New York State Teachers' Retirement System
10 Corporate Woods Drive
Albany, New York 12211-2395
2007-2010
Local 658 of Region IV of the Civil Service Employees Association,Inc., Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO representing employees of the New York State Teachers' Retirement System
Committees
Public Relations/Communication
Subcommittee Compressed Workweek
CSEA Local 658 Officers - Left to right: Debbie Gallacchi - Treasurer; Donna Keefer - President;
Linda Swietlicki - Vice-President; Susan Rifenberg - Secretary
Get the the latest information on member benefits
CSEA Local 1000 partnering with AFSCME to offer members discount prices for quality products and services.
Go Pink Day Event for Breast Cancer Awareness Month which is the Month of October.
Go Pink Day held on Friday October 23rd sponsored by the Women’s Committee
Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. It is considered a heterogeneous disease—differing by individual, age group, and even the kinds of cells within the tumors themselves. Obviously no woman wants to receive this diagnosis, but hearing the words “breast cancer” doesn’t always mean an end. It can be the beginning of learning how to fight, getting the facts, and finding hope.
Women in the United States get breast cancer more than any other type of cancer except for skin cancer. It is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in women.
Each year it is estimated that nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die. Approximately 1,700 men will also be diagnosed with breast cancer and 450 will die each year. The evaluation of men with breast masses is similar to that in women, including mammography.
So wear your Pink this Friday for Breast Cancer Awareness.
Sept. 17, 2009
CSEA Members Rally by the Hundreds Outside Erie County Office Building
CSEA President Danny Donohue fires up CSEA members during a demonstration outside Erie County's Rath Building
Wednesday. Right of Donohue are Western Region President Flo Tripi and Erie County Local President Joan Bender.
Behind Donohue are Capital Region President Kathy Garrison and statewide Treasurer Joe McMullen and
CSEA Local 658 Treasurer Debbie Gallacchi upper right.
Hundreds of CSEA members attending CSEA's 99th Annual Delegates Meeting joined with members of the CSEA Erie County Unit to rally in front of the county's Rath Building in downtown Buffalo. Members sent a clear message to County Executive Chris Collins that government should be for people, not profit. The county executive systematically has been dismantling county services. The Erie County Unit has been working without a contract for about three years.
Spread the Truth about the Employee Freedom of Choice Act
The Employee Freedom of Choice Act is federal legislation that would give workers more freedom to join unions. It would limit an employer's ability to intimidate workers before and during union representation elections. In fact, workers wouldn't have to face a so-called secret ballot election.
is a new initiative of CSEA in 2009. "Through a series of Town Hall meetings that will be held through the state, and in our Capital District Region 4, the union hopes to engage in a discussion with every single union member about our purpose, our direction, our priorities, the relevance of the union in members' lives, our growth, our politics, what we do well, what we do poorly, what we should not do all and what services we should provide."
ALERT Ergonomic Product Guide is Here - The NYS & CSEA Statewide Safety and Health Committee is pleased to announce the release of the Ergonomic Product Guide. This guide will help New York State employees, agency managers, and CSEA leaders learn the ergonomic basics, addressing risk factors and products available that can help reduce the chances of developing work-related injuries.
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CSEA Region IV Capital
Region (September - November 2009) |
Scholarships
CSEA 2009 Daniel X Campbell Memorial Scholarship - applications must be submitted by May 1, 2009.
CSEA 2009 Scholarship Program - Application deadline April 17, 2009 for Irving Flaumenbaum Award, Pearl Carrol & MetLife Insurance Company. One application includes all three scholarships. Winners will be notified in June and announced in The Work Force publication.
AFSCME 2009 Family Scholarship Program - Scholarship applications must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2008. The scholarship winners will be announced by March 31, 2009
Jerry Clark Memorial Scholarship 2009 for children of AFSCME/CSEA members - Completed applications for the 2009 scholarship must be postmarked No Later Than April 30, 2009. The winner will be announced by August 1, 2009.
Examination Preparation
CSEA Examination Preparation Booklet Series to help members prepare for New York State and Local Government Civil Service examinations.
Education
Labor Education Workshop Steward Workshop
Wednesday October 28, 2009 and Thursday October 29, 2009
NYS & CSEA Partnership 2009 Skills For Success Courses - Region 4
For Education and Training
New York State Public Employer Workplace Violence Prevention Law - The New York State Department of Labor published the draft New York State Public Employer Workplace Violence Prevention Code Rule in March 2007. Since then, many public employers have begun to develop and implement workplace violence prevention programs.
The Union Difference - "Union Advantage by the Numbers"," Trends in Union Membership", and "Workers' Incomes Are Lower in States Where Workers Don't have Union Rights".
LEGISLATION & POLITICAL ACTION
Call LIFEWORKS @ 800-362-9874 for help with any life transition or go to their web site www.lifeworks.com
User ID: nys
Password: 2670
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Thomas' presidency sets standard for service, achievement Editor's Note: CSEA will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2010. Throughout this year, The Work Force Is devoting the Leading Edge to a look back at some of the key individuals who have helped shape our extraordinary history. This month we consider the founding of the association and the legacy of our first president, William Thomas.
William Thomas was CSEA's founding president, serving from 1910 to 1918. At the time, the organization was called the Association of State Civil Service Employees. On October 24, 1910, a small group of New York state employees came together at the state Capitol to form the Association of State Civil Service Employees. Their purpose was simple: Advance the concept of merit and fitness in the state civil service system to improve the working lives of New York state employees. It was a good time to take up the challenge but at the some time, a nearly overwhelming task. The association was founded at the height of the Progressive era, when optimism about transforming the corrupt political patronage mills into a rational social-science based system had vigorous momentum. In 1910, New York's trust-busting governor, Charles Evans Hughes, had recently stepped down to become a member of the U.S. Supreme Court, while New York's Theodore Roosevelt dominated the political scene as he contemplated another run for president. |
New York's civil service system had actually been drafted by then Assemblyman Theodore Roosevelt and signed into law by Governor Grover Cleveland in the early 1880s. It was hailed as a benchmark accomplishment for advancing good government and helped Cleveland reach the White House. It was intended to create a rational approach to filling government jobs in on orderly and economical way through competitive examinations with qualified employees rather than party favorites filling jobs through the political spoils system. Need for change In spite of vigorous momentum for reform of many institutions, by 1910 New York's civil service system was once again rife with pockets of corruption and favoritism. There we good reason for well-intentioned state employees to band together for change. There had been civil service reform organizations and other good government around for decades by the time the association was founded. There had also been labor unions and other benevolent associations of every stripe, including organizations that represented municipal workers such as fire and police. But the Association of State Civil Service Employees appears to have been the first organization of its kind representing the interests of state employees. Our founding leader The association's first president, William Thomas, was a hearing stenographer for the state attorney general. He had first token a civil service exam on January 1, 1882, and began work for the state attorney general in 1901. State records show that his annual salary in 1917 was $3,000.
Thomas set the standard for dedicated service and driven focus as president of the association until 1918 when he was appointed a member of the New York State Pension Commission. In that role, Thomas was instrumental in the establishment of the state retirement system in 1920, giving the association a significant early achievement that endures to this day. Thomas retired from state service in 1922 but continued to serve as a commissioner of the pension system, regularly working out of the Association's cramped office on the first floor of the state Capitol in Albany. Thomas passed away on June 14, 1932. THE WORK FORCE -------July-August 2009 |
