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Slideshow

 
 

 

99th Annual Delegates Meeting


CSEA Local 436 attended the annual delegates meeting held in Buffalo, NY from 9/13/09 through 9/18/09.  We attended several meetings on topics such as H!/N!.  We also attended a joint meeting with both OMH and OMRDD.  This is a group of representatives all local presidents who work diligently to insure that all our needs are met throughout the year.  At this meeting there were many things discussed that affect both OMH and OMRDD.  Issues such as staff reductions, overtime, extended shifts and nurse mandating.  These are issues that will be brought to the commissioner in a meeting in December.  For the first time this group met and stayed together for a joint meeting instead of breaking into two groups.  We believe that this was done as we all know that we share so many  similar issues and that  the stronger the voice the greater for others to listen.

On Tuesday we attended a full day seminar on the next 100 years of CSEA.  The focus was how do we make our union even better for the next 100 years.  This was the first ever electronic meeting of this size.  This was a six hour session working on the vision of CSEA for the future.

On Wednesday morning we attended a seminar on the newly enacted work place violence law.  There is a DVD that will be available for all to view and ask questions.  There are several different types of workplace violence that many are not aware of.  We recommend that after you get the chance to view this DVD to ask questions and always voice your concerns.

On Wednesday we attended the opening of the 99th annual delegates meeting.  The Coast Guard presented the flag for the opening and President Danny Donohue welcomed all delegates to the convention.  All statewide officers were introduced and welcomed all to the meeting also.  The Statewide Officers gave their reports.  Special guest speaker Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown talked about the Erie County workers not having a contract yet.  That the county executive Chris Collins should be dealing fairly with the county employees because without them a lot of vital services would not get done.  That afternoon most of the delegates marched to the county office building to protest the fact that the county employees have not had a contract for some time.

On Thursday all the committees gave their reports and thanked those that are on the committees.  The delegates voted on the proposed amendments to the Statewide Constitution that was presented by the Constitution & By-Laws Committee.  The Resolutions Committee presented six (6) resolutions that the delegates voted on.  Also NYS Senator Catherine Young was a guest speaker.  She discussed the importance of the Workforce Violence Prevention Law.  The special P.E.O.P.L.E. committee gave out their awards for most recruitments.

On Friday the Membership committee award for the region with the most members was given to Western Region 6.  No new business was brought up.  Next year annual meeting will be held in Albany and will be the 100th year CSEA in New York.
 

Final Report

Hearing Every Voice CSEA Electronic
Town Hall Meeting
CSEA 99th Annual Delegates Meeting
Sept. 15, 2009
Buffalo Convention Center

More than 1,000 CSEA delegates, alternates and facilitators gathered on the second day of the union's 99th Annual Delegates Meeting in Buffalo to participate in CSEA's first Electronic Town Meeting.

During the day-long discussion, delegates discussed concrete steps that need to be taken at every level of the union to mobilize more members, increase our political power, and organize more workers.

Here is what you said in Wednesday's session.

Who Attended the Meeting?

At the beginning, participants' demographics were recorded.
 
Gender
Female
Male		 ETM
53.8%
46.2%		 CSEA
63%
37%

Age

Under 30
30-39
40-49
50-64		 1.6%
7.4%
31.7%
56.5%

How many years have you been a member of CSEA?

5 or less
6-10
11-20
20 or more		 7.1%
13.4%
25.6%
53.9%		 39%
22%
21%
19%

What is your marital status?

Married
Single
Domestic Partner		 36.7%
54.7%
8.6%		 66%
26%
8%

Who is your employer?


New York State
Local Government
School Discrict
Private Company
Other

ETM
66%
23.7%
6%
2.3%
2%

 CSEA
40%
28%
 26%
5%
1%

How do you primarily identify yourself by race or ethnicity?

African American
Asian or Pacific Islander
Hispanic or Latino
Native American
White
Other		 18%
0.4%
2.7%
1.3%
73.9%
3.1%		 8%
<1%
3%
<1%
81%
4%

Do you have a second job?

