News
Updates
VACCINE POLICY
The vaccine mandate has been the predominant focus of work for the Union since August; while we were successful initially at obtaining the TRO, we have lost the TRO on appeal. Currently we are following through with our previously filed improper practice charges, regarding the testing and vaccine mandates (this includes the exemption process). So you all are aware, CSEA attorneys continue their work in challenging the COVID testing and Vaccine mandates; where city, county and State government entities have failed to negotiate impact and policy with the Union. To reiterate, the Courts including the US Supreme Court have not found mandatory vaccinations to be unconstitutional. Therefore, CSEA’s challenges are based on OCA violating the Taylor Law as it relates to instituting the policies, not on the basis that there is a constitutional violation.
Information regarding any new developments in the Vaccine policy or our improper practice charges will continue to be provided to the Local membership via these notices, as well as posted on our Judiciary website.
VACCINE EXEMPTIONS
If your medical or religious exemption request has been denied, you may file complaints with the NYS Division of Human Rights at: https://dhr.ny.gov/complaint and the Federal EEOC at: https://www.eeoc.gov/filing-charge-discrimination.
These denials are subject to complaints being filed because both are protected under the Constitution. The one caveat we are stressing, is that our members must have filled out the initial UCS applications in full. In addition, if applicants whose applications have been returned for additional documentation, fail to complete the entire form, or fail to complete any supplemental forms (e.g. requests for additional information) those applications will be automatically denied. Should you then attempt to file a complaint of discrimination with either the DOHR or the EEOC, it will be rejected based on the applicant not following the internal process of the employer. Please be sure to adhere to the deadline stated in the letter supplied by OCA for submission of additional information.
UNIFORM &EQUIPMENT/BLAZER ALLOWANCE
UCS has informed CSEA that these payments will be made to eligible employees on December 22nd, 2021.
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
In late August, CSEA and OCA representatives exchanged and signed the Ground Rules for negotiations. The respective negotiating teams met twice in October to begin exchanging proposals. These proposals were formulated from issues that the Local Presidents have come across, along with suggestions from members and the member surveys that were returned. We have two dates scheduled in December to meet. We will update the membership via these notices as we move further along in the process.
Updates
TESTING/VACCINATION POLICIES
As I’m sure most of you are aware, the temporary restraining order that CSEA had won on September 27 was reversed, initially by Judge Silverman on October 15, and then on appeal of that reversal on October 29. CSEA received the Appellate Division’s decision denying our appeal over the State Supreme Court Judge’s decision to lift the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), that we initially won to prevent the Unified Court System from implementing their unilateral vaccine mandate. We had filed our initial Improper Practice (IP) Charge and sought the TRO in order to protect the bargaining rights of all Courts workers, and to require UCS administration to negotiate the implementation of the mandate pursuant to the Taylor Law.
At this point, both mandates have gone into effect. CSEA along with the other court unions, continue to pursue our previously filed Improper Practice charges. Those charges argue that the OCA acted unilaterally in implementing COVID testing and mandated vaccinations and the respective impact of those two policies. The improper practice charges have been consolidated by the Public Employment Relations Board, Director of Public Employment Practices, into one case which is going forward even though the temporary restraining order is no longer in effect. The ALJ hearing the case has set a tentative hearing date of November 29, 2021.
BONE MARROW DRIVE
Oftentimes being part of a larger group affords us the opportunity to create a lasting impact. Jack Fadeley, a western New York toddler from West Seneca is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. A bone marrow drive is scheduled for this Saturday November 6th at The wings meeting place, 3964 California Rd. in Orchard Park. Those individuals age 40 and under, who are interested, please take a moment to follow this link https://my.bethematch.org/Luv4Jack and consider assisting one of your Union Brothers in helping a family in need, by joining the national bone marrow registry. Potential donors can also text Luv4Jack to 61474. They will then receive a text with the above URL to register. You can choose a live event or a swab kit can be mailed to you by choosing “I need a kit mailed to me.” The text to join code is NOT case sensitive. Another option is to scan the QR code , this will also take you to the site to register. This code can also be used at a live and in-person drive. The text to join code is: Luv4Jack
Bone marrow donation is referenced in the contract under:
9.5(e) Leaves required by law
An employee shall be entitled to such other leaves of absence with pay as are required by law, including military leave, breast cancer screening, prostate cancer screening and bone marrow screening and donation.
