March 2011
Vol. 14 No. 3
Unprecedented
Unfair Unbearable
State Budget Not Good for You ––––– See Inside...
R
Photo of the Month
Photo by Jill Asencio
Nearly 100 VOICE/CSEA Monroe County child care
providers met recently and eagerly submitted
written commitments to help in fighting proposed
budget cuts to child care. They also pledged to “Get
on the bus” bound for Albany on May 14 to meet
with hundreds of other providers from around the
state.
Save the dates!
CSEA has set dates and places for these four
statewide events.
No real answers on future
of juvenile justice
ALBANY — Few areas of the state
budget have received more attention or
received more misrepresentation of the
facts than juvenile justice.
The proposed budget calls for the
elimination of 376 beds and elimination
of the 12-month notice requirement
for closure or significant downsizing
currently in law to ensure that closure
decisions are sound policy and give
affected communities adequate notice.
Office of Children and Family Services
Commissioner Gladys Carrion whose
controversial policies have included sex
parties for offenders to “incentivize”
CSEA members fight back
“I
care for people who are mentally unstable and attempt
to help them stabilize and be able to come back into
society. I do everything from A to Z for them — their total
care, making sure they get to their doctors appointments,
proper medication, attend programs and things of that nature.
The job I do is very important because mental health affects
everyone. Everyone has someone in their family who is not
doing well in that area.”
— Herman Williams, Mental Hygiene Therapy Aide,
Pilgrim Psychiatric Center
• Women’s Conference, April 1 to 3, in Albany;
• Spring Workshop, May 20 to 22 in Niagara
Falls;
• Retiree Delegates Meeting, Aug. 18 to 21 in
Niagara Falls; and
• Annual Delegates Meeting, Oct. 3 to 7, New
York City.
Check www.csealocal1000.org for information
about the CSEA Women’s Conference.
Registration information and details about
other events will be posted on the website as it
becomes available.
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The Work Force
good behavior, has offered no specifics
on how OCFS will transform its juvenile
justice operations into a community
based system.
In testimony and questioning
before the state Legislature’s fiscal
committees, Carrion continued her
vague insistence that staff are being
adequately trained to deal with
clients in a more therapeutic way and
sidestepped questions about spikes in
on-the-job injury among staff, concerns
about the adequacy of resources and
public safety in community settings.
About this edition
D
ue to the severe impact of the proposed
New York state budget and the potentially
devastating consequences it could have on you,
your work and your community, this edition of
The Work Force is focused entirely on that one
subject.
Other coverage of CSEA events and activities
will return in future editions and you should
check the CSEA website at www.csealocal1000.
org regularly for important information on many
issues.
Learn the facts — contact your state
legislators immediately at 1-877-255-9417.
March 2011
Services, people, communities
take brunt of state budget pain
T
he pain isn’t shared. It’s not fair and you
are the target.
The proposed $132.9 billion New York state
budget takes aim at you and the work you do
in your community like no other in our state’s
history.
Schools and hospitals, care for elderly
people in nursing homes, individuals with
mental illness and developmental disabilities,
protection of our air and water, and public
safety are just some of the areas at serious
risk, along with you and your co-workers who
deliver these essential services.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s blueprint for erasing
the state’s deficit spares no area from drastic
cuts, but does little to provide fairness and
balance in the fiscal equation.
CSEA believes we need a better New York
for all and that means a budget approach
that’s fair for all, provides help for all and
sacrifice from all. Instead the budget plan
focuses almost exclusively on dramatic cuts
without addressing business tax loopholes,
corporate welfare and extending a tax break
to the wealthiest New Yorkers.
“There’s nothing fair nor shared about this
state budget,” said CSEA President Danny
Donohue.
Slash and burn
The governor’s plan uses a lot of new
phrases, but it’s largely the same old
slash-and-burn approach to a budget on
an unprecedented scale. It cuts aid to
communities, hospitals and nursing homes
so drastically that it is sure to cause closures
and layoffs.
SUNY hospitals alone face more than
$167 million in direct cuts, along with other
funding cuts that will undermine services
people need.
State aid for schools is cut by nearly $3
billion at the same time a property tax cap
is likely to be enacted, which will severely
limit school district budget options and affect
programs and jobs.
New York state agency operations that
have already been decimated over the past
two years are facing a 10 percent across-the-
March 2011
board cut along
with a demand that
labor agreements
provide an
additional $450
million in savings
or up to 9,800
people will lose
their jobs.
CSEA has
repeatedly made
the case that layoffs will harm economic
recovery. When people are put out of work,
it means paychecks won’t be spent in the
community, taxes that won’t be paid, services
that won’t be delivered and a drain on public
assistance and other services.
“CSEA has repeatedly said we are
prepared to do our part and work with the
administration for a better New York. We are
not willing to see the necessary services that
CSEA members provide to people in every
community in the state used as a bargaining
chip to maintain tax breaks for millionaires,”
Donohue said.
CSEA is advocating for a budget that makes
choices we can all be proud of, a budget that
finds a balanced approach to address New
York’s fiscal challenges. CSEA wants a budget
that ensures our most vulnerable people get
the care and help they need while we work
together to make our communities even
better places to live.
Learn more about what is at stake and
what you can do to help throughout this
edition. You can get more information and
stay up to date at
www.csealocal1000.org.
Ugly outlook for state operations
T
here are many bad choices ahead in
New York state agency operations and
contract negotiations.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget
seeks a 10 percent across the board cut
in all agencies on top of massive cuts
that agencies absorbed over the past
two years. Many agencies are already
struggling to operate with skeleton crews
spread thin and inadequate resources to do
their work. Plans for agency mergers and
consolidations have not been revealed.
