Mental Hygiene:
see
A system in disarray p®^® ®
County executive wants
raise and a golf course
see
P®^© 4
Official publication of
Local 1000,AFSCME,AFL-Cl0
T H E PUBLIC
Vol. 19 No. 3
MARCH 1996
- see pages
3, 6, 9-11 & 13
^ Ä ^ A PRESIDENT DANNY
"tlONOHUE expresses his strong
»j^ apposition to plans to close
^^''^^^lÖngsboro Psychiatric Center
Brooklyn. Donohue and
^^^them addressed a rally on the
steps of Brooklyn's Borough
Hall. PEF President Jim
Sheedy is behind Donohue. At
upper right is CSEA Kingsboro
Local 402 Presidenfe^ob l^urse.
%
CSEA's Disability Income Insurance Plan
gets New York Life as new underwriter;
members get new and improved benefits
C S E A . w o r k i n g with J a r d i n e G r o u p Services C o r p o r a t i o n a s the
p l a n a d m i n i s t r a t o r , h a s c h a n g e d i n s u r a n c e c a r r i e r s lor its s p o n s o r e d
v o l u n t a r y D i s a b i l i t y I n c o m e I n s u r a n c e F^lan. E f f e c t i v e M a r c h 1, 1 9 9 6 ,
N e w Y o r k L i f e I n s u r a n c e C o m p a n y wiW s e r v e a s t h e p o l i c y ' s
underwriter.
This new plan features increased accidental death and
d i s m e m b e r m e n t ( A D & D ) benefits, n e w suivivor a n d vocational
rehabilitation benefits.
A p p r o v e d b y t h e C S E A B o a r d of D i r e c t o r s o n J a n . 11, 1 9 9 6 , t h i s
r e s u l t s in a n i m p r o v e d p l a n w i t h n e w b e n e f i t p r o v i s i o n s a n d a t w o y e a r rate i^uarantee. I n s u r e d m e m b e r s n o w receive m o r e A D & D
covera^ie at n o a d d i t i o n a l c o s t . T h e B a s i c P r i n c i p a l S u m h a s b e e n
i n c r e a s e d f r o m $ 1 , 0 0 0 ( $ 2 , 5 0 0 a t t h e e n d o f t h e first y e a r of c o v e r a g e )
to $ 5 , 0 0 0 , a t n o e x t r a c o s t to m e m b e r s . I n a d d i t i o n , t h e r e a r e f o u r
choices for the Optional Principal S u m s : $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 , $ 2 5 , 0 0 0 , $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ,
a n d $ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 w o r t h of A D & D c o v e r a g e . A l s o , t h e s e r a t e s a r e n o
longer d e t e r m i n e d b y age; they a r e n o w d e t e r m i n e d b y class.
A V o c a t i o n a l R e h a b i l i t a t i o n B e n e f i t h a s b e e n a d d e d to t h e p l a n .
I n s u r e d m e m b e r s a p p r o v e d b y N e w Y o r k Life for vocational
r e h a b i l i t a t i o n b e n e f i t s m a y p a r t i c i p a t e i n a N e w Y o r k Life f u n d e d
v o c a t i o n a l r e h a b i l i t a t i o n p r o g r a m f o r u p to 2 4 m o n t h s . W i t h t h i s
p r o g r a m , m e m b e r s m a y b e retrained a n d p r o v i d e d w i t h n e w j o b skills.
A S u r v i v o r B e n e f i t h a s a l s o b e e n a d d e d . If t h e i n s u r e d m e m b e r d i e s
f r o m a disability w h i c h lasted longer t h a n 3 0 days, while receiving
b e n e f i t s f o r a total d i s a b i l i t y , t h e s u r v i v i n g f a m i l y m e m b e r s r e c e i v e
two additional monthly benefit p a y m e n t s .
A n o t h e r n e w p a r t of t h e p l a n is a W o r k S t o p p a g e B e n e f i t . W i t h t h i s
b e n e f i t , p r e m i u m s a r e w a i v e d in t h e e v e n t of a u n i o n - s a n c t i o n e d w o r k
a c t i o n w h i c h r e s u l t s in t h e i n s u r e d n o t r e c e i v i n g a p a y c h e c k .
" W e m a d e t h e d e c i s i o n to c h a n g e c a r r i e r s b e c a u s e t h e b e n e f i t s w i t h
N e w Y o r k Life I n s u r a n c e C o m p a n y a s t h e u n d e r w r i t e r b e t t e r m e e t t h e
c h a n g i n g n e e d s of o u r m e m b e r s , " C S E A P r e s i d e n t D a n n y D o n o h u e
said. " W e ' v e w o r k e d w i t h N e w Y o r k Life b e f o r e a n d I'm c o n f i d e n t this
c h a n g e w i l l b e n e f i t e v e r y o n e w h o is I n v o l v e d . "
In a d d i t i o n to n e w b e n e f i t s , i n s u r e d m e m b e r s w i l l still r e c e i v e :
* E c o n o m i c a l p r e m i u m s a s a result of C S E A ' s g r o u p
power;
purchasing
Deadline for
submitting proposed
changes to CSEA's
Constitution & By-Laws is June 28
Proposed amendments to the CSEA Constitution &
By-Laws for consideration by CSEA delegates to the tinion's
1996 Annual Delegates Meeting must be submitted by
June 28, 1996.
Delegates to the 1995 Annual Delegates Meeting voted to
change the submission deadline to an earlier date. However,
for the convenience of members during the transition to an
earlier deadline, proposed amendments to the Constitution &
By-Laws will be accepted this year until June 28. Beginning
in 1997, the deadline for submitting proposed changes will be
May 15 each year.
Proposed amendments must be submitted no later than
June 28 to Statewide Secretary Barbara Reeves, CSEA
Headquarters, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 122102303.
The 1996 Annual Delegates Meeting will be held Sept. 30
through Oct. 4 in New York City.
* R e d u c e d p r e m i u m s for a 3 0 - d a y w a i t i n g period option;
* P r e m i u m w a i v e r f o r c o v e r e d p e r i o d s of t o t a l d i s a b i l i t y ;
A b r e a k in u n i o n
s t a t u s , y o u r d u e s will n o t
c o n t i n u e to b e p a i d
membership
s t a t u s a f f e c t s y o u r eligibility
payroll deductions. You
m a k e a r r a n g e m e n t s to p a y y o u r
*
seeking or holding u n i o n
*
or placed on leave without pay
s t a t u s d u e to b e c o m i n g
voting in u n i o n elections,
disabled
d u e s - f r e e m e m b e r s h i p status for
voting o n collective
a p e r i o d n o t to e x c e e d o n e y e a r .
contracts.
O n l y m e m b e r s "in g o o d
Y o u m u s t notify the C S E A
s t a n d i n g " c a n participate in
Membership
t h e s e activities. T o b e in " g o o d
D e p a r t m e n t at
standing," your dues cannot
E x t . 3 2 7 , of a n y c h a n g e in y o u r
be
delinquent.
Records
1-800-342-4146,
status and what
If y o u g o o n u n p a i d l e a v e o r
for a n y other r e a s o n h a v e a
arrangements
y o u a r e m a k i n g to c o n t i n u e y o i n m e m b e r s h i p in C S E A .
COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATES
S H E R Y L C. J E N K S
Long Island Region
(516) 4 6 2 - 0 0 3 0
M A R K M. KOTZIN
Central Region
(315) 4 3 3 - 0 0 5 0
LILLY GIOIA
Metropolitan Region
(212) 4 0 6 - 2 1 5 6
RON
W e s t e r n Region
(716) 886-0391
ANITA M A N LEY
S o u t h e r n Region
(914) 831-10Ö0
ED
DAN
Capital Region
(518) 7 8 5 - 4 4 0 0
I
March 1996
I
i
I if
Diane Hewitt
l|
IIf
t
Ii
WOFFORD
MOLITOR
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
Headquarters
(518) 4 3 4 - 0 1 9 1
I
I
The Public Sector Committee
Koack-rs: Si-iui any COIIUIKMIIS. lomplaiiits. sii>»jfestions or
LONG I S I A N D REGION Gloria Moran
CAPITAL REGION
idi-as tlial you have to tlu* Publisher, The Public Sector, 143
METROPOLITAN REGION Jimmy Gripper. Chairman
CENTI^^iL REGION
WashiiMlon Avenue. Albany, NY 12210-2303.
SOUTHERN REGION
I
b y accident, illness, maternity or
paternity, y o u m a y b e eligible for
and
*
membership
s t a t u s . If y o u a r e e i t h e r l a i d o f f
signing nominating
petitions for potential
*
d u e s d i r e c t l y to C S E A to
continue your
office,
musl
The Public Sector (USPS 0445-010) is published monthly by The Civil Service Employees
Association. Publication Office: 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.
Second Class Postage paid at Post Office, Albany, New York 12288.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: Civil Service Employees Association,
Attn: Membership Department, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.
CAMPBELL
I
through
w i t h r e s p e c t to:
For f u r t h e r information on this c h a n g e or h o w y o u c a n join the
t h o u s a n d s of d i s a b i l i t y i n c o m e i n s u r e d m e m b e r s , c a l l
1 - 8 0 0 - 6 9 7 - C S E A toll f r e e . O r f o r f a s t e r , a c c u r a t e a n s w e r s to y o u r
individual disability c l a i m s q u e s t i o n s , call the n e w C S E A disability
c l a i m s hotline at 1 - 8 0 0 - 2 3 0 - 2 4 2 2 .
STEPHEN A. MADArmSZ, Publisher
STANLEY HORNAK,
Asst. Director of Comniiinlcations
ROGER A. COLE, Editor
KATIILEEN DALY, Associate Editor
b r e a k in y o u r e m p l o y m e n t
implications. Y o u r
bargaining
Official publication of
The Civil Service Employees
Association, Inc. Local 1000, AFSCME,
AFL-CIO
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12210-2303
Danny Donohue, President
membership
status can have long-term future
A C S E A a n d N e w Y o r k Life m a i l i n g w i t h c o m p l e t e p l a n details
i n c l u d i n g y o u r n e w C e r t i f i c a t e of I n s u r a n c e a n d p e r s o n a l i z e d
S c h e d u l e P a g e w i l l b e m a i l e d to t h e i n s u r e d m e m b e r s ' h o m e s d u r i n g
t h e f i r s t w e e k of M a r c h .
THE
PUBLIC
I
Always protect your membership status
candidates,
* P r e m i u m s payable t h r o u g h convenient payroll deduction;
I
Marguerite Stanley
Bruce Damalt
W E S T E I ^ REGION James V. Kurtz
Sector
I
I
age Three
Mental Health cuts put
People at risk!
CSEA
reductions
is tiirning up the heat in the fight to save
in the Governor's
proposed
state budget.
mental health services from
drastic
Those cuts will further erode care in state
facilities and dump greater burden onto local governments.
The results will mean
fewer
available services,
more mentally ill individuals
on the streets and higher local property
to offset the state's
irresponsibility.
taxes
"Nobody
voted for changes that put more mentally ill individuals on the streets
without
available help," CSEA President Danny Donohue
said at a recent rally protesting
Pataki's
budget cuts. "Nobody
voted for changes that make the mental health workforce
expendable
and devastate
the communities
where
they live and
work."
he Governor's plan calls for d o w n s i z i n g
all s t a t e p s y c h i a t r i c c e n t e r s , c l o s i n g
to call the G o v e r n o r a n d
their state l e g i s l a t o r s to
K i n g s b o r o P s y c h i a t r i c C e n t e r in B r o o k l y n
a n d s p e e d i n g u p the c o n s o l i d a t i o n of
K i n g s P a r k a n d C e n t r a l Islip p s y c h i a t r i c
e x p r e s s d i s a p p r o v a l of the
reckless plan.
