provides for a gratuitous
membership for persons who are on a maternity leave, as
well as the currently enumerated reasons for such a membership. The amendment also provides that the gratuitous
membership will not exceed one year. This amendment conforms with existing CSEA policy regarding maternity and the
length of gratuitous memberships. The Committee recommends adoption of the amendment.
(4) The following amendment to Article V, Section 3(a) (4)
(g) is submitted to the Delegates by the Constitution and
By-Laws Committee to conform with existing CSEA policy.
"ARTICLE V
JUDICIAL BOARD
Section 3. PROCEDURE,
(a) Charges against individual members.
(4) The following shall constitute the basis for charges
against any member or officer of CSEA:
(g) Solicitation or acceptance of any money or the acceptance of any gift of more than nominal value from any employer, [member, group of members, or] employee of the
union, or from any person or firm which has or which is seeking to establish a business relationshlF^with the statewide
Association or any subdivision thereof."
Explanation: Currently, the By-Laws provide that acceptance of campaign contributions from individual members of
CSEA or groups of individual members is a prohibited trans-
action for candidates running for office. In practice, however,
all candidates have been notified, wherever possible, that
the union has no control over contributions from individual
members and, therefore, the provision is basically unenforceable. The proposed amendment would simply remove
that portion of the By-Laws which is inconsistent with CSEA
practice and policy. The Committee recommends adoption
of the amendment.
(5) The following amendment to Article V, Section 3(a) (4)
is submitted to the Delegates by the Constitution and ByLaws Committee at the recommendation of the Statewide
Officers of CSEA. The amendment clarifies additional acts
which would constitute a chargeable offense under the Judicial Board process.
"ARTICLE V
JUDICIAL BOARD
Section 3. PROCEDURE,
(a) Charges against individual members.
. (4) The following shall constitute the basis for charges
against any member or officer of CSEA:
(a) through (i) remains the .same
(j) A violation of any provision of the Financial
Standards
Code.
(k) A violation of the oath of office of any
officer.
(I) Any other conduct detrimental to the best interests of
CSEA. (Subsection (1) is not new language; merely a relettering.)
Explanation: Currently, any officer in CSEA is obligated
to follow the provisions of the Financial Standards Code and
to uphold their oath of office. A violation of either the Financial Standards Code or the oath of office is currently a
chargeable offense within the Judicial Board process and
this amendment simply clarifies that practice. The Committee recommends adoption of the amendment.
.(6) The following amendment to Article V, Section 3(a) (9)
is submitted to the Delegates by the Constitution and ByLaws Committee as a result of a referral for clarification by
the Board of Directors made at its meeting held in December, 1 9 8 3 .
"ARTICLE V
JUDICIAL BOARD
Section 3. PROCEDURE,
(a) Charges against individual members.
(9) Where a hearing is held, the Judicial Board shall issue a decision within sixty ( 6 0 ) days after the close of the
hearing. All determinations of the Judicial Board shall be
made by a majority vote of at least five (5) members
[present]."
Explanation: Currently, the language in the By-Laws relative to a decision by the Judicial Board requires action by
at least five members of the Judicial Board. The language
implies that all of the five members must be "present" at
a meeting; whereas in practice, on a few occasions due to
inclement weather, illness, etc., while five members have
concurred on the disposition of a particular case, they have
not all been present in the same room at the same time.
Given the fact that the Judicial Board must issue a decision
within 6 0 days after the close of the hearing, it must have
the latitude to allow for the concurrence of five members
of the Judicial Board on a particular decision who are not
necessarily all physically present at the time they indicate
their disposition of a particular matter. The Committee recommends adoption of the amendment.
(7) The following amendment to Article V, Section 5 was
referred to the Committee by the Delegates at the October,
• 1 9 8 3 Annual Meeting.
"ARTICLE V
JUDICIAL BOARD
Section 5. APPEALS.
(c) Each member
shall have the right to appeal to the
delegate
body in convention
if they continue
to feel aggrieved by the findings of the Appeals
Committee
of the
Board of Directors
of CSEA. A special appeals panel
made
up of three (3) members
from each region shall be
elected
by the regional delegates
on the first day of the
convention
at regional caucuses.