Additionally, the budget seeks $450
million in labor savings or up to 9,800
people could be laid off. It is not yet clear
how those savings might be achieved.
State contracts expire April 1 and the
administration has not yet responded to
CSEA’s request to begin negotiations on
successor agreements.
Further complicating the outlook
are plans for closing several yet to be
determined correctional facilities. The
budget proposal calls for a task force to
reach agreement on the specific facilities
by May 1 — a month after the budget is
due. Under the budget proposal, if the task
force cannot agree, the commissioner of
corrections would have the authority to
make the decision.
CSEA has expressed serious concern
about provisions that would grant similar
authority to the commissioner of the
Office of Children and Family Services
and the commissioner of Mental Health
to make similar determinations about the
fate of juvenile justice, mental health and
developmental disabilities facilities on short
notice.
“There are many unanswered questions
about this budget and what it means for
communities, people and services,” said
CSEA President Danny Donohue. “We need
some better information and understanding
before we can really respond. But CSEA is
certainly not going to just accept what’s
put in front of us — negotiation requires
dialogue.
The Work Force
3
ISSN 1522-1091
Official publication of
CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
143 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12210-2303
Danny Donohue, President
A better New York for all
STEPHEN A. MADARASZ
Communications Director & Publisher
STANLEY HORNAK
Deputy Director of Communications
LOU HMIELESKI
Executive Editor
JANICE GAVIN
Associate Editor
CATHLEEN FEBRAIO
Graphic Production Specialist
JANICE M. KUCSKAR
Graphic Production Specialist
BETH McINTYRE
Communications Assistant
Y
ou might have noticed this edition of The Work Force has a single-minded
focus — the proposed state budget and the devastating impact it will have on
you and your communities. There is no other issue.
The cuts and the attack on public services are
unprecedented, unfair and unbearable. CSEA believes there
can and should be better choices.
The Work Force (USPS 0445-010) is
published monthly by The CSEA Publication Office:
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210.
Periodical Mail Postage paid at Post Office,
Albany, New York 12288, and additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
CSEA, Attn: Membership Department,
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210.
CSEA on-line: The CSEA website
can be accessed at www.csealocal1000.org
Readers:
Send any comments, complaints, suggestions or ideas to:
Publisher, The Work Force, 143 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY 12210-2303.
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS
RICH IMPAGLIAZZO
DAVID GALARZA
JESSICA LADLEE
THERESE ASSALIAN
MARK M. KOTZIN
LYNN MILLER
ED MOLITOR
JILL ASENCIO
Long Island Region
Metropolitan Region
Southern Region
Capital Region
Central Region
Western Region
Headquarters
Headquarters
(631) 462-0030
(212) 406-2156
(845) 831-1000
(518) 785-4400
(315) 433-0050
(716) 691-6555
(518) 257-1272
(518) 257-1276
The Publications Committee
Ron Briggs
Annie Campbell
Brenda Chartrand
Ramon Lucas
Robert Pazik
Liz Piraino
UUE
U nite
4
The Work Force
First, keeping people working must be a top
priority. No politician can create jobs by laying people
off. It’s bad for the economy and it destroys lives. Make
no mistake; the massive cuts proposed to all areas of the
proposed budget will have an avalanche effect on safety,
services and other jobs.
Second, New York cannot address a massive
deficit with one hand tied behind its back. It’s fiscally
irrational to only cut funding while ignoring corporate
welfare, business loopholes and cutting taxes for the wealthiest New
Yorkers.
Third, New Yorkers need budget choices we can be proud of — for all.
It’s not right to prey on the sick, the elderly or students. Education, health care
and safety should not be the first places to cut.
The public likes the idea of cutting waste in government. Nothing wrong
with that, but public opinion takes a very different turn when people recognize
the necessary services and the people they know and rely on are what’s at risk.
It is up to you to help make your family, friends and neighbors understand
the human face that’s on the line in this budget.
We need a better New York for all. That means fair for all, help for all and
sacrifice from all.
P.S. The CSEA website, www.csealocal1000.org, has background information to
help you fight back on budget issues and the attack on public services, along
with news updates.
d U n i o n E m p l o ye e s
March 2011
T
Why is the Triborough Amendment important?
he Triborough
Amendment
was passed
by the New York
State Legislature in
the early 1980s.
It amended the
Taylor Law in
order to counteract
the fact that the
employees did not
have the right to strike.
Triborough makes the
employer continue all
terms and conditions of
employment, unchanged, until
a new contract
is negotiated.
Since we do not
have the right to
strike, this forces
the employer to
negotiate in good
faith.
If an employer
attempts to change
things now, it is an
improper practice. Without
Triborough, the employer
would have zero incentive to
negotiate. They would just
impose their will.
Without Triborough, the employer would have
zero incentive to negotiate. They would just
impose their will.
March 2011
If the Triborough Amendment were eliminated,
how would it affect you and other CSEA members?
• Your employer could stop paying you step increases!
you and your fellow members!
• Your employer could
• Your employer could
reduce or eliminate pay
reduce or eliminate any
and benefits in the expired
and all benefits except the
contract!
minimum wage!
• Your employer could
change your health insurance
The Triborough
or stop providing it to you
Amendment gives union
and your family!
members an even playing
• Your employer could take
field when CSEA negotiates
away holidays!
contracts. Taking it away
• Your employer could
is just an attempt to stop
decrease or increase your
contract negotiations before
hours of work!
they really start.
• If your employer and
And, oh, by the way - you
CSEA couldn’t agree on a new
still wouldn’t have the right to
contract, the employer could
strike!
impose its own “contract” on
The Work Force
5
State’s health care budget a sick reality
T
he proposed state health
care budget will lead to
devastating cuts to public
hospitals, nursing homes and
other health facilities.