T
centers with Pilgrim Psychiatric Center o n L o n g
Island. B u t Pataki's b u d g e t also cuts f u n d s for
community mental health p r o g r a m s a n d a b a n d o n s
the s t a t e ' s c o m m i t m e n t to the C o m m u n i t y
Reinvestment l a w w h i c h requires the s a v i n g s f r o m
C S E A is d i s t u r b e d
b e c a u s e the e x p e d i t e d
s a v i n g the s t a t e m u c h
m o n e y at all.
d o w n s i z i n g p s y c h i a t r i c c e n t e r s to b e " r e i n v e s t e d " into
community based programs.
A t the s a m e time, t h e
state p l a n s significant
F r o m B u f f a l o to L o n g I s l a n d C S E A is a g g r e s s i v e l y
c o i m t e r i n g t h e p l a n . In t e s t i m o n y b e f o r e t h e
l e g i s l a t u r e , in a c o o r d i n a t e d m e d i a c a m p a i g n , in
r e d u c t i o n s in the n u m b e r
of p a t i e n t s s e r v e d o n
l o b b y i n g a n d coalition b u i l d i n g w i t h o t h e r c o m m u n i t y
g r o u p s , the u n i o n is m a k i n g it c l e a r t h a t t h e m e n t a l
h e a l t h p l a n is too r a p i d a n d too r a d i c a l .
T o f o c u s g r e a t e r a t t e n t i o n o n w h a t is a t i s s u e ,
C S E A P r e s i d e n t D o n o h u e recently visited the L o n g
Island psychiatric centers along with Kingsboro.
D o n o h u e a n d Long Island Region President Nick
L a M o r t e told r a n k a n d file m e m b e r s at K i n g s P a r k ,
C e n t r a l Islip a n d P i l g r i m t h a t the e x p e d i t e d
c o n s o l i d a t i o n is not yet a d o n e d e a l a n d u r g e d t h e m
Long Island.
In B r o o k l y n , D o n o h u e
joined with Metropolitan
Region President George
Boncoraglio and a who's
w h o of elected o f f i c i a l s
a n d c o m m u n i t y l e a d e r s for
a B o r o u g h H a l l rally in
s u p p o r t of K i n g s b o r o
Psychiatric Center hosted
by Borough President
Howard Golden.
Led by A s s e m b l y Mental
Health Committee Chair
Patient urges lawmakers to
Jim Brennan and
Assembly member Clarence
N o r m a n , n e a r l y all of the
Keep
Kingsboro
open
s t e p p e d to t h e m i c r o p h o n e
A BROOKLYN
DEMOCRATIC LEADER
Clarence Norman
speaks out against
closing Kingsboro
Psychiatric Center.
Brooklyn state
Assemblyman Felix
Ortiz is behind
Norman.
B r o o k l y n legislative d e l e g a t i o n t u r n e d o u t to e x p r e s s
their s t r o n g o p p o s i t i o n to the K i n g s b o r o c l o s u r e p l a n .
P E F President J a m e s Sheedy, C S E A Kingsboro Local
A L B A N Y — A dramatic
m o m e n t d u r i n g recent mental
health budget testimony c a m e
w h e n K i n g s b o r o Psychiatric
C e n t e r patient J a m e s Colbert
• BROOKLYN BOROUGH
PRESIDENT Howard Golden
speaks from the steps of
Borough Hall in opposition to
mental hygiene cuts that
would close Kingsboro
Psychiatric Center. From left
are Assemblywoman Helene
Weinstein, Assemblyman Jim
Brennan and CSEA Region II
President George Boncoraglio.
consolidation m a y put
p e o p l e at risk w i t h o u t
Kingsboro
Psychiatric
Center patient
James Colbert
unscheduled and asked
l a w m a k e r s to l i e a r h i m o u t .
C o l b e r t u r g e d l a w m a k e r s n o t to c l o s e
K i n g s b o r o a n d p r a i s e d s t a f f for h e l p i n g h i m .
4 0 2 P r e s i d e n t B o b N u r s e , C S E A B o a r d of D i r e c t o r s
mental hygiene representative Jimmy Gripper a n d
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of the F'riends a n d A d v o c a t e s of the
M e n t a l l y 111, the L a b o r a n d Religion C o a l i t i o n a n d
other c o m m u n i t y g r o u p s also participated.
— Stephen Madarasz and Lilly Gioia
A L B A N Y — C S E A Kingsboro
P s y c h i a t r i c C e n t e r Local 4 0 2
P r e s i d e n t B o b N u r s e testified
b e f o r e the Joint A s s e m b l y W a y s
and Means and Senate Finance
C o m m i t t e e s that the p r o p o s a l to
c l o s e K i n g s b o r o is ill c o n c e i v e d .
" T h e p r o p o s a l is the latest
e x a m p l e of O M H policy that is
d o o m e d to fail," N u r s e s a i d .
"That policy is to s h u t d o w n
state facilities a n d then forget
a b o u t the p a t i e n t s a s s o o n a s
the d o o r s hit t h e m o n the w a y
o u t , " he testified. "Not a
t h o u g h t is given to the i m p a c t
o n p a i i e n t s , their families,
e m p l o y e e s a n d their f a m i l i e s o r
the c o m m u n i t y a s a w h o l e . "
Woman victim of rapist and the system
S T O N Y B R O O K — A chronic psychiatric
Colbert singled out several M I I T A s b y n a m e a n d
t h a n k e d t h e m for t h e i r e f f o r t s to g e t h i m t h e
patient released from Kings Park
Psychiatric Center recently r a p e d a 26y e a r - o l d n u r s e a s s i s t a n t at S t o n y B r o o k
help he needed.
University Hospital.
'They're wonderful, dedicated people a n d I
w a n t to g i v e s o m e t h i n g b a c k b y g e t t i n g i n v o l v e d
A c c o r d i n g to C S E A S t o n y B r o o k H o s p i t a l
L o c a l 6 1 4 P r e s i d e n t G r a c e Roy, the w o m a n ,
in t h e fight to s a v e K i n g s b o r o , " C o l b e r t s a i d .
" I ' m c o n c e r n e d b e c a u s e if I e v e r n e e d e d t h e s e
services a g a i n , they won't b e there."
a C S E A member, w a s attacked a n d raped
w h i l e s h e w a s w o r k i n g a r e c e n t n i g h t shift.
Sector
Local 402 president
calls closing 111 conceived
H e r a t t a c k e r , a f o r m e r p a t i e n t at K i n g s
P a r k P s y c h i a t r i c C e n t e r , w a s a p a t i e n t at
S t o n y B r o o k U n i v e r s i t y H o s p i t a l for
m e d i c a l r e a s o n s a t the time of the r a p e .
T h e p e r p e t r a t o r w a s a r r e s t e d in 1984 w h e n
he committed another crime after e s c a p i n g
from KPPC.
" T h i s is a n o t h e r c a s e of t h e s t a t e
r u s h i n g r e l e a s e s of p s y c h i a t r i c p a i i e n t s
a n d a n o t h e r innocent p e r s o n getting
hurt," C S E A L o n g Island Region
Nick LaMorte said.
President
— Sheryl C. Jenks
March 1996 1483
I
BRIEFS
SUFFOLK COUNTY
Smithtown unit wants contract
Westchester County Executive
O'Rourke wants a raise
p r o p o s a l for s a l a r y hikes for
... after layoffs,
privatizing and
demands for
givebacks
h i g h level c o i m t y o f f i c i a l s .
proposal for the 19.5 percent
WHITE PLAINS —
Outraged
that the i d e a c o u l d e v e n c o m e
up, m u c h less b e a formal
proposal, C S E A
Westchester
County Unit President Cheiyl
M e l t o n is u r g i n g d e f e a t of a
M e l t o n is u r g i n g
county
l e g i s l a t o r s to r e j e c t C o u n t y
Executive A n d r e w
O'Rourke's
raises for himself a n d the
c o u n t y clerk, a n d r a i s e s for
commissioners and
managers.
And now, a golf course
WHITE PIAINS —
Westchester
Now
County
O'Rourke
came
c o n t r a c t f o r 13 m o n t h s .
he w a s concerned that the
s h o r t in s t a t e a i d f o r t h e
p l a n b e c a u s e it c o v e r s v a s e c t o m i e s ,
tubal
1996 fiscal year.
ligation a n d p r e g n a n c y termination;
board
Melton reminded
county
l e g i s l a t o r s in a l e t t e r t h a t t h e
union conducted a vigorous
anti-privatization
after O ' R o u r k e
campaign
began
privatizing m a n y
'These proposed raises are
a s l a p in the face, e s p e c i a l l y
employees
w h o lost their j o b s or a r e
President Cheryl
buying
Westchester County
from
After p a y i n g $3.7 million
for the l a n d ,
O'Rourke
p l a n s to s p e n d
another
$ 5 . 4 m i l l i o n to t u r n it i n t o
a golf c o u r s e .
O'Rourke's
" M e a n w h i l e , w e are in the
"If h e w a n t s to s e e
IBM.
overcrowded, he
m i d s t of c o n t r a c t
should
negotiations
check out the
with the c o u n t y a n d o n e of
u n e m p l o y m e n t office or the
t h e i r d e m a n d s is f o r
social s e r v i c e s o f f i c e s in
g i v e b a c k s in h e a l t h
Westchester County,"
insurance."
she
said. " M a y b e he'll r u n
into
C S E A Southern
employees w h o might
have
MacNair
h a d her o w n advice for
O ' R o u r k e in a letter s h e s e n t
recent request for p a y
they're o u t of w o r k . "
to W e s t c h e s t e r
C S E A Southern
Region
newspapers.
" S h a r e the pain, A n d y , "
she said. "A good
Clarence workers join CSEA
C L A R E N C E — T o w n of C l a r e n c e
employees are a m o n g C S E A ' s
newest
members.
T h e n e w T o w n of C l a r e n c e U n i t
includes
senior clerks, clerk typists, senior clerk
typists, w a t e r district clerk, b u i l d i n g &
z o n i n g clerk, b u i l d i n g
inspector,
a n i m a l control officer, c o m p u t e r
t i m e to p l a y g o l f n o w t h a t
other
ERIE COUNTY
receiver
of t a x e s , a n i m a l c o n t r o l o f f i c e r , a s s i s t a n t ' '
c o m e s o n t h e h e e l s of h i s
hikes for himself a n d
and
— Sheryl C. Jenks
a s s e s s m e n t clerk, s e c o n d d e p u t y
Region
President Maryjane
some former county
proposal
coimty
employees," she said.
said.
' T h e s e a r e n o t i s s u e s at t h e t a b l e ,
t h e s e m e n a r e r e m i s s in their
Keltner said.
course.
He has proposed
package.
d e p a r t m e n t s last s u m m e r .
c o n t r a c t o r s at h a l f of w h a t
174 a c r e s in n o r t h e r n
m e m b e r s h a v e the s a m e health c a r e
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y to v o t e f o r a f a i r c o n t r a c t , "
county
they w e r e earning a s
boss
operator,
real property a p p r a i s e r a n d custodian! ' ' '
CAYUGA COUNTY
Murder conviction upheld
A U B U R N — T h e s t a t e C o u r t of A p p e a l s
h i g h level c o u n t y
President
administrators
M a c N a i r s a i d s h e f o u n d it
wouldn't a s k his employees
r e c e n t l y u p h e l d t h e m u r d e r c o n v i c t i o n of a
ironic that the l a n d
to d o a n y t h i n g h e w o u l d n ' t
m a n w h o killed a C S E A C a y u g a
O ' R o u r k e w a n t s to b u y is
do, so I s u g g e s t that y o u
social services w o r k e r two y e a r s ago.
owned by
y o u r c o u n t y clerk set a n
(see
a d j a c e n t story).
