IN THIS ISSUE

DELEGATES MEETING RECAP

WINfER EVENTS

ruDICIARY LOCALS MEET IN NYC

EVENTS PHOTO GALLERY

CSEA LOCAL 335

____	OCT9B~~~06_~J

F ALLIWINTER NEWSLETTER

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A Message From the President

Dear Members,

Hope you all made it through the "'October Surprise" without much difficulty. We all need a catastrophe once in a while to remind us how much we have to be thankful for. While without power for 3 days, I reflected on what It would be like to permanently live like this as those In 3rd wortd countries live or closer to home, as our own street people, IMng outdoors 365 days of the year. Thank God, I am blessed.

Since our last newsletter, I have attended both the AFSCME & CSEA conventions. Dues increases were approved by the delegates at both conventions. Needless to say, I voted against both but was on the losing side. There is more information on the dues increase contained in this newsletter. My report on the events of the AFSCME convention is also included.

There was a roll call vote taken at the CSEA convention. All the Judiciary locals except the NYC chapter were strongly opposed to the Increase. It was a close vote, but we still lost .. The total votes cast were 1002 In favor and 955 opposed. The Judiciary delegation, unfortunately Is just a small part of CSEA. Delegates are determined by the number of members in each local. (That is one of the reasons why It is so important for all represented employees to join our Union). We are allotted 1 vote for every 100 members - local 335 has 12 votes. The Judiciary's total number of votes are 5:1, and 40 of those votes were against the Increase. We truly are a small group considering we are approximately 5400 In number and the total membership of CSEA Is about 265,000.

Our Contract is due to expire on April 1, 2007. The Judiciary negotiating team has not yet been appointed by President Danny Donahue. 'believe appointments will be made soon. " you have any suggestions for negotiations, please send them to me. "I am not apPOinted to the team, I will forward them to our representative

There are several important matters pendIng. Our Kronos grievance has gone to Arbitration. No decision was made at the Step 2 level. Anyone who has been charged time during the time configuration period (first 5 minutes and last 15 minutes of work day) should notify me. We will need this information for the Arbitrator. If you have already given me information concerning the Kronos administration policy, I have it and you need to do nothing further.

Two law suits are still pending. An Article 78 contesting UCS's change in policy concerning the reclassification of Court Clerks to Senior Court Clerks when security is transferred from the local counties to UCS. This matter Is in the Appellate Division, 3rd Department. The other matter, also on appeal In the 3rd Department, regards the grade classification of the Support Magistrates. UCS originally stated that they would be grade 33 and then graded them at a grade 31. Both suits were denied originally in State Supreme Court, Albany County.

CSEA's legal department has denied the request by the Court Reporters for representation in a Federal lawsuit concerning the minute agreement form. An agreement on page rates has been awaiting a proposal from UCS. Once this is made, the CSEA CR page rate committee can approve or disapprove. An approval then would be presented to the Court Reporter membership for ratification.

On a lighter note, the Benefit Fairs will soon be set up for the -rn & 8th Districts. The Appellate Division, 4th Department fair has already been scheduled for December 12th• When you attend one of these fairs, be sure to pick up an Employee Benefit Fund (beige booklet) and Member Benefit (red/white & blue booklet). These 2 booklets, along with your contract and employee handbook, are the most beneficial tools you can have. All benefits, responsibilities and rights are contained in one of those four booklets. They should be safeguarded and referred to often.

I receive so much junk e-mail that it is sometimes hard for me ,to determine if a message is from one of our members. I have already had one virus that took down my system. Even the anti­ virus programs on my system did not stop it. Anyway, when you are sending me a message at my novocon address: nhart@novocon.net (where all emails of a confidential nature should go) please state that it is a Union Inquiry on the subject line. This way I will know it is from one of you. I am really sorry you have to do this.

Well, I don't want to go on too long. Hope to see you all at the benefit fairs, the general meetings or at your work site.

Happy Holidays to All!

Let Nancy Know

Always ask for Union Representation if you are called in on any disciplinary

actions, or are a target of an investigation by the Inspector General.

Notify Nancy Hart or any of your local representatives if you are called in as a witness in an Inspector General matter.

A union representative is not allowed in the interrogation room if you are a witness, but he or she is allowed to wait outside. If during the course of the interview, the witness becomes a target, your union rep will be there.

The union representatives are sometimes the last to be notified in potential disciplinary matters.

Keep your reps posted.

Nancy

Summer Events Bring Out the Membership

We are happy to report that this year's summer membership meetings

were a huge success.

The summer season kicked off with a day at Fingerlakes Race Track in June. Members and their families enjoyed a beautiful summer day in July at Fantasy Island Amusement Park. The season came to a close in August when about 80 members made an otherwise dreary evening bright with a cruise on the Miss Buffalo boat. We look forward to next year's summer meetings and welcome your feedback and ideas for future events.

Do you Have a Home E-mail Address you Wish to Share?

r;e local would like to add home e-mail addresses to the membership database which

we are currently building.