Yes
No		 30%
70%		 15%
85%

Children under 19 living at home?

Yes
No		 36%
64%		 35%
65%

Do you regularly volunteer for any community, charity, or religious organizations?

Yes
No		 61%
39%		 39%
61%

What is your party affiliation?

Democrat
Republican
Independent
Other		 56.6%
24.9%
13.7%
4.8%		 34%
19%
35%
3%

 

What must we do to be a more perfect union?

  1. Develop trust by increasing communications and doing it more effetely.
  2. Use electronic technology, to communicate better, e.g., e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, video/teleconferencing, ect.
  3. Seasoned members must get younger members involved.
  4. Albany is too isolated.
  5. Allow members to vent in a safe environment.
  6. More training - officers, new technology, etc.
  7. Be more open and transparent.
  8. Fight the fight more aggressively - with management and politicians.
  9. "...Ask not what your union can do for you, ask what you can do for your union!"

Results:
First Choice:

Increase communication to develop trust

More training, new tech: Twitter, Facebook

Get younger members involved

Albany to isolated

Allow members to vent in a safe environment

More training

Open and transparent

Fight more aggressively

What YOU can do

 20.1%

9.9%

17.1%

15.3%

2.3%

6.9%

3.4%

17.8%

7.3%

Second Choice:

Increase communication to develop trust

More training, new tech: Twitter, Facebook

Get younger members involved

Albany is too isolated

Allow members to vent in a safe environment

More training

Open and transparent

Fight more aggressively

What YOU can do

 14.15

11.5%

15.9%

11.4%

3.2%

11.6%

5%

20.5%

6.8%

Expectations:

What should union members be able to expect from you as an activist/leader in your unit or local?

  1. Be aproachable, cedible, available
  2. "Communicate throughly, clearly and honestly"
  3. Be informed, skilled and lead by example
  4. Be knowledgeable and provide accurate information

What should you expect from members?

  1. Members participate - attend meetings, ask questions, read your contract
  2. Members are open and honest with leaders
  3. Members don't shop for answers ... work with us, not againt us
  4. Members show solidarity/support for union activities and leadership
  5. Members need to respect each other

What are the implications of the feedback for your role as a local union leader?
What should you expect from members?

  1. "We need to make concerted effort to reach out in a variety of ways."
  2. "Members are angry - we have to keep communication open."
  3. "We are not doing our jobs as officers."
  4. "it's up to us to go above and beyond to get members involved"
  5. We need more face-to-face contact with members
  6. Members also need to step-up, not just officers
  7. Visit work sites and rotate membership meeting locations

Participants were asked this question at the beginning and the end of the EMT: How optimistic are you about the future of CSEA?

 

Not at all

A little bit

Somewhat

Quite a bit

Very optimistic

 Beginning

1.9%

6.6%

29.6%

37.3%

24.6%

End

0.5%

1.9%

22.8%

56%

18.9%

Info Sharing: Theme Team Responses

Advice about the paper

  1. Post it on the web.  Offer online/e-mail version of paper.
  2. Provide information on hot topics or current issues.
  3. Include fun stuff - games, prizes, comics, advice column (e.g. Dear Danny).
  4. Increase coverage of private sector.
  5. Do customized inserts, by region, by division, by unit/local.
  6. Improve the appearance, "make it eye catching."

Advice about online communication

  1. Use e-mail blast to get information out quickly and at less cost.
  2. Provide more and frequent updates that include contract and other relevant information.
  3. Simplify website log-in and navigation features and design.
  4. Provide online chat or other interactive blogs.
  5. Provide user friendly templates so locals can put up own websites.
  6. Provide basic training in computer skills.

Advice about one-on-one networks

  1. Build an effective shop steward and officer crew covering each building and shift.
  2. Map you workplace.
  3. We need more training to learn how to map our workplaces and do a one-on-one.
  4. We don't really know what a one-on-one network is all about.
  5. Negotiate release time not just for officers but for active members as well.
  6. Create electronic bulletin boards and phone trees in each worksite - collecting personal e-mail addresses.