Both proposals followed
l a y o f f s of c o u n t y
employees
a n d the p r i v a t i z a t i o n of
Mar>'jane
IBM.
' T h i s is t h e
same
d e p a r t m e n t s , o s t e n s i b l y to
conglomerate that o w n s
save taxpayer dollars.
b u i l d i n g s in U l s t e r
Justifying his land
that o u r
the
County
and
Coimty
Roy B r o w n w a s convicted a n d
sentenced
example by cutting y o u r
to 2 5 y e a r s to life f o r t h e b r u t a l m u r d e r of
s a l a r i e s i n h a l f ... a n d g i v i n g
C S E A member Sabina Kulakowski, w h o w a s
u p your health benefits a n d
county day care p r o g r a m
all t h e r e s t o f t h e p e r k s j u s t
Republican
coordinator.
B r o w n h a d t h r e a t e n e d c o u n t y social
G o v e r n o r w a n t e d to b u y , "
like s o m e of t h e f o r m e r
service w o r k e r s after his eight-year-old
O ' R o u r k e told the m e d i a
she said. " D o e s
c o u n t y e m p l o y e e s . T i y it f o r
d a u g h t e r h a d b e e n p l a c e d in f o s t e r c a r e .
that golf c o u r s e s in the
bailout' s o u n d
purchase
proposal,
county are
'IBM
familiar?"
— Anita Manley
overcrowded.
just a month."
— Anita Manley
ALBANY COUNTY
Three promoted retroactively
CSEA wins $100,000 for Poughkeepsie mechanic
POUGHKEEPSIE —
of P o u g h k e e p s i e
Town
Maintenance
correct dates, I w a s
accused
G l i n k a , a m e m b e r of C S E A
D u t c h e s s C o u n t y I>ocal 8 1 4 ,
of f o r g i n g t h e d a t e s . "
h a d n o t h i n g b u t p r a i s e for
M e c h a n i c J e f f G l i n k a is b a c k
G l i n k a lost h i s first
to w o r k a n d e l i g i b l e f o r m o r e
h e a r i n g a n d w a s fired.
CSEA
his union a n d his attorney.
t h a n $ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 in b a c k
t o o k t h e c a s e to c o u r t ,
where
" T h i s u n i o n is s t r o n g e r
pay
a n d b e n e f i t s , t h a n k s to C S E A
all b u t o n e c h a r g e
a n d a l a r g e d o s e of p a t i e n c e .
dismissed, but Glinka
A f t e r a l l , it t o o k m o r e
than
f o u r y e a r s to w i n h i s c a s e .
Glinka w a s brought u p on
fired
was
t h a n people realize," he said.
was
again.
"If it w a s n ' t f o r t h e u n i o n , I
wouldn't have my j o b
The town brought
charges, which were
more
thrown
back."
" F o u r y e a r s is a l o n g time,"
C S E A a t t o r n e y Bill
Burke
s a i d . "It j u s t d i d n ' t h a v e to
c h a r g e s , i n c l u d i n g o n e that
out by the state
he took u n a u t h o r i z e d
Court, a n d h e w a s finally
h a p p e n this w a y .
reinstated with b a c k pay a n d
r e s i d e n t s s h o u l d n ' t h a v e to
p a y for this."
"I h a d r e q u e s t e d
leave.
sick
Supreme
leave, a n d the doctor h a d
benefits after m o r e
written the w r o n g dates," he
f o u r - a n d - a - h a l f y e a r s of legal
s a i d . " W h e n I w r o t e in the
wrangling.
I March 1996
than
I
C S E A Unit President D o u g Keltner said
t w o b o a r d m e m b e r s o b j e c t to t h e m e d i c a l
w o r k i n g for the private
Melton
a
county w o u l d be $ 1 7 million
his hat," C S E A
Unit
c o l d p r i o r to t w o t o w n b o a r d m e e t i n g s . T h e
450 m e m b e r s have been without
p u l l s a n o t h e r r a b b i t o u t of
O'Rourke
members.
H u n d r e d s o f w o r k e r s p r o t e s t e d in b i t t e r
state S e n a t e committee that
w a n t s to b u i l d a n e w g o l f
Executive A n d r e w
grandstanding by town board
j u s t a f e w d a y s a f t e r h e told a
to t h o s e c o u n t y
" J u s t w h e n I t h i n k I've
h e a r d it all, M r .
O'Rourke's proposal
S M I T H T O W N — C S E A m e m b e r s in
S m i t h t o w n a r e p r o t e s t i n g political
Town
— Anita Manley
ALF3ANY —
A n arbitrator has
ordered
A l b a n y C o u n t y to a p p o i n t t h r e e p u b l i c
w o r k s d e p a r t m e n t e m p l o y e e s to e q u i p m e n t
o p e r a t o r positions w i t h full pay
and
b e n e f i t s r e t r o a c t i v e to D e c . 2 9 ,
1994.
CSE^A t o o k t h e c a s e t o b i n d i n g
a r b i t r a t i o n o n b e h a l f of J o h n S l a v e r ,
Bariy
W a l d r o n a n d R a n d y Ix)ucks after county
Public Works Commissioner Richard
violated the u n i o n contract b y
Rapp
promoting
three other w o r k e r s over the m o r e senior
employees.
C S E A Attorney William A. Herbert,
h a n d l e d the c a s e s , s a i d the
who
commissioner
p r o m o t e d the o t h e r e m p l o y e e s b a s e d
on
h o w m u c h v o l u n t a r y overtime they w o r k e d ,
w h i c h is n o t a c r i t e r i a f o r p r o m o t i o n .
Sector
I
I
BRIEFS
FULTON COUNTY
Port Jervis workers battle to
save city from flood damage
P O R T J E R V I S — F i r s t it w a s
financial difflculties, C S E A m e m b e r s
put
with
increases.
T h a t ' s w h y C S E A a n d its m e m b e r s
say
b e c a m e irate w h e n m e m b e r s of the c o u n t y
r^ort J e r v i s D e p a r l m e n t o f P u b l i c W o r k s
B o a r d of S u p e m s o r s p r o p o s e d
Orange
raising
their o w n salaries b y a s m u c h a s
C o u n t y Local 836.
38
percent.
was
C S E A mounted a public
b a d , b u t w h e n y o u h a v e a city b o r d e r e d
campaign
against the raises, w h i c h gathered
b y the D e l a w a r e River a n d a d d a 50-
support
from county taxpayer organizations
d e g r e e J a n u a r y t h a w a n d a d a y of record
and
W E N T , a n a r e a radio station.
h e a v y rain, y o u h a v e t h e f o r m u l a for
O b v i o u s l y feeling the intense
potential disaster.
Luckily, that f o r m u l a included
management
t h e n e e d of the c o u n t y a b o v e their o w n
modest
B l i z z a r d o f ' 9 6 , t h e n it w a s t h e F l o o d o f
T h e m o r e t h a n t w o feet of s n o w
JOHNSTOWN — When
p l e a d e d that I ' u l t o n C o u n t y w a s in
a n d a g r e e d to a m u l t i - y e a r c o n t r a c t
the
' 9 6 . W h i c h w a s w o r s e ? It's a t o s s - u p ,
e m p l o y e e s , m e m b e r s of C S E A
Board blinks under pressure
generated b y the C S E A - l e d
some
pressure
campaign.
B o a r d m e m b e r s ultimately voted
h a r d - w o r k i n g C S E A m e m b e r s w h o got
themselves a 5 percent p a y hike, s o m e
v e r y little s l e e p t h a t w e t w e e k e n d .
33
p e r c e n t b e l o w their initial p l a n s .
T h a n k s to t h e i r e f f o r t s , t h e city a v o i d e d
— Daniel X. Campbell
major damage.
" M o s t of u s w o r k e d all t h a t F r i d a y ,
w e n t h o m e for a n h o u r , a n d c a m e
back
CHENANGO COUNTY
a n d w o r k e d all n i g h t a n d t h r o u g h t h e
next day," unit m e m b e r V e r n Kalin said.
Welcome aboard, Norwich
" W e m a d e s a n d b a g s to s t o p t h e f l o o d i n g ,
b u t w e did get s o m e w a t e r at the l o w e s t
N O R W I C H — Senior account
p o i n t s , a n d t h e r e w e r e a lot o f
b a s e m e n t s a n d streets
clerk/typists, senior typists a n d
flooded."
O t h e r a r e a s in the H u d s o n V a l l e y w e r e
not so lucky. S o m e h o m e s
sustained
serious damage, including
collapsed
basements and roofs already
C h e n a n g o C o u n t y recently b e c a m e
n e w e s t C S E A m e m b e r s in C S E A ' s
the
Central
Region.
burdened
T h e state Public E m p l o y m e n t
by heavy snow. M a n y vehicles were
Relations
B o a r d certified C S E A a s the exclusive
s t r a n d e d in h i g h w a t e r . S o m e r o a d s w e r e
b a r g a i n i n g representative for the
c l o s e d b e c a u s e of m u d a n d r o c k s l i d e s .
T w o Port J e r v i s e m p l o y e e s ,
planner
t r a i n e e s e m p l o y e d b y t h e city o f N o r w i c h i n
Norwich
workers.
brothers
J a c k a n d Joe Farr, w e r e monitoring the
r i v e r a n d r i m n i n g p u m p s t r y i n g to k e e p
an imderpass from
flooding
NASSAU COUNTY
w h e n a 92-
year-old m a n drove the w r o n g w a y on a
o n e - w a y street a n d e n d e d u p in a
flooded
u n d e r p a s s (see photo, p a g e 20).
" T h e w a t e r w a s u p to h i s
THE PROPOSED STATE BUDGET WILL
DEVASTATE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ALSO!
(See pages 9-11 for more information)
dashboard
w h e n w e got h i m out of the car," J a c k
Farr said. "The g u y t h o u g h t there w a s a
little ice o n t h e r o a d a n d h e c o u l d j u s t
d r i v e t h r o u g h it."
— Anita Manley
Use the toll-free number below to call your
state senator, assembly member
and the Governor.
Tell them 'We didn't vote for these changes!'
Call 1-800-SOS-6336
CSEA helps community send message to Legislature
'Don't dump our landfill'
P L A T r S B U R G H — "Don't
and
Scott said.
o p e r a t i o n s of t h e l a n d f l l l w i t h
m e s s a g e the C l i n t o n
a n e a r l y 2 5 - y e a r life
County
T h e C S E A unit, with
communications
assistance
Unit of C S E A I ^ c a l 8 1 0 i s
expectancy w a n t e d a s a y in
from the C S E A
h e l p i n g r e s i d e n t s d e l i v e r to
any decision concerning
Region offlce, h a s
launched
the c o u n t y
futin-e of their l a n d f i l l . "
a n effective m e d i a
campaign
legislature.
Clinton C o u n t y
politicians
d e c i d e d to s e l l its n e w
million-dollar.
multi-
state-of-the-art
landflll, C S E A Unit
President
With 48 C S E A
whose j o b s could
the
Capital
members
to g e t o u t t h e u n i o n ' s
disappear.
message.
" C S E A is c o n c e r n e d a s a
"That message,
'Don't
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of t h o s e
D U M P O u r L a n d f i l l , ' is o u t
employees and as a
and hopefully being heard
r e s p o n s i b l e m e m b e r of t h e
the c o u n t y legislature," Scott
that the t a x p a y e r s wtio h a d
community," C S E A
Labor
said.
b e e n footing t h e bill for the
Relations Specialist
Charlie
Joe M u s s o
said.