If a potential donor has an issue while registering or wants to know if they are already on the registry, they can call 1-800-MARROW-2 (1-800-627-7692) and a representative will assist them. If a donor is under 18 years of age and would like to join the pre-registry, they may use any of the above methods to get to the registration site. However, once there, they will choose the “under 18” option and will be taken to a different site. They MUST input the code Luv4Jack when asked for the promo code.
To read the full article regarding Jack please click the link below:
CSEA OSH CONFERENCE
Bi-annually CSEA hosts a statewide conference on Occupational Safety and Health. It’s always one of our most popular events, with so many union members interested in learning how they can make their workplaces safer and healthier.
Especially now, during a global pandemic, CSEA wants to open attendance to as many members as possible. That’s why we are inviting all CSEA members to attend. This year CSEA is looking into offering a hybrid conference, held both virtually and in-person, if safe to do so. This virtual aspect will afford Local 334 members the opportunity to attend this very informative conference. To help make this happen, if you’re interested in attending we’re asking you to answer a brief survey that will help us plan for next year’s event.
Please take the time to answer our survey today. We will stop accepting responses as of 5pm on Friday, November 12.
To receive updates about the upcoming Conference, and workplace safety and health issues in general, please subscribe to our monthly safety newsletter, the CSEA Safety Net.
Updates
TRO HEARING UPDATE
As you all are aware the State Supreme Court has granted CSEA a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) prohibiting the implementation of the vaccine mandate for non-judicial Court employees.
Judiciary Local Presidents have been advised that as of 3:40 p.m. today all oral arguments from parties to the TRO case in front of the State Supreme Court have been made and the hearing has concluded. Judge Silverman has reserved decision at this time, which means for the time being the TRO continues to remain in effect. Should we receive further information regarding a determination by the Judge it will be shared with you immediately via these notices.
What does this mean?
The temporary restraining order (TRO) continues to be in place, therefore the Court System is prevented from moving forward with the vaccine mandate until at least next Friday. On Friday 10/15 we expect to have our second hearing, at which the Court will listen to additional arguments from all parties and decide whether or not the TRO will be converted into a preliminary injunction. If the court does convert the TRO into a preliminary injunction, we believe it will last for 60 days, during which the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), which enforces public sector labor laws, will be ordered to rule on the underlying Improper Practice Charge previously filed by CSEA.
CSEA’s Improper Practice Charge is based on the Court System’s unilateral imposition of a change in the terms and conditions of employment, without negotiating those changes with CSEA. A decision in our favor will require the Court System to negotiate the vaccine mandate with the Union.
To those who are unvaccinated, You do NOT need to be vaccinated if that is your choice, the deadline has been removed for now. Additionally the deadlines for proof of vaccination and submission of requests for exemptions do not apply to employees represented by CSEA. Please be aware that in the interim CSEA members that have not submitted proof of vaccination, continue to be governed by the weekly testing policy.
Updates
HEARING POSTPONED
As you all are aware the State Supreme Court has granted CSEA a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) prohibiting the implementation of the vaccine mandate for non-judicial Court employees.
Judiciary Local Presidents have been notified that UCS attorneys have made a motion to consolidate all court cases involving the Unions against UCS regarding the vaccination mandate….thus Judge Silverman has postponed today’s hearing once more. Our new scheduled date is Friday October 15th.
What does this mean?
The temporary restraining order (TRO) continues to be in place, therefore the Court System is prevented from moving forward with the vaccine mandate until at least next Friday. On Friday 10/15 we expect to have our second hearing, at which the Court will listen to additional arguments from all parties and decide whether or not the TRO will be converted into a preliminary injunction. If the court does convert the TRO into a preliminary injunction, we believe it will last for 60 days, during which the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), which enforces public sector labor laws, will be ordered to rule on the underlying Improper Practice Charge previously filed by CSEA.