The governor proposed a $2.9
billion cut to Medicaid spending,
but the cuts will instead total
more than $5 billion when
federal matching funds are taken
into account.
The budget also cuts funding for the
Roswell Park Cancer Institute by $7.8 million
– a 10 percent cut that will be devastating to
the center’s patients.
At press time, no other specific
cuts to health care have been
announced, as the governor has
named a Medicaid Redesign Team
to find ways to cut spending in
accordance with the governor’s
budget. If the team is unable to
make the cuts, the budget allows
the state’s health commissioner
to unilaterally cut spending.
Millions of New Yorkers rely on public
hospitals and nursing homes to provide them
with quality health care, and the governor’s
budget takes away that safety net.
The size of the governor’s proposed cuts
will force hospitals and nursing homes
to close, reducing health care access and
devastating local economies that rely on
these facilities for jobs.
Under the governor’s budget, New Yorkers
will have to travel farther and wait longer for
health care. This isn’t sharing the pain – this
is causing more.
— Janice Gavin
SUNY hospital workers concerned about budget
impact on health care, staffing
Editor’s note: SUNY medical centers in
Stony Brook, Brooklyn and Syracuse face a
combined loss of more than $150 million in
the proposed state budget. This article focuses
on the impact at SUNY Upstate Medical
University in Syracuse.
SYRACUSE — Workers
at SUNY Upstate Medical
University are deeply
concerned about the
proposed state budget, which
calls for the elimination of
their hospital’s state subsidy,
Yeldon
combined with cuts to their
Medicaid reimbursements,
which could amount to a $50 million dollar
loss.
While hospital management is downplaying
the proposed cuts, telling workers that they
could make administrative changes to absorb
the cuts and that no jobs or programs are
at risk, union members are afraid a cut of
that size will leave the teaching hospital, the
area’s largest employer, with no choice but
to cut jobs or services.
Cuts jeopardize care
“I think it could mean a decrease in beds
that they’re able to fill,” said SUNY Upstate
Local President Kathy Yeldon.
“We have a huge impact in this
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The Work Force
community, both with our jobs, and the
amount of medical services we provide,”
Yeldon said. “We’re the No. 1 trauma center
in the region, we have a specialized stroke
care center, we have the only burn center
around and we’re the largest teaching
hospital in Central New York. A cut like the
one proposed could have a huge impact on
services here.”
Janet Jackson, a secretary in the hospital’s
Department of Laboratory Animal Resources,
doubts there is any way the hospital could
absorb a $50 million loss without an impact
to the community.
“Realistically speaking, it’s going to be
devastating,” Jackson said. “The reality is
that they’re going to have to raise tuition
and cut people. They might try to eliminate
programs, and there’s the possibility that
they won’t be teaching all the medical
specialties they currently do.”
Shadow work force
Yeldon said if full-time workers’ jobs are
cut, the hospital might replace them with a
shadow work force of temporary workers, a
problem CSEA has been dealing with at the
hospital for quite some time.
“If they lay off more of our workers, they’ll
end up replacing them with more temporary
workers, at a higher cost to taxpayers and
providing less full-time employment in
Property tax cap threatens quality
of schools, communities
C
“Tax caps
undermine
local autonomy
by imposing
limits set by
politicians in
Albany, regardless
of community
priorities.”
SEA members
working for Long
Island school
districts are taxpayers
who live and work in their
respective communities
and share the same
property tax burden as
every other middle-class
homeowner.
After witnessing years
of steady property tax
increases, it is no surprise
that many Long Island
residents favor a proposed
2 percent annual cap. Yet
those same people oppose
Tax cap could gut more
city services
Upstate Medical University worker
Tracy Devoise cares for a young patient.
Health care services at public hospitals
and nursing homes in New York are
jeopardized by the proposed state budget.
our community,” she said. “That’s bad for
everyone involved.”
Members urged to act
Yeldon said CSEA members should contact
state Sen. John DeFrancisco’s office and urge
the senator to restore the subsidy to the
state’s teaching hospitals.
“This is a severe cut proposed that
could have a hugely negative impact on
our community and the health care and
education we provide,” Yeldon said. “We
need to get this money restored.”
— Mark M. Kotzin
March 2011
NEWBURGH — A 2 percent
tax cap could pose
significant challenges for
municipalities such as the
City of Newburgh, where
property taxes recently
experienced a 71 percent
spike due in large part
to the city’s declining
business base.
The 2010 and 2011
budgets included
numerous layoffs among
the CSEA-represented
work force, including the
elimination of the few
remaining laborers in the
city Department of Public
Works. The implementation
of a tax cap could force
even more cuts in city
services because it would
bring added constraints
to an already challenging
budget process.
“With a city like
Newburgh, a tax cap
would mean homeowners
March 2011
would likely lose services
while failing to receive
the promised tax relief,”
said Southern Region
President Billy Riccaldo.
“The residents of
Newburgh have suffered
because of years of
financial mismanagement
in the city and the loss of
manufacturing jobs that
employed many local
residents. The reality is
that a tax cap will not
help homeowners who are
struggling because of the
recent tax increases.”
The services CSEA
members perform in
Newburgh are a key
component in the city’s
future revitalization,
Riccaldo said, because
they contribute to overall
quality of life.
— Jessica Ladlee
cuts in education funding
and prefer to protect
local schools from the
devastating impact of Gov.
Andrew Cuomo’s proposed
tax cap.
Tax cap not the solution
The nine Long Island
state senators who support
the property tax cap do
not seem to understand
that working people want
a better solution to this
problem that will maintain
the sound education
programs that sustain
property values.
As the tax cap debate
escalates, one question
come to mind: How is Long
Island going to attract new
jobs and businesses and
ensure a bright future for
its young people if a tax
cap plan severely hampers
the ability of school
districts to create the
trained work force needed
to support a revitalized
regional economy?