" B u t the politicians forgot
I
I
design, construction
d u m p o u r landflll" is the
Sector
by
'Salute to Labor Awards'
CSEA Nassau County Local 830
president Tony Giustino, second from
right, presented plaques in recognition
of outstanding labor relations efforts
during a Salute to Labor Awards
ceremony. Recipients are, from left,
Nassau County Director of Labor
Relations Tony Russo, former Local 830
President Rita Wallace and CSEA Long Island Region President Nick LaMorte.
— Daniel X. Campbell
March 1996 1485
iene: k system in disarray
Stress, danger, injuries and death constant companions of workers in state's mental hygiene institutions
ROCKLAND
PSYCHIATRIC CENTER
A hazardous place to work
OJ^NGEBURG — Even the brutal 1987
in disarray. State budget cuts mean it can
murder of a Rockland Psychiatric Center
only get worse.
(RPC) therapy aide by a patient apparently
Mario Alexander works on an admissions
didn't teach New York officials any lasting
ward where new patients are screened.
lessons about understafling in the state's
"Many of the patients have criminal
mental hygiene facilities.
backgrounds," he said. 'They're
Employees of RPC say their facility is
younger and stronger and most
still a hazardous place to work and
are drug abusers."
proposed state budget cuts will only
"Sometimes there are just two
add to the already
therapy aides assigned to a ward
serious problems.
of more than 30 patients," said
Dot Roscoe
Therapy Aide
agrees.
Matthew
After five months
Kuriakose. "If
on leave, Roscoe, a
one therapy
therapy aide, is still
aide is assigned
on "light duty" while
to observe one
she recovers from
or two
injuries she received
particular
from an angry
patients, the
patient. The
other is left to
incident, she said,
care for the
was a nightmare.
rest.
"I was in the
'These
nurses' station,"
Laura Bobbitt patients are
she recounted. 'The
strong and
patient was angry
clever," said Kuriakose. "If a
because she was
therapy aide is restraining a
told she couldn't go
patient, he or she may be attacked
out. She came at
by another patient."
me with her fists
The recent Blizzard of '96 only
and hit me in the
served to remind therapy aides how
head over and
they are taken for granted.
over...When I came
"Some of us were stuck here for
George Rhea
to, the nurse was
three days," said MHTA Joseph
taking my vital
Armand. "We were told we couldn't leave.
signs. I found out
They gave us food that was left over from the
that a therapy aide
patients. No one asked us if we were okay. No
and a social worker Joseph Armand
one showed appreciation."
restrained the
Vacation days are also being denied,
patient and they took me out on a stretcher."
adding to the burnout the therapy aides are
"I felt so alone," she said.
experiencing.
Roscoe and her co-workers say the
"We're not getting days off," said aide
assaults on staff are symptomatic of a system George Rhea. "If we are short staffed and they
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center Local 406 president
says facility understaffed, calls cuts 'a monstrosity'
QUEENS VILI^GE — CSEA Creedmoor
Psychiatric Center Ix)cal 406 President
Caroline Sikoryak invited 40 New York City
metropolitan legislators to visit the Local 406
union office on March 1 to meet with rank
and file members affected by Gov. Pataki's
proposed mental health budget cuts. She
labels Pataki's cuts "a monstrosity."
Creedmoor is faced with 206 possible
6
I March 1996
layoffs and a large influx of new patients with
the closing of Kingsboro Psychiatric Center.
"We don't have enough staff to care for the
patients at Creedmoor now," Sikoryak said.
"Secondly, they have no business closing
Kingsboro Psychiatric Center, a facility that
senses 2.5 million people in Brooklyn, and
shifting clients here."
— Lilly Gioia
don't get volunteers to work, they mandate
overtime. Some of the employees have worked
double shifts 14 days in a row."
"Wlien members ask for time off. they're
usually refused," Local 421 President Pam
Alexander said.
'They won't give the employees the time off
they need, but then they will try to dictate
when to take time off," Alexander said.
Staffing looks good on paper, but the truth
is, many of the staff
'Sometimes are not direct care
there are workers.
"You might have
one therapy aide with
just two
36 patients who has
therapy
to do all the direct
care, while clinical
aides
staff just does
assigned
charting and
to a ward of administers
medication," MHTA
more than Laura Bobbitt said.
another area of
30 patients.' theInhospital,
the local
president said, grade
9 employees are being forced to work on the
secure care ward in the children's ward.
'The grade 9s are not appropriately trained
to work the secure care ward. That's the work
of the grade l i s and it endangers not just the
staff, but the patients also."
Patients are not getting the care they need,
employees say.
'They can't possibly get the care they
need." Roscoe said. 'They put the patients
out before they're ready." — Anita Manley
CSEA Local 413 fights back
WARD'S ISLAND — Faced with 230
layoffs by April 3, CSEA Manhattan
Psychiatric Center Local 413 members
jammed an emergency meeting to hear
Local 413 President Sam Koroma outline
tough strategies to fight back.
Koroma, himself on the layoff list, urged
members to blitz Albany OMH offices and
legislators with phone calls. Members will
also visit lawinakers' district offices,
participate in an ambitious letter-writing
campaign, write letters to editors and ask
local merchants to display windows signs
supporting public employees.
"We are not only fighting for our jobs,"
Koroma said, "but we have grave worries
about patients' treatment since our
hospital has been well above capacity for a
long time now."
Sector
BRIEFS
IBM deal on a seesaw: opponents try
to halt it; supporters pushing forward
ALBANY — At press time it was being left
up to state Comptroller H. Carl McCall to
determine whether the on again-off again
state plan to lease-purchase IBM buildings
near Kingston and Binghamton can proceed.
State Attorney General Dennis Vacco, a
Republican, approved the plan recently,
leaving the fate of the plan in the hands of
Democrat McCall. Both must approve the
project before it could move forward.
Also, a taxpayer suit instituted by a
Washington County activist opposing the
plan was scheduled to begin on Feb. 28.
Gov. George Pataki wants to shift 850 state
computer jobs from Albany to the Kingston
IBM facilities and 1,350 state computer jobs
and support positions from New York City to
the Binghamton site. Fleet Financial Group,
which processes personal state income tax
returns, would move 3,150 of its jobs from
Albany to the Kingston site also. Fleet
Financial Group wants the deal sealed by
early March.
Pataki claims the deal would save state
taxpayers $52 million a year, but Democrat
legislators, CSEA and other unions dispute
that and believe the move would actually cost
money, not save it.
'This may not be a good deal for anyone
except IBM," CSEA President Danny Donohue
said. "The state has not been forthcoming
with details so we don't know if this plan
would provide an economic benefit to the
state. We do believe it would unnecessarily
disrupt the lives of thousands of families."
The controversial purchase plan involves
buying the IBM buildings for $12 million,
renovating them for $37 million and
somehow saving taxpayers $52 million in
computer operation costs.
1995 Empire Plan claims
must be filed by March 31, 1996
All 1995 Empire Plan Basic Medical claims
must be submitted by March 31, 1996, to:
MetraHealth Service Corp.
Administrator for MetLife
P.O. Box 1600
Kingston, NY 12401-0600
Good news for
CSEA state members in
ASU, ISU, OSU & DMNA
Your CSEA
Employee Benefit Fund
dental benefits improved
again on March 1.
Basic medical claim forms may be
obtained from your agency's personnel office
or from MetraHealth. Make sure you
complete the requested subscriber
information and, if applicable, dependent
student information. Don't forget to sign the
claim form.
Please be certain to have your doctor or
other provider fill out all the information
asked for on the claim form. If the claim form
is not filled out by the provider, original bills
must include all medical/diagnostic
information asked for on the claim form.
Missing information will delay the processing
of your claim.
If you have any questions concerning your
claim, you may contact MetraHealth directly
at 1-800-942-4640.
See page 15 for details
Gov. Pataki's proposed 1996 state budget
would have potentially devastating effects
on many state and local government
programs. (See pages 9-11 for more information).
JO/N THE FIGHT!
Use the toll-free number below to call your state senator,
assembly member and the Governor.
Tell them 'We didn't vote for these changes!'
Call 1-800-SOS-6336
Sector
Suspended attendance rules
for severe January storm
state workers who were unable to
come to work to certain state facilities
on Jan. 8 and 9 because of a severe
snowstorm will receive leave witli pay
without charge to accruals.
The state Civil Service Commission
approved leave with pay without charge
to accruals for full-day absences on
Jan. 8 for state workers whose work
locations are in Dutchess, Nassau,
Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk,
Ulster and Westchester counties. The
Commission also approved leave with
pay without charge to accruals for fullday absences on Jan. 8 and 9 for state
employees whose work locations are in
Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and
Richmond counties.
Gov. George Pataki declared a disaster
emergency in those counties and in
Sullivan and Columbia counties on
Jan. 7. Absences of volunteer firefighters
and volunteer ambulance squad
members during the emergency period
may be excused without charge to leave.
Also, on Jan. 8 Gov. Pataki directed an
early departure for employees in affected
counties. Employees who reported to
work on Jan. 8 but departed early
should not be required to charge leave
credits.
UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
Senior office typist exam alert
The Unified Court System announced
that filing for senior office typist exams
will be suspended indefinitely effective
March 29, 1996. Applications must be
filed by March 29 for the last scheduled
examination for this title to be held on
Saturday, June 8.
The test was first administered on
April 1, 1995. Candidates who failed
either the written or typing portion of
this exam, or both, may request to
retake those portions which they failed
by writing Linda Carlsson, Examination
Unit, Office of Court Administration,
Room 1209, 270 Broadway. New York,
NY 10007, no later than March 29.
PEOPLE
Gene Townsend earns
PEOPLE recruiter honors
Gene Townsend of CSEA Pilgrim
Psychiatric Center I^cal 418 on l^ng
Island earned Recruiter of the Month
honors for January by recruiting the
most new members for the PEOPLE
Program.
PEOPLE (Public Employees Organized
to Promote Legislative Equality) is the
CSEA-AFSCME lobbying program that
operates at the federal level.
Townsend recruited 55 new members
for PEOPLE during January.
March 1996
7
!
In touch with you
Mental health cuts hurt people and local
communities, not just state facilities
CSEA members, like all New Yorkers, want
better government. But nobody voted for the
kind of changes we're seeing in the proposed
state budget.
One of the areas of greatest concern are
cuts in mental health. The issue affects all
our members and their communities, not just
state OMH facilities.
The proposed mental health plan would
dramatically downsize the state psychiatric
system and eliminate nearly 4,000 state jobs
while also walking away from the
responsibility to ensure the development of
alternative care. Under the radical "reform."
more responsibility for mental health services
would be shifted to the local government
level, but funding for community-based care
would also be cut. There would also be no
obligation for localities to provide minimum
standards of care.
Too often in the past we have heard words
8
March 1996
and phrases presented as if they were miracle
cures for the deficiencies of the mental health
system. To terms such as
"deinstitutionalization" and "alternative care,"
the Office of Mental Health is now adding
"managed care" and "integrated delivery
system."
By any other measure they still mean
dumping.
Put another way, OMH is suggesting that
we don't need psychiatric centers because
seriously mentally ill individuals can be
treated by health maintenance organizations
(HMOs).
The state's irresponsibility would be bad
enough if just the mentally ill were at risk,
but even now, some individuals falling
between the cracks of the system are public
safety risks. Not a week goes by without
tragic examples.
Where was the "alternative care" for these
individuals before they
hurt innocent people?
What confidence can
we have that visits to
HMOs will help
seriously mentally ill people, especially those
who pose a risk to all of us?
And what of the moral obligation to state
mental health workers, let alone the
taxpayers' investment in this skilled and
experienced work force?