No regional officers or members
of
the Board of Directors
of CSEA shall be eligible to serve
on this panel. The panel shall report its findings to the entire delegate
body with its recommendations
for a vote by
the delegate
body."
Explanation: The current Judicial Board procedure provides for an aggrieved individual to appeal a decision of the
Judicial Board to the Board of Directors. The Board must
act upon the appeal no later than two Board meetings after
the submission of the appeal. This procedure provides for
(Continued on following page)
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
P a g e 17
CSEA'S CONSTirUflON AND BY-LAWS
(Continued from page 17)
a timely resolution of any Judicial Board action and allows
the aggrieved member to proceed to Court on a timely basis.
The proposed amendment would add an additional appellate leveJ within CSEA to provide for a review of the Judicial
Board decision by an appeals committee made up of
representatives from each Region. The Committee would
then recommend to the delegates in convention
relative to
the disposition of a Judicial Board matter on appeal. The
Committee urges defeat of the proposed amendment for two
primary reasons. First, there has been no demonstration
whatsoever that the current procedure is either inequitable
or unfair and, in fact, to the contrary, it is the Committee's
judgment that the system works fairly and expeditiously. Second, the proposed amendment would have the effect of
prolonging the internal CSEA appeal process for up to one
year which is not a needed or desirable result. The Committee recommends defeat of the amendment.
(8) The following amendment to Article VI, Section 4 of
the By-Laws is made necessary by the reorganization of the
Political and Legislative Action Committee process to provide for the endorsement of local candidates by Region Political Action Committees.
"ARTICLE VI
Section 4. SPECIAL AND AD HOC COMMITTEES. The
Special Committees of the Association shall be as follows:
Armory, Auditing, Human Rights and Minorities, Memorial
Scholarship Fund, Plaque, Civil Service, Social Services,
Probation, School Employees Committee, Special Authorities, Women's Committee, and such other committees
designated by the President of the Association. Members
of these committees shall be appointed by the President of
the Association for the duration of the President's term of
office or until successor appointments have been made.
Special Committees shall meet at least once a year and
review matters pertinent to the committee assignment and/or
upon call of the Association's President. The membership
of these committees shall not be less than seven, nor more
than eleven, and the makeup of such committees shall include representation from each Region and proportional
representation for the County Division on such committees
that affecfCounty problems. The membership
of the Region
Political and Legislative Action Committee(s)
shall not be less
than seven, nor more thah
twenty-two."
Explanation: Pursuant to the Not-for-Profit Corporation
Law, it is necessary that these committees be committees
of the organization, as well as committees of the Region in
order to effectively make political endorsements and expenditures in the name of CSEA. The Committee recommends
adoption of the amendment.
ing the substitution of the word "County" with the words
'local government" in ever appropriate instance.
4. Amendment to AVticle XII of the Constitution and Article VII of the By-Laws submitted by Treasurer Fauser by
letter dated August 15, 1 9 8 4 .
5. Motion submitted by Alan Siegel, Local 6 8 8 , dated July
1 7 , 1 9 8 4 , pertaining to references in the Constitution and
By-Laws of "registered" and "certified" mail.
(9) The following amendment to Article VII of the By-Laws
is submitted to the Delegates by the Constitution and ByLaws Committee and is the result of recommendations made
by Statewide Secretary Irene Carr by letter dated December 12, 1 9 8 3 .
"ARTICLE VII
These By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote at any
meeting of the Delegates of the Association provided [printed
copy of such amendment is mailed to each Local and to the
Board of Directors by the Association] the proposed
amendment has been submitted
in writing to the Secretary
of the
Association
at least ninety (90) days prior to the
opening
of the delegate
meeting at which it is to be presented
and
a copy of the proposed
amendment
is published
in the official newspaper
not less than ten days before the meeting
at which the proposed amendment is voted upon[, or by a
two-thirds vote at such meeting if the printed copy of the
proposed amendment is not so furnished in advance].