“Tax caps are troubling
on many levels,” said
Nassau Educational
Local President Monica
Berkowitz. “To begin
with, they provide only
the illusion of relief. Even
more problematic is that
tax caps undermine local
autonomy by imposing
arbitrary spending limits
set by politicians in
Albany, regardless of
community priorities.”
Difficult balancing act
School boards
throughout the state
have been responsive to
community concerns and
acted as careful stewards
of public money. The facts
support this assertion.
Last year, school boards
increased spending by an
average of just 1.1 percent
and tax levies rose just 2.9
percent despite deep cuts
in state aid.
“Too much of what
happens is beyond the
control of local school
boards,” said Suffolk
Educational Local
President Maria Navarro.
“The costs for health
insurance, electricity and
fuel for school buses rise
and fall without regard to
whether Albany has set an
artificial ceiling on what
schools can spend.”
A number of ideas
have been suggested and
many people are still
trying to find a solution
that works for taxpayers
and schools. The debate
should continue because
it is a difficult balancing
act. CSEA wants to work
with anyone who has a
plausible plan but it must
be one that maintains
excellent public schools
and protects education
from the harm an
irresponsible tax cap
would cause.
— Rich Impagliazzo
Top 10 reasons to oppose property tax caps
1. Tax caps WILL NOT lower anyone’s taxes.
These are “caps” not cuts.
2. Tax caps WILL NOT ensure that residents’
individual tax bills won’t go up more than a
small amount each year.
3. Tax caps WILL NOT help anyone who
can’t afford their current property taxes.
4. Tax caps WILL make the local revenue
system more regressive.
5. Tax caps WILL NOT change the main
drivers behind higher property taxes.
6. Tax caps WILL NOT change the demand
or need for local services.
7. Tax caps WILL impair public safety.
8. Tax caps WILL impair the quality of K-12
public education.
9. Tax caps WILL lead to deteriorating
streets and roads.
10. TAX CAPS WILL NOT SOLVE THE
PROBLEM OF HIGH PROPERTY TAXES
THEY WILL COMPROMISE THE QUALITY
OF LIFE IN NEW YORK.
The Work Force
7
“I
CSEA members fight back against attacks
am very proud of what we do, keeping the roads
clear and safe for the traveling public. My family,
friends and co-workers have to travel the roads that
we maintain, and we feel the responsibility to do a
great job and take a lot of pride in our work. You
can’t cut back on what we do. With the busy lives
we all lead, and people always on the go, it’s really
important that we’re out there and continue to be
there for the traveling public.”
Pride in work, concern over cuts
“I
’m really bothered by the misinformation out there
about the work we do and the money we make.
At my facility, we take care of people who are unable
to take care of themselves. For many consumers,
we’re the closest thing to family. We take them out in
the community to programs and jobs that give them a
purpose. Back in the era of Willowbrook, you had people
wandering the streets. Now, they are in community
homes, treated like family. Everybody seems to think
we make these big salaries, but we don’t. Overtime only
happens when we’re short on staff.”
“N
ow more than ever, it’s
important for every one
of us to become involved in the
fight. CSEA is only as strong as its
members. The governor’s proposed
budget will impact each and every
one of us. We must be participants;
we cannot be spectators.”
— Justin Lelonek, Department of Social
Services, Erie County Unit
and Next Wave member
— Gerard Kent, therapy aide, Taconic DDSO
“T
his budget will destroy so much of the state. As a parent, I am angry. My
kids are in school. They have already lost so much in their school – the
buses, the aides. I also worry about what will happen to the people I care for at
work. You can’t just put them out on the streets.”
— Maria Johnson, Buffalo Psychiatric Center Local
Help counter media misinformation
T
here’s a lot of misinformation in the public mind
today — much of it perpetuated by the media.
CSEA needs your help to get out the facts about who
you are and what you do.
“D
eer Park School District custodians
disinfected Abraham Lincoln Pre-School
from top to bottom after a child was sent home
with symptoms of typhoid. These first responders
worked through a recent weekend to clean
desks, floors, walls, bathrooms and everything
else in sight to prevent the spread of typhoid
and keep the community’s young children safe
and healthy. A similar district-wide effort last
year stopped a widespread outbreak of H1N1
influenza.”
— Steve Borkofsky, Custodian, Deer Park School District
W
rite a letter to the editor of your local newspaper
challenging biased or misleading stories about
the work you do, your salary and benefits. Be proud
of who you are and write about your commitment to
making your community a better place.
“I
t makes
me angry to see all the attacks on us. For
years, no one wanted our jobs. I supervise clients
with mental illness and chemical addictions to
make sure they are not relapsing and starting
to use again. It’s a job no one wanted, yet now
jobs like mine are under attack. We have worked
hard to negotiate contracts with fair wages and
benefits, but we just aren’t pulling in the huge
salaries and gold-plated benefits we’re hearing
hare accurate information with your family,
about in the media.”
friends, neighbors and especially your co-workers.
— Mary Casale, residential program assistant II, Hudson River
Psychiatric Center
* CSEA’s website at www.csealocal1000.org has
many resources to give you talking points about
issues and point you towards other resources to
Don’t forget to fight back
give you the facts.
* Letters to the editor should be short, to the point
and timely.
C
hallenge misinformation and ignorant opinion on
news blogs online.
S
* State the facts directly, simply and accurately.
* Don’t get into an argument – people are entitled
to their opinions even if they’re wrong.
“M
ost of the cuts are in direct care
positions. We take care of kids, some
who don’t get routine medical care, so the
school nurse plays a major role. We are
forced to do more withless. We will see a
reduction in staff and the medical supplies
we use. All while the highest earners in the
state are not impacted.”