If state's managers can't work with us to
effectively redeploy dedicated and capable
state employees, how can they possibly
expect to move people off social services?
CSEA intends to hold state officials
accountable for these issues.
Sector
WORK
Fighting budget cuts
A<i
\
1 *N
1 • II^Ä
j
1
1
1
Jim Roarke, CSEA Town of Brunswick unit president, makes his point while making a call to his state lawmaker using the toll-free
number 1-800-SOS-6336. "Budget cuts are going to cause cuts in local government budgets, counties, cities, towns, right on down
the line," Roarke said. "We all have to fight back by making our own calls to the SOS number and getting our members and all of
their families to make those calls. We're all in this together. Call NOW!"
I
Sector
March 1996
9
ii'
WE DIDN'T VOTE FOR THESE CHANGES
i
Join the fight!
TAKING THE CASE TO ALBANY — CSEA
Kingsboro Psychiatric Center Local 402
President Bob Nurse, center, with his
members who rallied during a legislative
hearing on mental health cuts. Nurse
testified at the hearing in Albany.
GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT — CSEA
Statewide Secretary Barbara Reeves listens
intently with CSEA Central Region activists
at a meeting on state budget cuts. CSEA
holds information meetings to be sure
activists are aware of the severity of the
proposed budget cuts and how they fight
back.
CSEA has been leading a grassroots campaign to
convince state lawmakers and the Governor that the
proposed state budget will hurt all New York state
residents through reduced sendees and increased
property and sales taxes.
Children, the elderly, the disabled and the poor will
particularly suffer under a budget that is simply too
radical. And working people will find it even harder to
make ends meet.
The rallying cry of this campaign is "We didn't vote for
these changes!" CSEA members are being encouraged to
include family members, friends and co-workers in the
effort to fight the budget proposal.
In record numbers, CSEA members are writing letters
and calling the 1-800-SOS-6336 number to reach their
lawmakers (see story page 11).
Join the fight! Below is a schedule for the campaign. If
you need more information, call the CSEA Political Action
Department at headquarters or call your region office.
March 4-6: Write to the editor of your local newspaper.
March 9: Literature drop — get a few friends and coworkers, pick an area and drop fliers at houses.
March 11-13: Write a letter to the Governor.
March 18: Call Sen. Joe Bruno's office.
March 19: Call Speaker Silver's office.
March 20: Call your county executive.
March 21: Call the Governor's office.
March 25-29: Call your legislator's office to ask if any
progress has been made.
Local Government
members at risk, too
CSEA members in local government
need to fight the proposed state budget
just as hard as state employees.
I^ocal governments stand to lose
nearly $900 million in state aid. For
Albany County, that means a loss of
$8.7 million, for Nassau County $73.3
million, for Westchester County, $38.4
million, for Erie County, $23.5 million,
and for Onondaga County, $2.1 million.
That means service cuts, layoffs and
higher taxes are all serious possibilities.
"We all have to work together in this
budget battle," CSEA Albany County
Social Sei-vices Unit President Hannah
Venduro said. "Call your legislators now
and tell them we didn't vote for these
changes."
10
March 1996
CSEA Albany County Social Services Unit President
Hannah Venduro, left, helps Diane Mitsios, co-owner
of the 112 Deli Restaurant, post a CSEA sign
showing that the business supports public
employees, and public employees support the
business.
WRITING A LETTER to Gov.
Pataki, CSEA South Beach
Psychiatric Center Local 446
member Michael C. Gilmore
tells him, "We didn't vote for
these changes!" CSEA is
asking all its members to write
the Governor and their state
lawmakers with the same
message.
Sector
WE DIDN'T VOTE FOR THHSH CHANGES
WE'RE ALL IN THIS
TOGETHER — CSEA
President Danny
Donohue and other
CSEA members join
the members of New
York Municipal
Hospital Workers
Union Local 420 of
AFSCME District
Council 37 in a
sunrise protest at
the state Capitol.
"All of us have to
work together to
fight this budget,"
Donohue said. "It
carries real pain for
everyone. We must
tell the Governor:
We didn't vote for
these changes
1-800-SOS-6336
CSEA Metropolitan Region Mental
Hygiene Board Representative Jimmy
Gripper. above, points to a sign
publicizing the toll-free number
CSEA members can use to call their
state legislators to protest the
proposed state budget.
At right, Wenda Finch of Niagara
County Department of Motor
Vehicles uses the number to call her
state lawmaker to say: "We didn't
vote for these changes!"
CSEA is encouraging all members
to use the 800 numlDer to let their
legislators and the Governor know:
"We didn't vote for these changes!"
When you call, a recording will tell
you to say "one" if you want the Governor's office, "two" if you
want the Senate and "three" if you want the Assembly. You
will then speak to an operator who can switch you to your
lawmaker. If you don't know who your lawmaker is, ask for
the Senate or Assembly information. Give the operator your
zip code, and she or he will connect you to your legislator.
Remember, your calls are important.
MAKING A STAND — Members of CSEA Buffalo Psychiatric Center
Local 403 rally during a snowstorm outside the center outpatient
clinic to protest Office of Mental Health cuts in the proposed state
budget.
Keep informed about the latest state
budget developments by calling the
CSEA Current Issues Update
on a touchtone phone
1-800-342-4146
then dial 15
March 1996
11
Wappingers District privatizes budget process
BEACON — Despite the
contractor's dismal record and
the protests of parents, taxpayers
and employees, the Wappingers
Board of Education hired
Education Alternatives Inc. to
write the school district's budget.
The move came after months of
secret meetings and downright
dishonesty by the school board.
The board voted to pay the
Minnesota company $100,000 to
write a budget.
They are paying the for-profit
contractor despite a budget
proposal prepared — for free —
by a committee of taxpayers and
parents. The board refused to
even consider the report.
CSEA has led the fight against
hiring EAI. The company has had
repeated problems with public
school districts because of
inefficiencies and cost overruns.
'...we won't put up
with their actions.'
Wappingers
Falls is now the
only public school
district that has a
contract with EAI.
CSEA plans to fight the board's
decision.
'These school board members
are so focused on hiring a failed
company to
conduct their
business that
they will do
anything illegal
or unethical to get their way,
including holding secret
meetings," CSEA Southern
Region President Maryjane
MacNair said. "We intend to send
(Board President Peter) Mr.
Donnely and the rest of the board
members who voted to hire EAI a
loud and clear message that we
won't put up with their actions.
What they have done is morally
reprehensible."
Hudson River PC workers clean up when contractor walks
POUGHKEEPSIE — A local
contractor that Hudson River
Psychiatric Center officials are
paying nearly $50,000 to plow
snow walked off the job during
the worst blizzard of the winter.
Local 410 President Judy
Watts-Devine, who said state
officials hired the local company
instead of repairing or replacing
old snow removal equipment,
foresaw problems.
'They would go speeding
around the grounds running
people off the road." she said.
"They don't even own big plows.
They use pick-up trucks with
plows attached."
During the big blizzard, WattsDevine said, the crew suddenly
quit, leaving impassable roads
and unshoveled walks.
Facility employees spent hours
removing snow with shovels and
March is Women's History l\/lonth
Member fights for tuition loans
Editor's Note: CSEA women make hisiory
every day. Here's the story of one member, a
mother who takes her responsibility to her
daughter's future — and the futures of other
young women — seriously enough to take on
the U.S. Congress.
WARD'S ISLAND — "Women today must
have an education if they are going to get
ahead and be history-makers," says Cheryl
Neptune, the proud mother of CSEA
scholarship winner Nakia Watson.
Recipient of a $500 CSEA Irving
Flaumenbaum Memorial Scholarship, Nakia
Watson is on her way
to achieving her
dream of becoming an
engineer. She is a
freshman at
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute.
"Nakia graduated
with (he second
highest grade in her
Canarsie High School
class and was
salutatorian at her
graduation ceremony,"
Neptune said.
But Neptune's pride
is overshadowed by
concerns about
Congressional plans to
cut education loans.
A senior stenographer
at Manhattan
Cheryl Neptune
Psychiatric Center for
23 years, she fears
the doors of
opportunity are
slamming shut on
Nakia and other
young women who
could not continue
their education
without loans.
"One year of
Nakia's tuition is
almost as much as I
make in a whole
year," Neptune said.
So she's been writing
to Washington to halt
Nakia Watson
the cuts in tuition
loans.
New York State has already lost 33,000 Pell
Grants. Neptune believes these cuts and
more promised by the Republicans are
devastating to the dreams of her daughter
and thousands of other deserving students.
"It's hard work," Neptune admitted, "but
we have to fight back for our children's
future. I used to read The Public Sector and
see these kids getting scholarships and hope
that one day my daughter would win.
"Now my daughter's job is to do well in
college," she said, adding that mothers back
home also have a job.
That job is to fight against education cuts
that can bash dreams and keep thousands of
young women from becoming history-makers
in our day.
— Lilly Gioia
available equipment. State DOT
employees helped clear the roads.
"In the end, it was state
employees who came together
and did the job," Watts-Devine
said. "It just proves once again
that if you want quality work,
you have state employees do the
job. If you want garbage, subcontract."
— Anita Manley
CSEA College Scholarships
18 Irving Flaumenbaum ^
Memorial Scholarships
in memory of the late Long Island Regkvi
President Irving Flaumenbaum
(Three $500 Scholarships in each of
CSEA's six Regions)
1 Jardine Award
in memory of
the late CSEA activist Charles Foster
(One $2,500 award to a high school
student entering SUNY System)
1 Travelers Award
in memory of the late CSEA
Executive Director Joseph D. Lochner
(One $2,500 award not limited to a
student entering SUNY)
for children of CSEA-represented
employees in New York State who
are graduating high school seniors
Applications available
though your Local President
One application
includes all
scholarships
Filing Deadline is April 15th
W i n n e r s w i l l b e a n n o u n c e d in J u n e
I
12
Sector
I
Workers' Compensation under attack
STATEN ISLAND — In April
1992. a CSEA therapy aide
working at Staten Island
Developmental Center seriously
injured her back, making her one
of thousands of New Yorkers who
depend upon Workers'
Compensation to survive
financially while unable to work.
Four years later and still
suffering, she's had her benefits
reduced to zero. The insurance
company doctor maintains she
has no disability and should
receive no further compensation.
Unable to work, she lost her
home, was forced onto welfare
and life in a homeless shelter.
She has a ray of hope,
however. Both the CSEA
member's own physician and the
Compensation Board doctor agree
that this woman does have a
permanent partial disability from
her 1992 back injury.
Because the Compensation
Board doctor backs up the
finding of her doctor, there is
hope her benefit will be restored
at an April review.
She'll make it under the wire.
Others may not be so lucky if
Gov. George Pataki's plan to fire
all impartial state Compensation
Board doctors — whose reports
greatly influence settlements —
succeeds.
Thousands of others in the
future may not have the benefit
of an impartial state
compensation
doctor's review.
What about those
who can't afford to
pay for an
impartial medical
evaluation?
By refusing to
fund the impartial
physicians of the
Compensation
Board Medical
Department, the
Pataki
administration is
clearly stacking
the deck against thousands of
injured workers in favor of
employers and insurance
companies, warns CSEA
President Danny Donohue.
In a letter to Gov. Pataki,
Donohue called the loss of the
impartial doctors
"counterproductive," warning that
without them, "the time needed
to process compensation claims
would increase, generating more
costs and delays in the system."
Although New York's
compensation law provides
benefits that are among the
lowest in the country, it is under
attack by the powerful Business
Council and insurance
companies who are calling for a
26 percent reduction in benefits.