The e-mail addresses can be used to help our local reach the membership quickly, when delivering important news, when a crisis develops or when "strength in numbers" is needed.

Please send your e-mail address to your local representative. Thank you for all your support

Amendment Passed at Delegate's Convention Raises Union Dues

The following amendment to the CSEA constitution was passed at the Annual Delegates Convention.

"Effective January 1, 2007, and annually thereafter, those earning under $40,000 are subject to the annual AFSCME minimum dues adjustment. Those earning $40,000 and higher shall be subject to the following schedule:

$40,000 - 44,999 - $575(1.35 per pay period)

$45,000 - 49,999 - $590(1.93 per pay period)

$50,000 - 54,999 - $605(2.51 per pay period)

$55,000 - 59,999 - $620(3.09 per pay period)

$60,000 and above - $635(3.60 per pay period)

"Effective January 1, 2008, and annually thereafter, all rates shall increase by the annual AFSCME minimum dues adjustment. "

The Committee justified their proposal with the following

• at the present time 23% of our members earn over $40,000
• CSEA has not increased dues since 1995
• Because of increasing costs, the union anticipates a dire financial picture in the very near future

The Judiciary locals fought very hard to defeat this proposal, but were unsuccessful in a roll call vote. The amendment was passed by a vote of 1002 to 955. In a move of solidarity, the Judiciary locals cast a total of 40 "NO" votes.

Please see the articles on the Judiciary Meetings and the Delegate's Convention for more information on this important topic.

labor Management Committees are Being Formed

Representatives from our courts and Unified Court System managers will soon be meeting

to discuss issues that are vital to maintaining successful court operations.

Meetings are scheduled to be held quarterly.

local 335 is encouraged that this committee will be a means to address issues of concern to our membership before they become major problems.

If you are interested in becoming a labor Management sub-committee member for your court, please contact Bob Pazik in the 8th District or Marlene Galbraith in the 7th District.

It is extremely important to the success of this committee that each court have a representative. Please get your representative selected as soon as possible.

Departmental Meeting Held for Unified Court System Members "The Judiciary Speaks"

Jim Hennerty, CSEA liaison and Bob Lorenc, Executive Board Member and President of Local 332 conducted the annual departmental meeting for Judiciary employees' representatives on Wednesday, September 27,2006 as part of the CSEA annual Delegate's convention. Many issues of importance to all court employees were discussed. Among them:

• Contract Negotiations - The CSEA negotiating team will soon be appointed. It is not anticipated that the new administration in Albany will be the cause of longer that usual negotiations, however CSEA is prepared to fight for a fair contract for as long as it takes.
• Grievances in Arbitration - Two grievances regarding KRONOS and one grievance regarding representation during an interrogation are now in arbitration. Nancy Hart asked that the locals be apprised of any decisions that are rendered as soon as possible. She made a point of asking if we can negotiate for deadlines on grievances and decisions. The KRONOS grievances are almost two years old.
• Lawsuits and the Reclassification Study - Reclassification of the attorney series is scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2007. The Court Clerk series is to follow. CSEA can propose that this issue be addressed in a timely fashion, but management is not obligated to address it as such. This has been the roadblock which must be hurdled. CSEA has two lawsuits in regard to this issue. CSEA is awaiting oral argument in the Appellate Division, Third Department on an Article 78 proceeding. At issue is the Unified Court System's decision to change its' long standing practice of reclassifying Court Clerks to Senior Court Clerks when courts are secured by Court Officers. The second lawsuit regards the allocation of Support Magistrates to Grade 31 instead of the Grade 33 that had been agreed upon. The motion was denied in Albany County Supreme Court and CSEA is now considering an appeal.
• Court Reporters - The Unified Court System has not given CSEA a proposed agreement on page notes. Representatives of the Court Reporter activists have proposed a Federal Law Suit concerning the minute agreement form.
• Court Security Transitions - A lively discussion was held on this issue. Jim Hennerty reported that the transition in Broome County and the City of Binghamton went without incident. There is no definite time line for transition from the Unified Court System. Questions from the group were raised about job duties of the Court Officers versus job duties of the Court Clerks. The was also discussion about a request to establish a statewide Court Officers union as part of CSEA. The charter committee will discuss this matter with each local president as more courts transition.
• Inspector General- There was a discussion about the Inspector General. CSEA is going to offer training for all advocates. The members stressed the need to negotiate for representation and/ or notification for employees who are called as witnesses.

Jim Hennerty then left the meeting and the Judiciary representatives took up the discussion of the proposed convention amendments to increase union dues and decrease rebates. It was agreed that the group try to get a vote on the convention floor to table the proposal till the next convention and to get some concrete information from CSEA Inc., prior to the amendment going to a vote. In the event that the amendment could not be tabled, it was agreed that the Judiciary locals would vote NO on both of the

proposed amendments. The AFSCME dues adjustment results in a yearly increase of about 3% each year. The new dues structure adds an additional increase to most of our represented employees. Although CSEA has not raised dues since 1995, we have had the AFSCME increase yearly. There was also no evidence presented to the Locals that CSEA Inc. is in dire financial straits. For these reasons, the Judiciary Locals agreed to stand together in opposition to raising dues and decreasing Local rebates.

