CSEA Unit 7400 Members: We Cannot Remain Silent

CSEA Region Director speaking at the Unit 7400
Membership Meeting on 5/12/11

On Thursday night, CSEA Unit 7400 members attended the bi-monthly General Membership meeting to get information on the current situation with contract negotiations. However, they not only got an update, they received info from a presentation describing the current issues facing the labor movement and the affect nationwide and statewide issues can and are having can be seen here in Monroe County as well.

Region President Tripi and President
 Zaffuto discuss the mobilization.

CSEA Region 6 Director, Roger Sherrie, gave a presentation about the current situation facing public unions across the country. The focus is how Corporate America took advantage of discouraged voters and by pouring millions of dollars into campaigns, elected anti-union governors and state Legislators in more than half of the states across the nation. Their agenda is not only to weaken public union worker influence, but to downgrade the working class and increase corporate incentives from government resources and strengthen the status-quo. The key to end public unions is to end the ability for collective bargaining and they are doing this in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire and Maine. In New York, the attack is on the Triborough Amendment, which is the law that allows public employees to retain their benefits after a contract expires and continue under the rules of that contract until a new one is negotiated and ratified. Legislation that would end Triborough has been introduced and we need to do all we can to make sure this does not happen. Members need to confront every attack on public employees and have “courageous conversations with their relatives friends and neighbors to educate them on the truth behind these corporate attacks.

CSEA LRS Robert Leonard gave an update of contract negotiations. We are in the Fact-finding process and working on a presentation of our proposals and statistical support to illustrate to the state appointed Fact-finder that the County has always had the economic ability to comply with our conservative proposal, but just lack the political will to do the right thing and creating a fair contract that benefits the workforce and does not burden the public.  

Mobilization Specialist Michael Ottaviano calls
for more member participation.

CSEA Unit 7400 President Cris Zaffuto said, “I’ve told the legislators and the administration that it is time to stop playing politics, but it is also time for the entire membership to reach out to their legislators and the county executive to make their point known that they are not at all happy with the status quo, that a fair contract is needed now…no more games about it, we have to take action, we can’t afford to remain silent anymore”.

All members are urged to attend the June 14^th legislative meeting. Members should introduce themselves to their legislator prior to the beginning of the meeting. Members who wish to speak with regard to the work they do and how it affects the community should call before the meeting to sign-up at 585-753-1950. The County needs to know the “politics” need to end. The time for a fair contract is now.

Important date to remember:

Tuesday, June 14th, 5:45 - Monroe County Legislative Meeting, Monroe County Office Building

Print of a copy of the "BLAST" for your co-workers: CLICK HERE

Photos by Robert L. Leonard, LRS