ADDENDUM TO REPORT OF THE REVISION OF T H ?
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS COMMITTEE
#1. The Chairperson of the County Executive Committee,
Mary Sullivan, by letter dated August 2 7 , 1 9 8 4 , has asked
the Committee to make the necessary recommendation to
the Delegates to correct the Constitution and By-Laws by
inserting the phrase "Local Government" wherever the word
"County" appears in the Constitution and By-Laws. The reasons abvanced for this proposed change are that the
"County Division" within CSEA encompasses significantly
more than the political entity known as a County and o v e ^
time the County Division has been referred to more and more
as the Local Government Division. It is time that CSEA make
this essentially cosmetic change in order to more accurately reflect the correct makeup of the "County" Division. The
Committee unanimously recommends the adoption of this
change and proposes that it be done in one motion by the
Delegates approving the change. The changes in the Constitution will require a second reading and the Committee
recommends that the By-Laws changes not be physically
made until such time as the second reading to amend the
Constitution has passed.
^
Explanation: The Committee concurs with Secretary Carr
that amendments must be submitted at least 9 0 days prior
to the opening of the Delegates Meeting in order to provide
enough time for the Committee to meet and make a recommendation within 3 0 days and submit its report within the
required 6 0 days. The Committee recommends adoption
of the amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS:
The following are open items on the Committee's agenda
and require further investigation and consideration:
1. Letter submitted by Joseph E. McDermott dated May
2 1 , 1 9 8 4 , regarding the issue of providing startup financial aid to newly created Locals.
2. Letter submitted by Joseph E. McDermott dated May
2 1 , 1 9 8 4 , regarding a proposed Code of Ethics submitted
by Board member Kurtz.
3. Letter dated May 2 3 , 1 9 8 4 , submitted by Mary Sullivan on behalf of the County Executive Committee regard-
23 YEARS HONORED — Gerald Boehlert, second from right, proudly
displays his CSEA Certificate of IVlerit for 23 years service. On hand for
the presentation at a recent Oneida County Local 833 outing were, left to
right. Statewide Executive Vice President Joe JVIcDermott; Dorothy Penner, Local 833 president; Region V President Jim Moore; Joanne
Page
18
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 5, 1984
#2. On September 13, 1 9 8 4 , the Board of Directors of
CSEA adopted a Constitution for the Retirees of CSEA. This
Constitution contains all of the benefits of Article XI of the
Statewide Constitution plus many additional items which the
Retiree Section through the Retiree Executive Committee
has requested. Given the fact that the governing document
for the Retirees Section is the new Retirees Constitution,
it is no longer necessary and is perhaps confusing to continue Article XI of the CSEA Constitution entitled "Retirees
Section." The Committee recommends the adoption of a motion deleting Article XI in its entirety. If adopted, this woul(||>
constitute a first reading and it would be necessary for approval at the next regular Delegate Meeting before the deletion becomes effective.
IVIelisko, unit president, IVIohawk Valley Community College. During his
career as a CSEA activist, Boehlert served nine^ears as president of the
Oneida County Office Building Unit as well as on a number of unportant
committees, including Constitution & By-Laws, Audit and Negotiations.
rX
BETTER LETTERS — RCPC stands for Rockland Children's Psychiatric
Center. These whimsical letters were painted on the wall by children at the>
center.
Sprucing up a
children's center
ORANGEBURG — When the employees and youngsters of the Rockland
Children's Psychiatric Center here walk through their facility these days, they
do so with special pride.
That's because the center was recently redecorated — and the decorators
were none other than the children themselves.
With help from CSEA members of Local 421, toe children made
murals, painted walls and ceilings, hung plants and put in other efforts to
brighten their cottages. Adding to the fun of this Cottage Beautification Project
was the excitement of a contest.
"We wanted to do something for the children, and decided to run a contest," explained Jean Kelly, director of Volunteer Services at the center.
Prizes of cash were given to the cottages that won, Kelly noted, and funds
were to be used for a special treat, such as pizza or ice cream, or an activity for
all the children.