— Betty Eagan, nurse, Saratoga Springs
School District
A good example of how
to respond ...
“The majority of the jobs performed by state employees
now collecting their pension were positions that most
‘white collar’ workers would shun. They are the guys
who carry away your smelly garbage in the middle of
July. They are the guys who spend all night plowing
snow. They are the guys who brave the bitter cold
repairing a water main break so that you can take your
hot shower before you climb into your nice warm bed.”
— LoHud.com blog from “Proud Wife” of a retired
Village of Irvington employee, responding to an article
proposing scrapping the state pension system.
on Facebook and Twitter!
* Many items on CSEA’s website can be shared
through Facebook and Twitter accounts.
8
— Kevin Thompson, bridge maintenance assistant,
Jefferson Residency,
Bridge Department, state Department of
Transportation. Thompson was just coming off of
his sixth day in a row of 12-hour shifts plowing
snow in Watertown, one of the snowiest cities in
New York.
Since 1910
The Work Force
March 2011
March 2011
The Work Force
9
Busting the myths about
public service
Fight continues to keep good jobs
“The jobs are
the same as
before, just
with lower
wages and less
job security.”
HIGHMOUNT — Hit by
multiple rounds of state
budget cuts, workers at
Belleayre Mountain are
fighting back.
CSEA recently filed an
improper practice with the
state Public Employment
Relations Board on behalf
of several dozen members
working at Belleayre after
the state laid the workers
off from their permanent
job titles Dec. 31, 2010,
and rehired the majority
of them the next day as
seasonal employees.
It could be a sign of
things to come at other
facilities if the governor’s
proposed state budget
goes through.
The Belleayre workers,
members of the Mid
Hudson State Employees
Local, are performing the
same job duties now as
Support PEOPLE now
more than ever
G
loria Smith of the SUNY
Upstate Local in the
Central Region is the
PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month
for January. She recruited 28 new
PEOPLE members.
“Especially at this time, when
we are under attack as public
Smith
workers, and they want to try
and take away our jobs, our benefits and our
pensions, it’s really important to make sure we
have programs like PEOPLE to fight back on
behalf of our members,” Smith said
CSEA’s PEOPLE program protects and improves
our jobs, benefits and pensions in Washington,
Albany and in your community. Your support
and participation in PEOPLE strengthens CSEA’s
clout in the workplace, in the legislature, in your
community and in the labor movement.
10 The Work Force
they did when they held
permanent titles, a Taylor
Law violation. CSEA is
seeking the restoration of
the permanent titles.
“The jobs are the
same as before, just with
lower wages and less job
security,” said Southern
Region President Billy
Riccaldo.
Same work, less pay
Not only do the seasonal
titles come with a lower
hourly wage, workers at
Belleayre have received
word that they’ll be
required to take breaks in
state service to keep their
seasonal jobs, meaning
they could take an even
bigger pay cut than
expected. This comes just
three years after CSEA
successfully fought to have
state workers holding yearround, seasonal positions
awarded permanent job
titles, a move that included
Belleayre workers.
Though ski season is the
main draw at Belleayre,
the facility is popular
year round with tourists
and residents who flock
to events such as the
summertime Belleayre
Music Festival. The rest of
the year, workers are doing
equipment maintenance
and other work on ski trails
that is needed each year
after the snow melts.
Good, middle-class jobs
Due to the geographic
isolation and a decline in
Catskills tourism, Belleayre
and a handful of other
public-sector work sites
are the area’s main source
of middle-class jobs.
I
CSEA activists Pat McVitty, left, and Jeff Tubbs are part
of a group of CSEA members fighting to restore several
dozen permanent job titles at the state-run ski area.
That’s why CSEA
members are fighting,
said Jeff Tubbs, a general
mechanic at Belleayre for
the last 16 years. “In this
area, there is nothing else,”
he said.
With few other job
prospects in sight, CSEA
activist Pat McVitty said
her co-workers are already
feeling the impact of the
cuts. “We’ve heard some
really tough stories about
people having to get rid of
their cars or people dealing
with foreclosure,” she said.
Cuts hurt communities
The small Ulster
and Delaware County
communities that border
the ski area are expected
to feel the economic
brunt of the cuts. The
communities’ inns,
restaurants and stores
depend on a steady
stream of tourists visiting
Belleayre as well as
business from the workers
themselves.
“We’ve figured that the
average worker is taking a
$10,000 pay cut,” said CSEA
member Donald Bush, a
24-year general mechanic
at Belleayre. “Multiply that
by the 43 workers who
have been hurt by these
cuts and think of how
much money is now gone
out of the local economy.”
— Jessica Ladlee
March 2011
“We must create
a new framework
and present a
positive portrait
of public workers
like school
bus drivers,
social service
caseworkers
and health care
providers as part
of the overall
solution to the
problems at
hand.”
n case you haven’t
noticed it, you are
under attack.
Public employees,
government services,
pensions, and public
employee unions are all
being lumped together
by the conservative right
as a convenient excuse
for the nation’s financial
collapse and subsequent
recession.
For CSEA members,
the union is responding
with a series of
workshops on how to
respond to attacks on the
public sector when they
happen to you.
More than 100 CSEA
Long Island Region
officers and activists
recently learned how
to fight back against
persistent attacks on
public workers through
the new workshop.
“Busting the Myths
about Public Service”
focuses members’
attention on the attacks
on public workers by
some media outlets
and elected officials,
specifically their
campaign to increase
resentment of public
workers by falsely
depicting them as part of
a privileged class that is
not affected by current
economic conditions.
These attacks include
falsehoods such as,
“public workers earn
too much money and
enjoy excessive benefits,”
“the pensions of public
workers are bankrupting
Actions our members must take
• Every attack needs a response.
