05/01/2026
ATTENTION LOCAL 657 MEMBERS SEE CONTRACT UPDATE.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Dear CSEA Family,
Budget Negotiations Continue — Extender Passed
With no final budget agreement in place, the Legislature passed budget extenders 5 and 6 to ensure employees on the administration payroll are paid on time and to keep state government operating through next week. The next deadline for Executive Branch CSEA members is Tuesday, April 28, when funding must be in place for institution payroll, scheduled to be paid on Thursday, April 30.
🚧 Act Now: Highway Workers 🚧
In recognition of National Work Zone Awareness Week, CSEA has launched an advocacy campaign calling on the New York State Assembly to support stronger protections for the workers who keep our highways and roads safe. These legislative proposals would better protect highway workers on the job.
Please send an email to your state assembly member today and urge them to include these protections in the final state budget by using this link.
Support Tom DiNapoli!
CSEA’s toolkit in support of our friend, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is now live. The toolkit includes flyers, social media materials and other information for you to share with your co-workers, family and friends. Visit the DiNapoli page by using this link.
CSEA is proud to support DiNapoli’s re-election, especially as he faces a primary this year. He has been a strong partner to working people and has consistently protected our retirement fund and financial future.
Now is the time to come together and support a leader who understands what is at stake for CSEA members and retirees. Visit the site to learn more, access resources and find ways to get involved.
Register to Vote!
When union members vote, our voices carry more power. Elections help shape decisions about funding our jobs, our pay, our benefits, and the services we deliver every day.
Even though CSEA has a strong percentage of members registered to vote, nearly 10,000 still are not registered. Please encourage your members to take a few minutes to register online so they are ready to vote in both the June primaries and the November general election: https://elections.ny.gov/voter-registration-process
🏳️🌈 June is Pride Month 🏳️🌈
Is your local or unit planning a Pride Month event? We want to help promote it and boost member turnout. Please send event details — including date, time, location and a brief description — to Mat Cantore in the Communications Department at [email protected] they can be included in upcoming promotions.
DID YOU KNOW?
April 20-24 will mark the 26th National Work Zone Awareness Week. Every year, this coincides with the start of the spring construction season spreading this message: Safe Actions-Save Lives. This is an important cause to our union, which represents countless men and women who work along dangerous roadways across the state.
Unfortunately, this was not the case for Stephen “Steve” Ebling who was hit and killed by a vehicle while working on I-90 in Western New York. To prevent a tragedy like Steve’s ever happening again, CSEA is raising awareness to Slow Down, Stay Alert - Safe Actions, Save Lives. Learn about Steve’s story by using this link. Look for more stories throughout the month of April on our Facebook and Instagram pages by clicking on the icons below.
Blitz News!
Capital Region 4’s member education and voter outreach blitz marked a high point in engagement and coordination across Columbia and Greene counties. Led by Region President Shana Davis and Local 811 President Samantha Oliver, volunteer energy drove the effort. Worksite meetings were well attended, and helpful information was shared with all. Efforts like this make CSEA stronger and help us connect meaningfully with members on issues that impact their lives. Thank you to all the volunteers for taking action and getting this important work done.
By the numbers:
14 teams of VMOs and Staff
298 door knock attempts
252 literature drops
159 conversations
83 contact cards collected
Next up: Columbia and Greene Counties
Central Region 5 (Jefferson County) — Tuesday, April 28 – Saturday, May 2
Western Region 6 (Steuben County) — Tuesday, May 5 – Saturday May 9
Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer organizer or looking to get involved for the first time, your energy and participation are needed. To volunteer for any portion of these blitzes, please contact Jessica LaFountaine in Membership: [email protected] or 518-257-1451.
TRAINING — TRAINING — TRAINING
OFFICERS TRAININGS
CSEA Constitution requires completion of new officers training within the first year of taking office. The deadline for most officers is September 11, 2026. Failure to do so will place you in violation of the CSEA Constitution. For all virtual trainings noted below, you can register on the links provided OR call your region office using this link.
Treasurer Training
CSEA is offering an in-person session in Southern Region 3. All locals and units in Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties at the Local 860 Westchester County office on Thursday, April 30. Use this link to register.
There is also a virtual session for members in ALL REGIONS, on Tuesday, May 19. Use this link to register.
Secretary Training
CSEA is offering one in-person session for members in the following region.
Capital Region 4 — Albany, NY on Wednesday, April 29. Use this link to register.
There are two virtual sessions for members in ALL REGIONS: Friday, May 1. Use this link to register. Tuesday May 26. Use this link to register.
CSEA Education & Training Virtual Workshop Schedule — April 2026 Workshops are available to members in ALL REGIONS. Each region office will handle pre-registration. Upon registering, members will receive a Zoom link by email two days before the virtual workshop. For more information on these workshops, please visit our Education & Training page by using this link.
Local Govt. Discipline & Interrogation Recertification — Thursday, April 23 6-8 p.m.
State Govt. Discipline & Interrogation Recertification — Tuesday, April 28 7-8 p.m.
Private Sector Discipline & Interrogation — Thursday, April 30 6-8 p.m.
Webinar — Proposing Amendments to the CSEA Constitution or Bylaws
This online presentation is open to all CSEA members on Tuesday, May 5 from 6-7 p.m. General Counsel Daren Rylewicz will review the process for submitting Resolutions and Proposals for Amendment to the CSEA Constitution or Bylaws for consideration at the CSEA Annual Delegates Meeting. You must register by using this link. Upon registering, you’ll receive a Zoom link to join the presentation a few days beforehand.
📱MEMBER BENEFIT SPOTLIGHT — AT&T Discount Update📱
CSEA will no longer promote the 19% AT&T discount under FAN #3702323. Members interested in AT&T savings will now be referred to the Union Plus benefit, which offers a 20% discount on the Unlimited Data 2.0 plan. For more information, use this link.
📬 What do you want to read about? 📬
I’m asking for your feedback on topics you’d like to see covered in future editions of this weekly leadership update. If you have ideas, please take the time to fill out our quick online survey. I appreciate your response.
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan
President
The New York State Board of Elections will hold a public demonstration of the ES&S AutoMark 2 ballot marking device (BMD) and associated accessibility devices on April 30, 2026 from 11:00am – 1:00pm. More details are on Accessible Voting.