"The contest would not have gotten off the ground without CSEA
members," said Kelly, noting that the combined effort by all was what made
the project a success. "It spruced everj^hing up," she said. "Even the adolescent boys brought their cottage from dismal to sparkling. It was good for the
staff as well as the children."
According to Local 421 President Glenda Davis, employee involvement is
nothing new at the Rockland Psychiatric Children's Center.
"It's not unusual for staff members to completely throw themselves into a
project," she said. "Staff people get very possessive of their worksites. Even
with all the problems — like job burnout and stress — people can't help but
become involved."
Said Kelly: "This staff cares for the children like their own."
ADMIRING MURAL - RCPC Local 421 President Glenda Davis admires the
new handiwork during a recent tour of the building.
UNIQUE UNICORN—CSEA member John Thomason and one of his ch^ges
look over a unicorn painted by the children as part of the Cottage Beautification Project at the Rockland facility.
CSEA wins reinstaflement for Massena Hospital trio
MASSENA — The circumstances of each case were different, but Laurel
Brothers, Tim Kirkey and Jean Grinstead now have something in common. They
have all been reinstated to their jobs at Massena Memorial Hospital through
the efforts of CSEA and its Legal Assistance Program.
Brothers, a parttime housekeeping maid, was terminated for refusing to
work a scheduled workday in February and for not reporting to work one day
in March. The hospital charged she had taken excessive time off without proper
and timely notification. CSEA, in its argument before the arbitrator, claimed
there were extenuating circumstances involving her child's sickness and the
inability to provide adequate care for a specified day when the child could not
be taken out in sub-zero weather. At the arbitration, CSEA cited that on at least
one occasion Brothers had called in to the hospital more than two hours before
her shift started.
Although it was noted that Brothers had formerly received a short suspension for her absences, the arbitrator could "find nothing in the post-disciplinary
suspension events that would justify termination..." and ruled immediate reinstatement with full back pay from her March 9 discharge.
Tim Kirkey, a nurse's aide, was terminated by the hospital Jan. 20 for incidents that occurred Jan. 8 and Jan. 11. Hospital authorities charged him with
reporting to work Jan. 8 with a soiled uniform and other disciplinary infractions.
Although the hospital argued Kirkey was "no stranger" to discipline, CSEA
presented convincing testimony that he was a good worker, easy to supervise,
and the hospital had failed to communicate proper codes for his alleged violations.
In his decision the arbitrator specified:
"If Kirkey had been properly supervised and told that certain types of behavior could lead to termination, his actual termination could have been upheld.
However, in this case the termination is not supportable and the grievant (Kirkey) should be returned to work on a last chance basis, with seniority intact."
In late July, Jean Grinstead, a licensed practical nurse at Massena Hospital, was charged with a number of unspecific infractions and terminated.
She immediately filed a grievance according to the contract clauning the
charges stemmed from a personality conflict with a charge nurse. The grievance
proceeded to a second step hearing with the administrator where CSEA argued
thiat the hospital had made no effort to rectify the differences between grievant
and the charge nurse. The case was resolved at the second step and Grinstead
was reinstated Aug. 29.
Steve Ragan, CSEA field representative, was involved in eacTi case and, in
addition to the effort of CSEA legal services, acknowledged the work of Unit
President Sandra Luman; grievance chairwoman Penny O'Brien; and Steward
Charlene Summerfield in handling the cases.
Pubiislier's note
In the Sept. 21 edition of The Public Sector there were
two typographical errors in the candidate statement of
Treasurer Barbara Fauser. These were errors in the
typesetting of the publication.
THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, October 5, 1984
Page 19
nj
Ln
ilMfffi]
a
S
Ä
M
?
Grappling with problems in the workplace
HIGHLIGHTS R I S
By Anita Manley
CSEA Commimicatioiis Associate
FISHKILL — An official of the New York State Bureau of Toxic Substances, speaking at a seminar held here recently, cautioned CSEA members about the serious dangers of exposure to asbestos.