So intent on cutting benefits is
the New York Compensation
Action Network, the political
action arm of the
Business Council,
that they have
hired seven
lobbyists to
promote so-called
"compensation
reforms" that will
give big breaks to
employers.
Fortunately,
state Sen. Carl
Kruger and
Assembly Member
Gregory Meeks
have introduced a
bill to require the Workers'
Compensation Board to employ
qualified physicians to examine
injured workers at the request of
an employee, the employer, a
Compensation Board member or
a compensation hearing referee.
The Medical Department's 70year record of using its own
physicians "has benefited both
Eliminating
independent
Compensation
Board doctors
would leave
workers
vulnerable
employers and employees by their
impartiality and has helped
expedite the settlement of
claims," said CSEA Metropolitan
Region President George
Boncoraglio.
'There is something seriously
wrong if an unrepresented worker
will have to rely solely on the
report of the insurance
company's doctor."
Boncoraglio, who will testify at
hearings on proposed Workers'
Compensation law "reforms,"
cautioned that company doctors
or insurance carrier consultants
have a vested interest in
preventing payments and cannot
be expected to be impartial.
"Once workers are forced to
pay out of their own pockets for
independent medical
evaluations," he said, "we have
lost the level playing field."
— Lilly Gioia
Write to support independent doctors
CSEA members who want to
see the Kruger/Meeks bill
passed and fight other changes
proposed by the New York State
Business Council should write
to Gov. Pataki, Executive
Chambers. State Capitol,
Albany, NY 12224, Assembly
Speaker Sheldon Silver and
Assembly Labor Committee
Chairperson Catherine Nolan,
Senate Majority Leader Joseph
Bruno and Senate Labor
Committee Chair Nicholas
Spano at Legislative Office
Building, Albany, NY 12248.
Budget would eliminate safety and health training grants
Wliile one battle is won,
another is raging as CSEA tries
to protect a valuable safety
education tool for New York's
working people.
When the state Department of
Labor withheld already-approved
funds for the Occupational Safety
and Health Training and
Education Grant Program, CSEA
went into action.
Thanks to the union's work,
the money committed for
programs though June will be
released.
But now the entire program
could be gutted.
l l i e valuable grant program is
used by employers, unions and
regional Committees on
Occupational Safety and Health
(COS! I) to improve workplace
safety.
CSEA uses grants for the
research and writing of its many
safety and health manuals.
Now those grants are in
Sector
jeopardy.
The proposed
state budget has
the Training and
Education Grant
money going
directly to offset
agency budget
cuts. That means
the money will no longer be
available to fund innovative
programs to protect workers from
occupational injury and disease.
The money once used for
training will now be used by the
state Department of Labor to
conduct legally required
inspections because its budget is
cut by 22 percent.
It's time to take action.
While CSEA lobbyists are
working to convince state
legislators that ending the grants
program is a mistake, the best
inOuence comes from voters
themselves — That's YOU!
The CSEA Occupational Safety
and Health
Department is
asking CSEA
members to
write letters that
will be sent to
the legislative
labor
committees and
one that will go to the state
Commissioner of Labor.
Write how you, a safety
committee or your employer used
one of CSEA's many safety
booklets to make a workplace or
work process safer. Explain when
the booklets were used and how
they improved conditions.
If you had been trained by a
COSH group, please explain how
you benefited from it.
Ask your employers to write
letters, too. The more employers
say they benefit from grant
training, the better the chances
are of getting the funds restored.
Send letters addressed to
Join the fight to
save important
training grants
"Dear Legislator" and "Dear
Commissioner Sweeney" to CSEA
Headquarters. We will make
copies for each member of the
Legislature's labor committees,
the Ways and Means Committee
and Labor Commissioner John
Sweeney. Be sure to sign your
letter and include yoi^r home
address.
Your efforts are crucial to help
save this extremely important
program. If the Governor has his
way, our booklets will stop, other
unions efforts to educate their
members of work hazards will
stop and the COSH groups will
shrink out of business.
Please contact anyone in the
OSH Department in headquarters
or your region olTice for
assistance.
Send your letters to:
Janet Foley, OSH Department
CSEA
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12210
March 1996
13
After 20 years as a reporter, Pulitzer Prize winner is on strike
Eric Freedman, Pulitzer-Prizewinning» reporter for the Detroit
News, is on strike.
Unions working for the News
and The Detroit FYee Press have
been on strike since July (see story
below).
No stranger to CSEA, Freedman
was a reporter for the now-defunct
Albany Knickerbocker News from
1976 to 1984. He covered the state
Capitol at a time when the
newspaper printed labor
stories every day.
Since 1984, he has
covered the state
Legislature in Lansing,
Mich., for the News. In
1994 he won a Pulitzer
Prize for coverage of a
legislative corruption
scandal. He's won many
Eric Freedman
other reporting awards.
The author of four
books, Freedman has
increased his freelance
writing assignments since
the strike. His work has
appeared in more than 100
publications in the U.S.,
Canada and overseas.
Freedman has reported
on legal issues, public
affairs and government,
journalism, outdoor recreation,
business and travel.
A native of Milton, Mass.,
Freedman graduated from New
York University Law school. He's
spent the last 12 years of his
award-winning career at the Detroit
News.
Here's his story.
Detroit newspaper strike: a personal view
picketing shift last summer.
Life experience indeed. When
six unions at the rival Detroit
News and Detroit Free Press
struck on July 13, 1995 —
months after our contracts
expired — 2,500 employees and
their families plunged into a life
experience most had only written
or read about. Instead of putting
this story behind us after
deadline, we held a personal
stake in every tidbit of news and
every development, real and
imagined.
Now with the strike eight
months old, many of my
colleagues — personal and
professional friends — have
crossed the picket line. Most were
financially motivated;
some philosophically
disagreed with the
unions' position or
believed a strike
would be futile; others
feared a walk-out
would speed the death
of one paper, and a
few went back to
brown-nose and boost
their own careers.
They made their
decisions and live
with them.
My decision was to
stay
out, a decision I
PICKETING for the Detroit News and Free
live with. Even with
Press unions is a family affair.
— ERIC FREEDMAN —
During 20 years as a reporter,
1 inter\aewed strikers from a
detached journalistic vantage
point. I talked with striking
teachers on the picket line,
striking factory workers on the
line, striking state employees on
the line. I had a job.
Then after two decades in the
Newspaper Guild in Albany and
Detroit, I found myself on the line
— walking, not watching — with
a sign rather than a notebook in
my hand.
It was awkward, confusing and
scary being part of the news
rather than a mere observer. "It's
a life experience," my wife
observ^ed the day after my first
History of the Detroit newspaper strike
DETROIT — Since July, workers
at the competing Detroit News and
Detroit Free Press have been on
strike.
Tlie strike resulted from
nianai^cnient's demands lor job cuts,
givcbacks, shifting of some full-time
work to part time with no benefits
and elimination of 1,600 news
carriers.
The papers, owned by Gannett
Co.. Inc. and Knight-Ridder, have
lost millions in revenue as the
coniinunily rallies around the 2,600
striking workers, members of the
Teamsters, the Newspaper Guild.
14
March 1996
two Graphics Communications
International Union locals and the
Communications Workers of
America.
The strikers are putting out the
Detroit Simdciy Journal to compete
with the other papers. Its circulation
tops 300,000.
To contribute to the strike fund,
send donations to:
Detroit Newspaper Association
Striker Relief Fund
Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO
2550 West Grand Blvd.
Detroit. Mich. 48208
POLICE AGGRESSION against Detroit newspaper strikers has been well
documented. Strikers have been injured by management's hired security
and by scab truck drivers plowing through picket lines.
the passage of time and hard-line
management rhetoric, I hope the
Fortune 100 companies that own
us — Gannett Co., Inc. and
Knight-fodder Inc. — recognize
no business can survive without
dedicated and talented
employees. After all, we had
sacrificed for years with little or
no raises as the papers struggled
to get out of the red. We watched
hundreds of jobs abolished. We
invested our pay in company
stock, tying our own futures to
that of our employers.
Despite the financial pressure,
there is no doubt in my heart
that I made the right choice in
not crossing the line.
I grew up in a union home. My
father — a roofer — and my
mother — a teacher — each
experienced the heartache,
hardship and bitterness of strikes
before they retired. My father had
disagreements with his union but
told me, "Without the union,
things would have been much
worse."
Beyond that, I'm deeply
troubled that so many people —
my fellow journalists prominently
among them — forget what
unions have done for them. We
owe our pay, our j o b security,
our benefits and our safety to
those who came before us. We
stand on their shoulders.
1 also worry that the
community both papers sei-ved so
well for so long will suffer. On
the surface, the strike issues ring
familiar on the labor front but
newspapers are different than
automakers or steel mills
because of their public seivice
role and First Amendment
responsibilities. That's why the
impact of a newspaper strike goes
far beyond dollar signs.
Virtually all of us have at least
one friend, neighbor or relative
who was laid off as the economy
shifted, plants closed and public
or private employers downsized.
We all know at least one college
graduate binTlened with student
loans and no job to repay them
with.
No job. No health insurance.
Car payments due. Mortgage or
rent overdue. Credit cards maxed
out. Pay the dentist or the
electric company? Stay home and
forget Cozurnel. Our newspapers
publish plenty of stories about
people in this situation.
Now we are among them.
Sector
Dental benefits increase for
CSEA state employee members
CSEA's Employee Benefit Fund
(EBP) dental plan has been helping
eligible CSEA members and their
dependents with their dental
expenses since the plan was
introduced about 17 years ago, and
that assistance just got even
• Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
greater.
Effective March 1. 1996, the
annual maximum increased by 50
percent and payments for more
than 30 dental procedures also
increased, according to EBF
Chairman Danny Donohue.
The dental improvements cover CSEA state employee members and
leir dependents in the Administrative Services Unit, Institutional
erväces Unit, Operational Services Unit and Division of Militar>'^ and
Naval Affairs Unit.
"Improving dental benefits has been a priority of the EBF trustees,"
onohue said. 'These improvements will result in more than $3
million in additional dental payments on behalf of our state members
^ n d their dependents. Increased payments also mean reduced out-ofB o c k e t expenses when a dentist is used who is not on our panel."
•
• Effective March 1 the annual maximum increased from $1,200
to $1,800. Orthodontic benefits are not affected and remain at the
1,650 lifetime maximum.
• e m p l o y e e
I BENEFIT FUND
t
»
1
You can help your dentist become
a CSEA EBF participating provider
If your dentist is not a CSEA Employee Benefit Fund
participating dentist and you would like him or her to consider
participating, simply fill out the request for information form below
and return it to the EBF.
Your dentist will be provided with information about the plan and
an application to become an EBF participant.
It continues to be somewhat difficult to recruit dentists in some
rural areas because a lack of competition reduces the incentive for
dentists to accept discounted fees in return for higher patient
volume.
The CSEA EBF has expanded its dental provider panel to a
listing of more than 1,100 dentists.
Request for Information
• Following are examples of some of the more than 30 dental
rocedures
Anesthesia
for which payments increased:
$ 55
$100
One Surface Filling
Old$ allowance
18
New
allowance
$ 24
Two Surface Filling
$ 26
$ 32
Surgical Extraction
$ 30
$ 50
Gingivectomy per Tooth
$ 0
$ 18
$ 0
Osseous Surgery per Tooth
$ 31
Osseous Surgery per Quadrant
$180
$250
Complete Upper Denture
$270
$320
Complete Lx)wer Denture
$270
$320
Root Canal Therapy
$114
$185
$162
$225
Two Canals
$222
Three Canals
$285
I
I
I
• Revised benefit booklets will be mailed to state CSEA members in
late March.