• Our members need to flood news blogs with statements in support of
government, co-workers and those who need government support.
• Dissect each attack and provide every member with an answer.
• Inventory groups in communities that may be allies and connect
to form coalitions.
• Meet the media head on in every community.
• Respond to local attacks on specific services with facts and
alternative vision.
March 2011
Western Region Labor Relations Specialist
Penny Gleason, center, leads Dave Dunaj of the
Erie Educational Local and Judy DiPaola from
the Western Region Judiciary Local through a
“courageous conversation” exercise at a recent state
budget training, just one of several trainings CSEA
will be conducting for members and activists in the
upcoming weeks.
counties and states” and
“public workers have
too much influence in
politics.”
These narratives
have created fear and
misinformation among
the general public. CSEA
Director of Field and
Member Services Steve
Alviene recommended
CSEA members not
accept the premise
of these opinions and
instead structure their
responses in a calm
and reasoned fashion
to facilitate a more
complete examination of
the issues.
“We must create a new
framework and present a
positive portrait of public
workers like school bus
drivers, social service
caseworkers and health
care providers as part
of the overall solution to
the problems at hand,”
he said. “We have to offer
an alternative vision that
meets with the values
people already have
and connects to existing
beliefs.”
— Rich Impagliazzo
The “Busting
Myths” workshop
will be held in
every region.
Check the CSEA
website at www.
csealocal1000.org
for more details
about workshop in
your area.
The Work Force
11
Worker innovation, efficiency
saves the state money
“Why should we
pay someone
$150 an
hour? We can
do the work
ourselves.”
ALBANY — Thanks to
employee innovation, the
New York State Board of
Law Examiners is a lean,
green, efficiency machine.
The office creates and
administers the New York
State Bar Exam to more
than 15,000 would-be
lawyers statewide each
year.
Operations are so finely
tuned that states that
administer far fewer exams
have much higher staffing
levels.
“We are the most
technologically advanced
board of examiners in
the country,” said Senior
Information Technology
Analyst and Capital Region
Judiciary Local member
Richard Streichert, who
drew on a background
in consulting and
information technology
to help implement new
technologies that have
saved money and trees.
Paperless
In 2008, applications
went electronic. Where
staff previously entered
data, now it’s up to the
applicants.
Terry Nugent, a senior
court analyst, recalls her
first day on the job 29
years ago. “I typed the
same letter 19 times,” she
said.
Correspondence
including the processing
of application fees, seating
passes for the exam,
accommodations and
exam results are done
electronically.
The results: less waste
and tens of thousands
of dollars in savings on
postage and paper.
No more consultants
Eliminating consultants
has saved around $100,000
annually.
“I said ‘bye, bye,’ ” said
Streichert. “Why should
we pay someone $150 an
hour? We can do the work
ourselves.”
Based on input from
staff, Streichert helped
create computer programs
to help employees do the
work previously handled
by contractors.
Scrutinizing for waste
When Streichert
scrutinized the service
contracts for office
equipment, he identified
machines that were paperbased and no longer
needed. Same was true for
Terry Nugent, shown here on the job, now does much
of her work electronically, helping the state save
thousands of dollars in paper and postage.
12 The Work Force
Richard Streichert, shown here working on a server, is
among the court workers who have helped the state save
thouands of dollars through the use of technology.
licensing fees for software
that was obsolete. In some
cases, programs were
written to reduce reliance
on software and related
fees.
Streamlining equipment
needs and jettisoning
bloated vendor and
service contracts saved
a lot of money. “We
took a look at what we
do and what was really
needed,” Streichert said.
“If it doesn’t help us or we
didn’t use it, it went away.”
All hands on deck
Because the office is
small, everyone pitches
in. On exam days, “it’s
all hands on deck,” said
Streichert.
One person stays
behind to staff the office
and everyone else is in the
field. “It’s a team effort,”
said Nugent.
The New York State
Board of Law Examiners
generates millions in fees
each year, all directed to
the state’s general fund.
— Therese Assalian
Eliminating costly consultants and better utilizing
the talent and ideas of existing employees could
help government run more efficiently.
March 2011
Assault raises concerns over mental
state mental
health safety, staffing levels Proposed
hygiene budget
BROOKLYN — After
witnessing the
brutal beating of a
co-worker, Christian
Iona felt like she
was walking on
eggshells.
“I could just be
walking around and
someone can hit
me,” said Iona, a
mental health therapy aide at
Kingsboro Psychiatric Center.
“I don’t think people should
have to come to work and live
in fear. We’re just here to do
our jobs.”
On the morning of Jan. 31,
Iona helped a nurse who was
being viciously attacked by
a patient with a history of
aggressive behavior. At the
time, the ward had about 30
patients and was staffed by two
nurses (including the one who
was assaulted) and four aides.
Short staffing in psychiatric
wards is a
perennial problem
at state Office of
Mental Health
facilities statewide
and is often cited
as a reason for
workplace injuries
and violence
among staff and
patients. Funding
cuts proposed in the state
budget could increase risks to
patients and staff.
The state Public Employee
Safety and Health Bureau had
already cited Bronx Psychiatric
Center for failing to have a
workplace safety plan following
several incidents where
workers were injured. The state
also laid off about 28 direct
care staff at that center last
year.
Kingsboro Psychiatric Center
staff can relate.
“We don’t have enough staff,”
said Iona. “(Management)
may feel that we do, but they
don’t allow for the possibility
that something like this may
happen.”
The patient who attacked
the nurse had threatened Iona
a week earlier. The nurse was
about to administer medication
when the patient exploded,
struck her in the head and
knocked her unconscious to
the floor.
It took about nine workers to
pull the patient off the nurse.