Samuel Syrotynski, chief of the Indoor Air Quality Section of the bureau,
addressed nearly 60 union members at the workshop. It was sponsored by
the Region III Health and Safety Committee to address the concern of employees in schools and state hospitals where asbestos has been discovered.
Syrotynski warned members that even brief exposure to asbestos fibers
can cause serious disease, although illness and their symptoms miay not show
up for a number of years.
Unfortunately, he said, there are at present no uniform standards of exposure levels in the state. While New York state health laws do not address
asbestos, school districts must comply with the School Asbestos Safety Act
of 1979 which requires school districts to survey all public school buildings
for asbestos and to submit a plan for removal or containment.
Syrotynski pointed out that those standards which do exist are applicable only to industrial workers, and, he adds, "I don't agree with them."
Finding a better way to deal with the problem is a priority for his agency, says Syrotynski. He noted that Manhattan Senator Martin Connors has
been conducting hearings throughout the state to determine what kind of legislation is needed. For example, a few states require a special license for construction companies who remove asbestos. Syrotynski would like to see
regulations like that put in place in New York State.
Many school districts have closed school buildings recently to remove
asbestos. Just how safe they are afterward is not easy to determine.
"They come to me to open them," said S3rrotynski. "I ask them, 'How
clean is clean?' 'What procedures did you use?' It's not so simple."
Especially the testing, he says. Air samples may show nothing, even if
the asbestos is obviously crumbling and hazardous because the dangerous
asbestos fibers cannot be seen with the naked eye. According to Syrotynski,
the microscopic needle-like fibers are easily inhaled and even a brief exposure
can lodge a few fibers in the lung where they can cause cancer, asbestosis
(a severe lung disease) or Mesothelioma, a cancer which attacks the membranes of the lungs or abdominal cavity.
Also, statistics have shown that asbestos workers who smoke are 60-90
times more likely to die of lung cancer than non-smoking/non-asbestos
workers.
Exposure to asbestos can also come from an indirect source. Syrotynski
pointed out that most old apartments contain asbestos. Those who work with
asbestos may bring the fibers home on their clothes to their families. In fact,
studies have shown that Mesotholioma occurs in persons who live in the households of asbestos workers and in the vicinity of factories that use asbestos
in the manufacture of certain products.
NEW WORRY — Samuel Syrotynski, right, speaks with Ron Chomiw, chairman of the Westchester County Unit Health and Safety Committee, about
the recent discovery of asbestos at Westchester Community College.
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THE PUBLIC SECTOR. F r i d a y , O c t o b e r 19, 1984
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SIGN OF THE TIMES — Posted at worksite in Westchester County during
cleanup two years ago.
How to handle
What action should be taken if asbestos is discovered?
Syrotynski emphasized that not all asbestos should removed. "In
some cases, removal can cause more problems," he says.
Encapsulating or containing the asbestos is more practical in cases
where the area will not be disturbed by maintenance crews or is contained in "dead air space." The use of the area, should also be considered. For instance, the removal of asbestos from a dormitory or
classroom should take priority over removal from a storage room.
How does one test for asbestos fibers? Syrotynski recommends the
following procedure:
• Spray material to be tested with water before sampling.
• Use a small, wide-mouth glass jar with a screw-on lid.
• Gently twist the open end onto the material (or use a knife to cut
or scrape). A pea size sample is adequate.
• Tightly close lid, wipe exterior with a dapp paper towel.
• Tape lid to prevent opening during handling or shippmg.
• Label the container.
• Record data for sample site.
• TAKE PRECAUTIONS! Minimize personal exposure. Use an approved respirator and disposable clothing coveralls. Exercise care in
removing ceiling panels. Hold sample container away from the face.
Don't disturb surface anymore than necessary. Inspect and sample only
when area is not in use.
Spills or leaks should be cleaned with a wet-mop or a high efficiency vacuum cleaner. Avoid blowing, dry brushing or dry mopping, all
of which may raise dust levels. For storing asbestos waste, use heavy
gauge impervious plastic bags. For final disposal, contact the regional
office of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Samples can be tested at private labs throughout the state. For a
list of approved labs, contact the New York State Health Department
in Albany.
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