"Increasing payments should help recruit even more dentists to the
J|:BF panel of participating providers," Donohue said. "Nearly 500
I
Correction—Correction...
Privatization
I
averted at
I Wayne County
Health Dept., not
I Nursing IHome
Sector
I
additional dentists have been added to our panel since we increased
dental benefits across the board by more than 20 percent in 1994."
Today about 1,100 participating CSEA EBF dentists accept Fund
allowances as payment in full for covered services.
The panel of dental providers changes periodically, so always check
with your dentist to confirm he or she is still a plan participant
before service is actually rendered.
Form
for dentists interested in participating in the
CSEA EBF DENTAL PROVIDER PANEL
Name of Dentist
Address
City
County
Telephone
State
ZIP
Please return form to:
Marketing Department
CSEA Employee Benefit Fund
1 Lear Jet Lane
Latham, New York 12110
LYONS — An article in the February edition of
The Public Sector detailing a successful effort by
CSEA staff and activists to avert the privatization
of about 15 county jobs in Wayne County was
accurate — but only up to a point.
The article accurately indicated that Wayne
County was considering privatizing about 15
CSEA members' accounting jobs and that CSEA
l^bor Relations Specialist Pat Domaratz, CSEA
County Employee Unit President Bill Gutschow
and other activists spearheaded a successful
campaign to persuade the county administrator
and Board of Supervisors to drop the privatization
effort.
Unfortunately the article inaccurately reported
the privatization effort was aimed at accounting
jobs at the Wayne County Nursing Home. That
drew an angry letter from County Social Services
Commissioner f^ta B. Otterbein pointing out
there are only a comptroller and three account
clerks at the nursing home and denying any
plans to privatize those jobs.
In actuality, the county had been considering
privatizing about 15 accounting jobs at the Wayne
County Health Department, not at the Wayne
County Nursing Home.
The Public Sector regrets the inaccuracy and
any confusion or undue concern the original
article may have caused.
March 1996
15
Notice of nomination and election
OFFICERS FOR CSEA'S SIX REGIONS
Petitioning period for
region officers positions
begins IVIarch 4
Election of CSEA region officers for three-year terms will be
conducted in 1996 under a schedule of elections approved by the
union's statewide Board of Directors.
Under the union's open election procedures, any member in good
standing can have his or her name placed on a ballot by obtaining
signatures of a minimum of 500 CSEA members on official petition
forms. All signatures must be from the region where the person is
seeking office. Members who sign the petition must be eligible to vote
in the election.
In order to be eligible to seek office, a candidate must be at least 18
years of age; a member in good standing of the region since June 1,
1995; shall not have been a member of a competing labor association
or union since June 1995; and shall not currently be serving a
disciplinary penalty imposed by the Judicial Board of CSEA. To be
eligible to vote in the election a member must be in good standing as
of April 1, 1996.
Request forms for nominating petitions for the election of region
officers have been available at CSEA headquarters and region offices
since February. While the request forms may be filled out and
returned ahead of time, actual nominating petitions will not be
released until March 4, the first day of the petitioning period.
Deadline for
submitting proposed
resolutions is May 15,1996
Proposed resolutions for consideration by CSEA
delegates to the union's 1996 Annual Delegates Meeting
must be submitted by May 15, 1996.
Delegates to the 1995 Annual Delegates Meeting voted
to change the deadline for submitting proposed
resolutions to the earlier date effective in 1996.
Previotisly resolutions had to be submitted not less than
90 days before the union's Anntial Delegates Meeting.
Beginning in 1997, the deadline for submitting proposed
changes to CSEA's Constitution and By-Laws will also be
May 15 each year (see notice on page 2 for deadline
information for submitting proposed amendments this
year).
Proposed resolutions must be submitted not later than
May 15 to Statewide Secretary Barbara Reeves, CSEA
Headquarters, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY
12210-2303.
The 1996 Annual Delegates Meeting will be held Sept.
30 through Oct. 4 in New York City.
16
March 1996
Region officers election schedule
The Board of Directors approved the following election schedule for
CSEA region officers:
March 4 — Start of petitioning period. Nominating petitions available
from region offices and CSEA headquarters.
April 4 — Deadline for receipt of nominating petitions at CSEA
headquarters (5 p.m.).
April 15 — Deadline for declinations of nomination (8 a.m.).
April 15 — Drawing for positions on the ballot, CSEA headquarters
conference room. Candidates (or proxies) may attend as observers.
April 15 — Deadline for receipt of campaign articles and photos by
The Public Sector.
April 15 — Address labels available to candidates for mailing
campaign literature. Deadline for receipt of campaign literature by
CSEA headquarters for distribution (5 p.m.).
April 15 — Membership list available for inspection by candidates
(headquarters).
May 15 — Ballots delivered to post office for mailing (5 p.m.).
June 5 — Deadline for receipt of ballots (8 a.m.).
Election results will be announced after the ballot count.
Candidates will be notified by mail of the results.
Election results will be published in the July edition of The Public
Sector.
Jardine expands operational hours
of CSEA Personal Lines hotlines
Jardine Group Services Corporation, in a continuing
effort to provide CSEA members with the highest
quality customer service, has expanded the hours of its
Personal Lines customer center.
To accommodate the needs of members, Jardine
hotlines are now open between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Monday through Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 3
p.m. on Saturdays.
The special Jardine CSEA hotline telephone numbers
are:
New business:
1 -800-833-4657
Payroll deduction questions:
1-800-760-3848
Customer service/policy changes: 1-800-833-9041
Remember,
when you need to know,
call the
CSEA Current Issues Update
on a touchtone phone
1-800-342-4146, then dial 15
Sector
NOTICE OF NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF
DELEGATES TO THE
1996 AFSCME CONVENTION
Ballots in mail
March 25 to elect
AFSCME delegates
together under particular designations. Candidates nominated by
slate will appear on the ballot in the order in which they were
nominated. The ballot will allow slate candidates to be elected as part
of a slate or individually, separate from the slate.
The Board of Directors approved the following election schedule for
CSEA delegates to the 1996 AFSCME Convention:
Ballots to elect CSEA delegates to AFSCME's 1996 Convention are
scheduled to be mailed to eligible members on March 25. The
deadline for return of ballots is 8 a.m. April 16.
Meetings were held in all six CSEA regions on Feb. 17 to nominate
CSEA delegates to the 1996 AFSCME Convention, scheduled for June
17-21 in Chicago.
CSEA delegates will be elected by region. Each CSEA region will
elect the number of delegates to which it is entitled based on
membership strength, in accordance with the AFSCME and CSEA
constitutions. Expenses for transportation, room and board at the
AFSCME Convention will be paid by CSEA.
Many candidates were nominated as members of a slate, running
CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
March 8
Deadline for declination of nomination (8 a.m.).
March 8
Deadline for receipt of campaign literature by CSEA
headquarters for distribution {5 p.m.).
March 25
Ballots delivered to post office for mailing (5 p.m.).
April 4
Replacement ballot may be requested if original is not
received.
April 16
Deadline for receipt of ballots (8 a.m.).
Election results will be announced after the ballot count.
Candidates will be notified by mail of the results.
Election results will be published in the May edition of The Public
Sector.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CSEA-REPRESENTED STATE EMPLOYEES
CSEA students speak, keep LEAP as is
A majority of CSEA members
who participate in the CSEA
Labor Education Action Program
(LEAP) say they like the program
the way it is.
LEAP is a program negotiated
by CSEA that enables CSEArepresented state employees to
enroll in tuition-free courses at
two- and four-year public and
private colleges, BOCES and
various state facilities across New
York State.
Many more people apply for
LEAP assistance each semester
than are able to be accepted
because of limited available
funding. LEAP recently asked
CSEA members who used LEAP
to further their education in the
last two semesters which of
three different voucher options
the members prefer.
Under current policy, LEAP
pays full tuition for one course
with a $548 maximum per
semester. But, due to limited
funds, only 55 to 65 percent of
applicants can be accepted.
Other options would have
reduced the maximum dollar
amount allowable per semester
thereby increasing the number of
Sector
applicants accepted.
More than half (55 percent) of
the survey respondents preferred
the current system of 100
percent tuition funding for a
single course even though they
could not be sure of receiving a
voucher each semester.
Twenty-nine percent chose an
option limiting the maximum to
$41 1 per semester while
increasing the acceptance rate to
75 to 80 percent, and only 16
percent of respondents selected
an option guaranteeing that all
applicants would be accepted by
reducing the maximum to $300
per year.
The survey results indicate
that LEAP students rely heavily
on LEAP to be able to advance
their educational goals. There are
many costs of education beyond
the basic tuition cost. Sometimes
fees, books, child care and
transportation can cost more
than tuition. If the value of the
voucher is reduced too much,
then many members would not
be able to use the benefit to
improve their job skills or
advan(!e in their state careers.
If members do not receive a
voucher, they are not likely to
pay for a course themselves or
find other funding. Sixty-three
percent of the respondents said
that they would not take a
course without a LEAP voucher.
Only 37 percent said that they
would still take a course without
LEAP.
Improvements Planned
While the funding policy won't
change, the LEAP staff is working
to make the voucher program
more Oexible.
One change, designed to make
the program more flexible, is the
"raincheck" concept. If a
member gets a voucher and then
cannot use it one semester, they
can ask for a raincheck that
would guarantee them a voucher
the following semester. LEAP is
also planning to change the
voucher application form, so that
members can select a general
subject area rather than naming
a specific course. This will make
the application process much
easier for students attending
schools that do not publish a
course listing until after the
application period has expired.
Other Financial Assistance
LEAP has developed a financial
guide for students enrolled in
degree programs who are seeking
other forms of financial aid. The
guide will make it easier for
students to determine what other
financial resources may be
available to them. LEAP students
may call the LEAPline to ask for
a financial aid guide or to get
financial advisement over the
phone. Usually, phone
advisement will require
discussing some specifics about
your financial resources, but
each caller's confidentiality is
assured.
Expanded advisement services
New expanded advisement
services on the LEAPline include:
• Academic Advisement
• Basic Skills Sei"vices and
GED I^reparation
• Career Advisement
• Career Information
• P'^inancial Aid
To access any of these senaces,
just call the LEAPline at:
1-800-253-4332.
March 1996
17
Tax cuts for wealthy hurt working people
ALBANY — ir spending is on a
downward spiral, why is New
York state facing a $3.9 million
deficit?
Because of tax cuts it can't
afford.
That's what the Fiscal Policy
Institute (FPI) concluded after its
review of the proposed 1996-97
state budget.
Tax reductions are being paid
for with cuts in services, says FPI
Executive Director Frank Mauro.
And the people paying for
those tax reductions are the
working people and the poor of
the state, who face cuts in
services at the
state and local
levels.
Meanwhile,
local and school
property taxes
and sales taxes
are going up as
well.
Those taxes
also hit working
people and the
needy hard. It's
now more
difficult for
middle class New York state
residents to make ends meet.
"FPI's study
shows New York
state cannot
afford tax cuts
for the wealthy,"
CSEA President
Danny Donohue
said.
"It's getting
harder to make
ends meet for
working people,
and yet they are
the ones who will
bear the brunt of
property and sales tax increases
that are a direct result of state
It's their
politically
motivated tax cuts
that are hurting
the people of this
state. Not us. Not
public employees!'
budget cuts."
Working people are also
suffering from cuts in state and
local government sewices.
Children, the elderly and the poor
will suffer even more from service
cuts, he said.
"Elected leaders at all levels
are blaming the high cost of
government for every problem
under the sun," Donohue said.
"They ought to start listening to
FPI; it's their politically motivated
tax cuts that are hurting the
people of this state. Not us. Not
public employees!"