She suffered a concussion, two
black eyes and cuts and bruises
on her face and body.
Last August, following
a string of attacks, CSEA
Kingsboro Psychiatric Center
Local officers sent a letter to
management to address safety
concerns, but as yet, no safety
program has been created.
— David Galarza
• Proposes reducing spending in
mental hygiene system by $227
million
• Defers the planned 1.2 percent
annual human services COLA for
one year
• Eliminates the 12-month
closure notification law for state
Office of Mental Health facilities
• Gives the OMH commissioner
sole discretion to reduce or
alter services of the agency’s
hospitals, facilities, and
programs and to implement
significant service reductions
• The mental health
reinvestment policy will not
apply, which means the money
saved as a result of a closure
or downsizing will NOT be
reinvested in community
services. It will go into the state
general fund for use elsewhere.
Summary of January 2011 CSEA Board of Directors meeting
Editor’s Note:
The Work Force
publishes a
summary of actions
taken by CSEA’s
Board of Directors.
The summary is
prepared by CSEA
Statewide Secretary
Denise Berkley for
union members.
Berkley
ALBANY – CSEA’s
statewide Board of Directors met on
Jan. 20.
President Danny Donohue
administered oath of office to
new board members Dave Duell
March 2011
(Warren County) and John Staino
(Westchester County).
In other business, the board:
• Approved miscellaneous
allowances for upcoming CSEA
events;
• Adjusted terms of an existing
loan for Local 860 office space;
• Confirmed Mark Dotterwich
as chair of the Local Government
Executive Committee, Tom Moylan
as chair of the State Executive
Committee and Lori Nilsson as
vice chair of the State Executive
Committee;
• Appointed Ron Briggs to the
Publications Committee;
• Approved monetary transfer
from the Insurance Fund to the
General Fund to settle the variance
between actual and budgeted
expenses for the four years ending
Sept. 30, 2009;
• Created Local 770 (Sodexo
Campus Food Services) at SUNY
Institute of Technology, Utica;
• Appointed Jack Rohl, Kim
Garrett, Patricia Lewis, John Ellis
and Jeff Zabielski to the Capital
Region Political Action Committee;
• Appointed Michael Blazey,
Mel Thomas, Sheri Ambuske and
Thomas Jaccarino to the Western
Region Political Action Committee;
and
• Placed into administratorship
Lakeview Shock Incarceration
Correctional Facility, Local
189; Department of Economic
Development, Local 654; Zoological
Society of Buffalo, Inc., Local 710;
Sodexo-Dunkirk School, Local 767;
Nassau Coliseum, Local 737; and
Village of Medina Police (Unit 795701), Local 837.
Questions concerning the summary
should be directed to Statewide
Secretary Denise Berkley, CSEA
Headquarters, 143 Washington Ave.,
Albany, NY 12210 (800) 342-4146 or
(518) 257-1253.
The Work Force
13
New York state’s corporate welfare problem
B
illions of dollars, in the
form of special tax breaks,
credits and exemptions
and other provisions are
being funneled to millionaires,
individual corporations or
to a class of businesses or
business owners
in the name
of economic
development.
More to the
point, New
York taxpayers
are not getting
their money’s
worth from
this corporate
welfare.
A recent
report from the Fiscal Policy
Institute (FPI) titled, “The
Growing Budget Burden of
New York’s Tax Expenditures,”
shows this type of “back door”
spending is what’s called an
“off budget” form of spending;
costing us billions of dollars
each year while remaining off
the radar during state budget
and county budget planning.
FPI reports that all together,
New York state and its local
governments and local
industrial development agencies
provide about
$8.2 billion
annually
in various
“business tax
expenditures.”
Take note: this
cost is close
to equaling the
amount of the
projected state
budget deficit for
2011.
They also found millions
of dollars in credits are given
with “no guarantee that
the jobs promised actually
materialize” and no real return
on investment is seen to
benefit our communities. “So
little accountability is there
Procedure protects rights
AFSCME’s constitution includes a
rebate procedure to protect the rights
of members who disagree with how the
union spends money for partisan political
or ideological purposes.
Article IX, Section 14 of the
International Constitution, which
establishes the procedure for dues
rebates for members who object to
AFSCME’s partisan political or ideological
expenditures, was amended at AFSCME’s
33rd International Convention.
The amended language requires those
persons who object to the expenditure of
dues for political or ideological purposes
submit their objection in writing to both
the International Union and CSEA Local
1000 by certified mail between April 1 and
April 16 (dates inclusive) each year for the
prior year ending Dec. 31.
The timing of the steps in the
procedure is tied to the International’s
fiscal year. The procedure, including
the requirements for submitting a
14 The Work Force
proper rebate request, is spelled out in
Article IX, Section 14 of the International
Constitution. THESE REQUIREMENTS WILL
BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
Here’s how it works. Members who
object to the expenditure of a portion
of their dues for partisan political or
ideological purposes and want to request
a rebate must do so individually in
writing between April 1 and April 16,
2011. That request must be timely filed
by registered or certified mail with:
the International Secretary-Treasurer
and the CSEA Statewide Treasurer. The
requests must contain the following
information: name, CSEA ID number,
home address and the AFSCME local
to which dues were paid during the
preceding year. This information must be
typed or legibly printed. The individual
request must be signed by the member
and sent by the individual member to:
International Secretary-Treasurer at
AFSCME Headquarters, 1625 L St., N.W.,
that there is not even a public
report about whether promised
performance targets are met,”
the report states.
Find the full report on
the CSEA website at www.
csealocal1000.org.
The Fiscal Policy Institute
(FPI) is an independent, non-
partisan, non-profit research
and education organization
funded in part by CSEA,
committed to improving public
policies and private practices to
better the economic and social
conditions of all New Yorkers.
