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CSEA’s Retiree Strategic Planning Committee makes recommendations to CSEA President Danny Donohue for a more powerful union. Pictured first row, from left, Charlotte Adkins, vice chair, Retiree Executive Committee; Grace Eglin, secretary, Retiree Executive Committee; Judy Richards, chair, Retiree Executive Committee; Patty Goyette; second row, from left: Sharon Lovelady-Hall, CSEA director of Education and Training; Juanita Johnson, Norma Condon, Stanley Bergman, Mary Harmon, Tom Moylan, Ellen Misita and Diane Sheldon, CSEA retiree program specialist. Third row, from left, Susan Taddonio, David Soule, Fred Gerloff, Bruce Norton, Meg Shutka, Douglas Murphy and CSEA Executive Vice President Mary E. Sullivan, officer liaison to the Retiree Executive Committee. Retiree Strategic Planning Committee makes recommendations to build CSEA power Break in membership affects eligibility for union office, voting privileges A break in union membership status can have long-term future implications. Your membership status affects your eligibility with respect to: • Seeking or holding union office; • Signing nominating petitions for potential candidates; • Voting in union elections; and • Voting on collective bargaining contracts. Only members “in good standing” can participate in these activities. To be in “good standing,” your dues cannot be delinquent. If you go on unpaid leave or for any other reason have a break in your employment status, your dues will not continue to be paid through payroll deductions. You must make arrangements to pay your dues directly to CSEA to continue your membership status. If you are either laid off or placed on leave without pay status due to becoming disabled by accident, illness, maternity or paternity, you may be eligible for dues-free membership status for a period not to exceed one year. If you are called up for active military duty you may also apply for dues-free status. Note, however, you must continue to pay dues to run for office. Dues-free or gratuitous membership allows members to continue their insurance coverage while out of work. It does not protect your right to run for or hold office. This does not apply to members who are on leave due to being called up for military duty. Members on active duty, upon return, are considered to have had continuous membership status for all CSEA election purposes. Please notify the CSEA Membership Department at 1-800- 342-4146, ext. 1327, of any change in your status and what arrangements you are making to continue your membership in CSEA. CSEA is focused on strengthening the union for the future, and the Retiree Division is an important part of the effort. The Retirees’ Strategic Planning Committee recently presented President Danny Donohue with a series of ideas for consideration, aimed at better tapping into the experience, expertise and energy of retiree members to help make CSEA even more effective. “We can always make CSEA better and there is no doubt about the growing importance of our retirees,” Donohue said. Donohue asked retiree leaders to begin the strategic planning process last year. CSEA coordinated the project with support from AFSCME. “There was great participation in this project from across the state and a lot of thought and hard work went into these recommendations which we believe will lead to a stronger Retiree Division,” said CSEA Retiree Executive Committee Chair Judy Richards. CALL FOR ENTRIES Nadra Floyd Award for Organizing Do you know a CSEA member, committee, local or unit that has worked to grow CSEA’s membership by helping CSEA organize a new group of workers into the union? If so, they may be eligible for the Nadra Floyd Award for Organizing. The award’s namesake, Floyd, was a longtime union activist who served as CSEA’s director of Organizing from 2000 to her untimely passing in 2001. At the time of her death, Floyd was working to grow CSEA’s membership and transform CSEA’s Organizing program. Membership Achievement Award Do you know a CSEA member, group of members, committee, unit or local that has done the hard work of signing up newly hired employees as CSEA members or converting agency shop fee payers into members? If so, they may be eligible for the CSEA Membership Achievement Award, which honors one or more members who have strengthened the union by growing the membership. Learn more and download nomination forms at: https://cseany.org/csea-seeking-nominees-for-nadra-floyd-membership-achievement- awards/ Nominations for both awards must be submitted by July 17, 2015, and mailed to: CSEA Membership Committee Nadra Floyd Award for Organizing c/o CSEA Organizing Department 143 Washington Avenue Albany, N.Y. 12210 CSEA Membership Committee Membership Achievement Award c/o CSEA Organizing Department 143 Washington Avenue Albany, N.Y. 12210 or July-August 2015 The Work Force 19


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