Fall Meetings Held

On Wednesday, October 18, 2006, Local 335 held an active's meeting at Christina's Restaurant in Batavia, New York.

Region 6 held it's Fall Meeting October 20 - 22, 2006 in Ellicotville, New York.

The region hosted a Carnival on Friday night. There were booths hosted by CSEA region officers, staff, committees and vendors. Each booth had a theme and prizes were offered. It was a great opportunity for those attending to ask questions and gather information from CSEA representatives.

The conference continued on Saturday with a workshop titled "Interrogations" and the General Business meeting, which concluded on Sunday.

Sunshine Committee Needs You

If you know of any of our union brothers and sisters who are ill or have family members who are

battling an illness please let the Sunshine Committee know.

Also, if you know of any members who have had some misfortune in their lives, such as an accident, fire, robbery etc. let your representatives know.

Your union is here to offer assistance.

Your Union is Never More Than a Phone Call Away

LOCAL 335

LOCAL PRESIDENT - Nancy P.L. Hart 716-852-2732 or 1-800 446-5325 e-mail: nhart@novocon.net

fax: 716-855-1422

websites: www.cseaiudiciarv.or~ www.csealocaI335.org.

Winter Events Schedule is Set.

Report on AFSCME Delegate Convention, August 7-11, 2006 - Chicago, Illinois

by Nancy Hart, elected delegate from CSEA Local 1000 - Region 6

The winter meeting schedule has been set.

We hope to see you all at one of our events.

Notifications will be sent out prior to the events, verifying dates and locations.

I arrive in Chicago on Sunday and register. That night we have delegate welcoming reception at the Navy Pier.

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December 9 - Niagara Falls­ Seneca Niagara Casino

Monday, CSEA has a caucus at 8:30 am which includes breakfast. 10 am opening session. I t is amazing the number of delegates. There is a patriotic opening ceremony including many members of the US military and Actor Jimmy Smits. Gerald McEntee, International President of

AFSCME, speaks about the 21st Century Initiative. Several propositions and amendments are voted on. U.S Senator Sarack Obama addresses the delegates. Adjourn 3 PM

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February 8 - Rochester - Mario's Via Abruzzi

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March 15 - Buffalo - lIio DePaolo's Restaurant

Tuesday, CSEA breakfast caucus at 8 am. - 9:30 am Convention reconvenes. Spotlight on Political Action. US Senator Hillary Clinton and progressive radio talk show host Ed Schultz address Convention. Several propositions and amendments are voted on. Vote on raising dues passes by a large majority. 4:00 PM adjourns.

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April 26 - Hornell - Rupert's Restaurant

Wednesday, CSEA breakfast caucus at 8 am. - 9:30 am Convention reconvenes. Spotlight on Organizing. Secretary- Treasurer William Lucy addresses the Convention, followed by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm's on International Vice Presidents elected at caucus. Several propositions and amendments are voted on. Adjourns 3 PM. to attend Rally in support of workers at Resurrection Health Care System in their effort to unionize their workers

See You There!

Thursday, PEOPLE run at 7am, I walk with the Monroe County CSEA local president, Bernadette Giambra. The two of us raise $400.00 for the PEOPLE fund. Breakfast caucus follows. 10 am Convention reconvenes. Special Town Hall Meeting "Our Voices/Our Future".

Friday: 10 am - Closing address of AFSCME Pres. Gerald McEntee. Introduction of new elected International Vice Presidents.

Convention closed.

Local 335 "Raises the Roof' at the Delegate's Convention

The 96th annual CSE

A Delegate's Convention was held from September 25-29, 2006 in New York City.

The first three days of the convention were filled with workshops, meetings, vendors and union sponsored events. As always, CSEA offered a wealth of information to make the delegates better representatives for the general membership.

The convention was called to order on Wednesday afternoon. The statewide officers gave their reports and New York State legislator Joseph Bruno spoke to the membership. Attorney General Elliott Spitzer also addressed the membership.

On Thursday, two amendments were voted on which caused concern for the delegates. The issues were the raise in union dues for members who make between $40,000 and $60,000 a year and the decrease in rebates to the locals from 25% to 20%. The judiciary locals felt that the locals were not given enough information to make an informed and intelligent vote on the proposed amendment. The judiciary tried in vain to table the vote until next years convention. Second Vice President, Bob Pazik was trying to make a motion to table discussion when time ran out. He then made a motion to reopen discussion and was voted down. The amendment went to a roll call vote. The judiciary locals voted "40" votes against the increase. Ultimately, the final vote was 1002 yes and 955 no.

Thankfully, the rebate issue was voted down unanimously. It was a long and exhausting day.

On Friday, pressing issues in Washing ton kept Senator Hillary Rodham

Clinton from addressing the audience. The convention then adjourned after awards were presented for 100% membership