— Jill Asencio
Show us the money
• We lose approximately $5 billion each year of
state revenue to corporate welfare.
• There is no regular evaluation of what taxpayers
get in return for these massive tax breaks.
• Many businesses also receive cash grants from
economic development agencies and enjoy tax code
skewed in their favor.
• Experts say tax expenditures are designed to
“favor a particular industry, activity or class or
persons.”
Washington, D.C. 20036-5687; and CSEA
Statewide Treasurer, Empire State Plaza
Station, P. O. Box 2611, Albany, N.Y.
12220-0611. Requests for more than one
person may not be sent in the same
envelope. Each request must be sent
individually. Requests must be renewed in
writing every year the member wishes a
rebate.
Upon receipt by the International of
a valid rebate request, an application for
partisan political or ideological rebate
will be sent to the objecting member.
The objecting member will be required
to complete and return the application
in a timely manner. In accordance with
the constitutional amendment adopted
at the 1998 International Convention,
the application will require the objecting
member to identify those partisan or
political or ideological activities to which
objection is being made, and no rebate
will be made to any member who fails to
complete that portion of the application.
In determining the amount of the rebate to
be paid to any member, the International
Union and each subordinate body shall
have the option of limiting the rebate
to the member’s pro-rata share of the
expenses for those activities specifically
identified in the application.
Upon receipt by CSEA of the valid,
certified request, the constitutional
maximum of 3 percent rebate will be
processed. No phone calls or e-mail
correspondence will be accepted.
Any member who is dissatisfied with
the amount of the rebate paid by the
International Union may object by filing a
written appeal with the AFSCME Judicial
Panel within 15 days after the rebate check
has been received. Appeals should be
sent to the Judicial Panel Chairperson at
the AFSCME International Headquarters
at the address listed above. The Judicial
Panel will conduct a hearing and issue a
written decision on such appeals, subject
to an appeal to the full Judicial Panel.
If dissatisfied with the Judicial Panel’s
ruling, a member can appeal to the next
International Convention.
March 2011
Access NYSHIP Online
C
SEA-represented employees
enrolled under the New
York State Health Insurance
Program (NYSHIP) can access
NYSHIP Online for health
benefits information.
NYSHIP online can be
accessed on the Employee
Benefits Division home page of
the New York State Department
of Civil Service website at
https://www.cs.state.ny.us.
Click on Benefit Programs and
follow the prompts to NYSHIP
Online.
NYSHIP Online is a complete
resource for your health
insurance benefits, including
up-to-date publications, option
transfer and a plan comparison
tool with summaries for the
Empire Plan and NYSHIP HMOs.
You’ll also find links to select
Empire Plan carrier websites,
which include the most current
list of providers. You can
search by location, specialty
or name. Announcements, an
event calendar, prescription
drug information and handy
contact information are only a
click or two away.
On your first visit, you will be
asked what group and benefit
plan you have. Thereafter, you
will not be prompted to enter
this information if you have
your cookies enabled. Cookies
are simple text files stored
on your web browser that
provide a way to identify and
distinguish the users of this
site.
If enabled, cookies will
customize your visit to the site
and group-specific pages will
then display each time you visit
unless you select “Change Your
Group” on a toolbar near the
top of the left of the page.
May 15 is deadline for submitting
proposed resolutions, changes to
CSEA’s Constitution & Bylaws
P
roposed resolutions and proposed amendments to the
CSEA Constitution & By-Laws for consideration by CSEA
delegates to the union’s 2011 Annual Delegates Meeting must be
submitted by May 15, 2011.
Proposed resolutions may be submitted only by a delegate
and must be submitted on the proper forms. Forms for
submitting resolutions are available from CSEA headquarters
and region offices.
Proposed resolutions and proposed amendments to the
Constitution and Bylaws must be submitted no later than May
15 to Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley, CSEA Headquarters,
143 Washington Ave., Albany, N.Y. 12210-2303.
The 2011 CSEA Annual Delegates Meeting will be held Oct. 3-7
in New York City.
March 2011
Deadline for 2010 Empire
Plan claims is April 30
E
mpire Plan enrollees
have until April 30,
2011 (120 days after
the end of the calendar
year) to submit medical
expenses incurred during the 2010 plan year to:
United HealthCare Service Corp.
P.O. Box 1600
Kingston, N.Y. 12402-1600
For the Empire Plan Basic Medical Program, the Home Care
Advocacy Program (HCAP) and for non-network physical therapy
or chiropractic services.
Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield
NYS Service Center (Code YLS)
P.O. Box 1407 – Church Street Station
New York, N.Y. 10008-1407
For Empire Plan and non-network Inpatient or Outpatient hospital
services.
OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions
P.O. Box 5190
Kingston, N.Y. 12402-5190
For non-network mental health and substance abuse services.
Medco Health Solutions
P.O. Box 14711
Lexington, KY 40512
For prescriptions filled at non-participating pharmacies or
at participating pharmacies without using your New York
Government Employee Benefit Card.
Enrollees can call the Empire Plan at 1-877-7NYSHIP
(1-877-769-7447) with questions or to get claim forms. As a
reminder, when using the Empire Plan’s toll-free telephone
number, please pay extra attention to the choices offered by the
automated system.
Network providers/pharmacies will submit claims directly to
the appropriate insurance carrier on your behalf when provided
with all necessary information. If you have a non-network claim
submission, make sure you complete the requested subscriber
information on the claim form, include the original billing or
receipt (if requested) and don’t forget to sign the claim form.
The Work Force
15
On the line every day.
We’re family, friends and neighbors
doing the work that matters.
smart | DYNamIC | CarING | DEDICatED
People working together to make
a better New York for all.
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