State budget threatens private sector members, too
CSEA's private sector members
should be just as concerned about
the proposed state budget as
members in state, local
government and school district
locals.
Many of CSEA's private sector
members work for non-profit
agencies that depend on state
funds, and cuts could mean
problems for them as well, said
CSEA Private Sector Director
Michael Richardson.
For example, special schools
such as St. Maiy's School for the
Deaf face serious funding
Members fighting to stop budget plan
BUFFALO — At St. Maiy's
School for the Deaf, 140 deaf
children learn in a environment
designed to meet their needs.
CSEA Local 891 members
help create that environment,
and they are committed to
continuing.
I1ie 70 members are writing
and lobbying state legislators to
stop a state budget plan that
would eliminate payments to
special schools, forcing them to
charge school districts and
social sendees departments
directly for the cost of educating
(he special needs children.
School districts will be less
likely to send children to special
schools because the cost would
W a t c h for Inside
fall to taxpayers. Yet few public
schools can provide the
education the students need.
"Most of the 55 school
districts we serve in nine
counties can't assume the cost
of busing deaf children to St.
Maiy's and giving them the
focused programming they
require," Local 891 President
Paul Sabato said. "It seems to
many of us that this is just
another form of discrimination."
St. Marj'^'s might eventually Ije
forced to close, a school official
said.
"We're doing all we can
politically to turn this around,"
Sabato said.
— Ron Wofford
Albany
on PBS
Watch Inside ÄUDany, the highly acclaimed show that presents a
critical look at state government. CSEA is a prime underwriter of the
program tliat airs on public television stations across the state.
Inside Albany is seen on the following public broadcast stations:
Binghamton WSKG, Channel 46
6:30 p.m. Saturday
Buffalo
6:30 p.m. Saturday
WNED, Channel 17
Long Island
11 a.m. Sunday
WLIW, Channel 21
6 a.m. Wednesday
New York City WNET, Channel 13
3 p.m. Sunday
Rochester
6:30 p.m. Saturday
WXXI, Channel 21
Syracuse
4:30 p.m. Saturday
WCNY, Channel 24
Plattsburgh
6:30 p.m. Saturday
WCFE, Channel 57
6 p.m. Saturday
WNPE, Channel 16
INSIDE Watertown
Schenectady WMHT, Channel 17
7:30 p.m. Saturday
ALBANY
2 p.m. Sunday
Schenectady WMHQ, Channel 45 11 p.m. Sunday
18
March 1996
problems if the state's plan to
require the schools to bill school
districts directly is approved. (See
story below.)
School districts aren't going to
be able to pay the full cost and
will demand lower tuition rates or
stop sending special needs
students to the schools,
Richardson said. Either way, there
will be less money for raises,
increments or longevity payments.
Private sector members who
work in nursing homes such as
the Columbia-Greene Long-Term
Care Facility will also suffer under
proposed state block grants which
will freeze their reimbursements. If
the nursing homes receive no
increases, there is little money for
employees, Richardson said.
Proposed federal block grants
could mean even further cuts.
Foster care programs such as
the CSEA-represented Pius XII
face similar difficulties with social
services block grants that would
be frozen at last year's level, which
was determined by the number of,
children in the program. Th^t
.jj;,
means the facility will have to
make cuts in other areas to pay
for any more children who come
into the home, Richardson said.
"Private sector members need to
fight this proposed budget, like
the members at St. Mary's," he
said.
National Voter Registration Act
malces a CSEA priority tlie law
The National Voter Registration
Act was passed to make
registering to vote a simple
process.
The law requires many public
offices to offer voter registration
forms to the people they seive.
In New York state, however, the
Board of Elections discovered
disturbing evidence that voter
registration seems to be receiving
less priority if the people being
served are of lower income levels.
Voter registration is a high
priority for CSEA, which has its
own voter registration projects.
"Any program that registers
voters is important to CSEA, and
any CSEA member who can assist
is doing every resident of this
state a favor," CSEA President
Danny Donohue said.
"The National Voter Registration
Act is important to all of us. If
voter registration is part of your
agency's responsibility, carry it
out proudly," he said. "And make
it a priority. It's the law!"
State and local government
agencies that must provide voter
registration forms are:
• Advocates for Persons with
Disabilities;
A Alcoholism and Substance
Abuse Services;
A Commission for the Blind;
A Department of Health - WIC;
A Department of Social
Sendees;
A Department of State;
A Military Recruiting Offices;
A Department of Motor
Vehicles;
A Office of Mental Retardation
and Developmental Disabilities;
A Office of Mental Health;
A Office for the Aging;
A Vocational and Educational
Sei-vices for Individuals with
Disabilities;
AVeterans Affairs; and
A Workers Compensation.
Sector
I
I Organized labor is tlie barrier
against tiiose wlio would
exploit, diminish workers
Organized labor has always
been the defiant hurdle standing
in the way of those who would
reduce the social standing of
working people. And for public
workers at all levels in New York
state, that force protecting
workers has long been CSEA and
its international affiliate.
AFSCME. Together they form one
of the most effective imions in
the entire AFL-CIO.
Today's modern labor unions
touch the lives of working people
in so many ways, on and off the
job, making the return on your
union dues a truly great bargain.
The bulk of your dues dollar
supports the work of CSEA on
your behalf here in New York
tate. A portion also goes to
PSCME to help our
mternational union carry on
much of the national effort to
rotecl your interest.
In addition to AFSCME's high
profile political involvements, the
i n t e r n a t i o n a l represents your
• n t e r e s t s in Washington on such
• m p o r t a n t subjects as the
economy, privatization, the
itaggering public debt, pension
mprovement and protection,
lealth care, enactment of decent
and fair tax laws, the elderly,
••ivil rights, housing, education,
••hildren and family issues,
nealth and safety standards,
crime and closing the wage gap
B e t w e e n men and women.
I
I
I
I
F
t
(
AFSCME also returns a
portion of your dues back to
CSEA in the form of grants that
support a wide variety of training
and education projects and other
programs that directly benefit
CSEA members.
Members who object to
AFSCME expending a portion of
their dues for partisan political
or ideological purposes may
request a refund of that portion
of their dues from AFSCME.
Under AFSCME's rebate
procedure, reimbursement
requests must be made
individually in writing between
April 1 and April 16. Requests
must be typed or legibly printed
and include the member's name.
Social Security number, home
address, AFSCME local and
council number.
The individual request must
be signed by the member and
sent by registered or certified
mail by the member to:
International SecretaryTreasurer, AFSCME International
Headquarters, 1625 L Street NW,
Washington, DC 20036.
The International SecretaryTreasurer calculates the per
capita payment equivalent that
was used for partisan political or
ideological purposes during the
fiscal year and refunds that
amount.
Requests to AFSCME must be
renewed in writing every year.
yjouvc got the
SEM
ADVANTAGE
BIG SAVINGS with
CSEA ADVANTAGE
DISCOUNTED CELLULAR
PHONE SERVICE for CSEA
members and retirees.
CENTRAL and WESTERN NEW YORK COUNTIES
^AVAILABLE NOW IN BUFFALO, ROCHESTER, SYRACUSE,
UTICA-ROME, JAMESTOWN, OLEAN AREAS
•
•
•
•
•
$12 monthly access charge!
22 cents per minute local airtime!
Rates guaranteed for 1 year from activation date!
Choice of FREE Nokia 100 or NEC P820 phone!
FREE ACTIVATION March 1 - 31, 1996 ($25 value)!
Service now available in the following counties in Area
Codes 716 and 315: Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, W y o m i n g ,
Genesee, Allegany, Chautauqua, Jefferson, Lewis, St.
Lawrence, Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, Livingston, Orleans,
Onondaga, Madison, O s w e g o , Oneida and Herkimer.
For information, call:
In Buffalo (716): Maureen Ziemba (716) 686-4315
In Rochester (716): Mark Miller (716) 777-2903
In Syracuse, Utica-Rome (315): Fran Catanzarite (315) 449-5505
In Jamestown, Olean (716): Maureen Ziemba 1-800-686-9639
* Rates contingent upon a one year service agreement with Frontier
Cellular and to CSEA mennbers in good standing.
* Product discount available with new service activation only.
* Existing cellular service may be converted to program. Some
restrictions may apply.
* Equipment pricing subject to change and depends upon availability.
* Network access charges, roaming, long distance, taxes and
surcharges not included.
y r o T i t i e r
CELLULAR
NOTICE: CSEA is honoring a national AFL-CIO boycott of
Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile cellular phone service. CSEA's endorsement ol"
discounted cellular service offered by Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile in other
parts of New York state and northern New Jersey is suspended.
A special benefit for CSEA members
LLIENTINES FOR VETS - CSEA Tax and Finance Local 690
esident
es
T.J. O'Donnell and Pat Finn, Local 690 project
or
ordinator,
present state Sen. Michael Hoblock, right, with
net
nearly
1,100 valentines made by children of members and other
hool children for sending to US soldiers on duty in Bosnia,
n. Hoblock helped coordinate delivery of the valentines.
K
t
i
ector
CSEA's olTlcial travel service,
Plaza Travel Center Inc. in
Latham, has announced "A
Special CSEA Cruise at a Special
Price" for CSEA members for next
November,
Just one catch — you must
sign up by April 30 with a $100
deposit per person to secure
the special rates of just $699
per person for inside cabins and
$759 per person for outside
cabins for the cruise scheduled
for Nov. 11-15, 1996.
This special price includes
roimd trip airfare from all major
cities in New York state, transfers,
all meals and entertainment, port
charges and taxes and a "Bon
Voyage" cocktail party on board.
The ship Nordic Empress will
sail out of Miami from Monday to
Friday Nov, 11-15 and visit
Freeport, Nassau and Cococay,
For details on the November
CSEA cruise, call Plaza Travel
Center at 1-800-666-3404.
March 1996
19
1
D e p e n d a b i l i t y
WORK FORCE
It's what taxpayers and citizens know they can
count on from public employees.
W h e n the worst flooding damage in decades
savaged much of N e w York state recently,
thousands of C S E A m e m b e r s went above and
beyond to p e r f o r m their duties at the highest
level when their communities needed them most.
They were dependable.
People like Denise
Pangman, a C S E A
m e m b e r and an
emergency public
assistance / H E A P
worker for the
Schoharie County
CSEA Schoharie County Local 848 President Bill Betz inspects
damage from flooding in his rural upstate county, one of the areas
Department of Social
hardest hit. "I couldn't believe my eyes," Betz said.
Services. P a n g m a n
voluntarily worked 32
consecutive hours in the county's emergency m a n a g e m e n t office during the flooding.
Her neighbors could depend on her and her co-workers.
Or the Farr brothers, Jack and Joe, C S E A m e m b e r s w h o work for the City of Port
Jervis Department of Public Works. While working to protect their community from
the flooding Delaware River, they waded into a flooded underpass to rescue a 92-yearold motorist f r o m his car as water rose above the dashboard.
Denise Pangman, who "just
went downstairs to help
out" and stayed 32 hours.
Value
It's what
taxpayers get from
public employees
for their tax
dollars. Real value
in terms of
services that
enhance and
improve the
standard of living.
Service people
have come to
expect, delivered
so regularly and
effectively that it is
often taken for
granted. Until it's
needed most.
R e U a b O i t ^
W h e n disasters strike, public employees
are the front line of defense. C o m m u n i t i e s
depend upon public workers to protect
them, and the work force always responds
with absolute reliability.
IPFFF'
m
'a
M
BROTHERS JACK AND JOE
FARR assist a 92-year-oId
motorist from his flooding
car in city of Port Jervis.
Photo by MidlHetdwn (NY)
Times Herald Record
20
March 1996