Info Sharing: Member polling

Advice about the paper

  1. Put paper online/e-mail
  2. Provide hot topics
  3. Games, prizes, comics
  4. Cover private sector
  5. Do customize inserts
  6. Improve appearance
 22.5%
18.4%
12.2%
4.1%
33.1%
9.6%

Advice about online communication

  1. Use e-mail blast
  2. Frequent updates
  3. Simplify design, log-in, navigation
  4. Online chat
  5. Templates
  6. Basic training
 16.3%
18.9%
32.9%
7.9%
6.7%
17.2%

Advice about one-on-one networks

  1. Build effective shop steward/off crew
  2. Map your workplace
  3. More training to map workplace
  4. Don't know what one-on-one network is
  5. Negotiate release time for officers and members
  6. Create electronic bulletin boards

28.5%

2.7%
3.6%
4.1%

48.7%

12.4%

How would you rate the EMT overall?

Poor

Fair

Good

Great

Fabulous

 1.3%

6.6%

30.7%

38.2%

23.3%

Did you get a chance to give input about the key challenges facing the union?

Not at all

A little bit

Somewhat

Quite a bit

Lots and lots

 0.5%

2%

8.9%

49%

39.6%

Did you have conversations about how we can build our union into an even stronger voice in New York?

Not at all

A little bit

Somewhat

Quite a bit

Lots and lots

0.5%

1.1%

10.5%

60.8%

27.1%

Do you feel that we came up with good ideas to strengthen CSEA for the future?

Not at all

A little bit

Somewhat

Quite a bit

Lots and lots

0.9%

1.6%

24%

59.1%

14.4%

Collective Action

What can we learn from the stories told by the four (4) CSEA members who addressed the delegates?

  1. Persistence pays - continue to fight despite the odds.
  2. Collaborate within and across the union.
  3. Increase solidarity among members, other unions and community allies.
  4. Have a plan of action - a common strategy that unites us all to fight.
  5. Use all our union resources wisely and in a coordinated fashion.
  6. There is power in numbers.

Committing to Act

  • Of all the ideas that have been discussed today, what is the one thing you will act on in your role as a local leader?
  1. Communicate - for example, with members who are not in trouble.
  2. Survey members to find out and play into what moves them.
  3. Be humble, listen to members more often, "bring out all the voices."
  4. Recruit and involve younger members.
  • What is the one thing you want to see CSEA as a whole take action on?
  1. Improve accountability and communications between Albany and the locals.
  2. Improve public relations - improve the public image of workers.
  3. Hire more field staff.
  4. Organize more members.
  5. More attention to needs of local government.

Which is the most compelling reason to put time and resources into organizing new members into CSEA?

  1. Solidarity
  2. Bargaining Power. Defend the standards in our contacts from the threat of lower costs, non-union employees.
  3. Increase our political power.
  4. Protect the quality of care for patients, clients and consumers by organizing and raising standards for non-union workers.
  5. Follow our work: Help stop contracting out of our jobs to lower cost, non-union employer.
  6. A larger, growing union can provide a wider array of services to members.
  7. Preserve decent jobs for the next generation.

Results:

Solidarity

Bargaining

Political Power

Protect quality

Follow our work

Larger union

Preserve jobs

36.6%

12.1%

4.9%

5.3%

11.6%

9.7%

19.8%

Of Volunteer Member Organizer activities listed, which is the one you would be most willing to do yourself?

  1. Visit non-union workers in their homes (house calling).
  2. Develop contacts with non-union workers who might be interested in organizing.
  3. Attending organizing committee meetings.
  4. Phone calls to non-union workers.
  5. Push elected officials to support organizing campaigns.
  6. Seek support for organizing campaigns from community organizations and leaders.

Results:

Non-Union visits

Develop contacts

Committee Meetings

Phone calls

Elected officials

Support organizing campaigns

10.7%

21.6%

29.1%

8.1%

18.3%

12.3%