CSEA’s Improper Practice Charge is based on the Court System’s unilateral imposition of a change in the terms and conditions of employment, without negotiating those changes with CSEA. A decision in our favor will require the Court System to negotiate the vaccine mandate with the Union.
To those who are unvaccinated, You do NOT need to be vaccinated if that is your choice, the deadline has been removed for now. Additionally the deadlines for proof of vaccination and submission of requests for exemptions do not apply to employees represented by CSEA. Please be aware that in the interim CSEA members that have not submitted proof of vaccination, continue to be governed by the weekly testing policy.
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
Judiciary local Presidents met on Tuesday and Wednesday this week to finalize our initial contract proposals to the Unified Court system. We will be meeting once more this coming Tuesday in preparation for our first negotiations meeting on Thursday October 14th. As we progress through negotiations I will keep the membership up to date via these notices.
NEW YORK HEALTH ACT
CSEA has launched a campaign to defeat the proposed legislation called the New York Health Act. While this legislation is billed as a way for New York to get to Universal Healthcare, which is something CSEA supports in theory, we CANNOT support this bill. The NY Health Act would force all New Yorkers into the same public health plan, even those of us who currently enjoy negotiated health benefits that are better than the public plan. The legislation essentially ignores our negotiated health care coverage, and it would be a budget exploder, costing a huge price tag which no legislator can tell us how much it will cost workers. We had some great questions brought up about this bill at our ADM, so our Legislative and Political Action Department has made the following Q&A flyer available to help answer members’ concerns. Please visit: https://tinyurl.com/ny-health-act-flyer and then visit our Legislative Action Center at: https://cseany.org/issues to take action today.
NEW GROUP SOLICITING UNION MEMBERS
We have learned of a new Anti-Union group that is sending emails to CSEA membership by way of their work addresses in an attempt to get them to opt out of the Union. While I have not heard of this affecting our Judiciary members as of yet, other groups have tried this tactic before. While we have no reason to believe these attempts will work this time any better than they did when it’s been tried in the past, we must all be diligent in keeping an eye out for these emails and responding to the members affected. If you receive an email attempting to get you to opt out or hear reports of other members receiving them please report that to me immediately.
Everyone have a Healthy and Happy Long weekend!
Updates
EXEMPTIONS
*Given the TRO we have been advised that the deadlines for proof of vaccination and submission of requests for exemptions do not apply to employees represented by CSEA. Please be aware that in the interim CSEA members that have not submitted proof of vaccination continue to be governed by the weekly testing policy.*
UCS VACCINATION POLICY
CSEA obtains TRO temporarily staying the Court Systems vaccine mandate
The State Supreme Court granted CSEA a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the implementation of a vaccine mandate for non-judicial Court System workers that was set to go into effect on Monday, September 27, 2021. This Temporary Restraining Order covers Non-Judicial CSEA members only.
The TRO stops the Court System from going ahead with their vaccine mandate until at least next Friday. On Friday 10/1 we expect there will be a second hearing at which the Court will hear additional arguments from both parties and decide whether or not the TRO will be converted into a preliminary injunction. If the court does convert the TRO into a preliminary injunction, we believe it will last for 60 days, during which the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), which enforces public sector labor laws, has been ordered to rule on the underlying Improper Practice Charge previously filed by CSEA.
CSEA’s Improper Practice Charge is based on the Court System’s unilateral imposition of a change in the terms and conditions of employment, without negotiating those changes with CSEA. This decision requires the Court System to negotiate the vaccine mandate with the Union.
To those who are unvaccinated, you will still need to be tested weekly and upload your proof of testing as you have been doing. You do NOT need to be vaccinated if that is your choice. The deadline has been removed for now.
Updates
UCS VACCINATION POLICY
CSEA will be appearing in Albany County Supreme Court Friday morning regarding the proceeding commenced pursuant to Article 14 of the NYS Civil Service Law. The Union has prepared and filed for injunctive relief made pursuant to Section 209-a of the Civil Service Law. This is an action calling for injunctive relief relating to the vaccine mandate initiated by Chief Judge DiFiore. The injunction request is based on the failure of OCA to negotiate this new term and condition of employment per the Collective bargaining agreement and as such, in direct violation of the Taylor Law.
As stated above our case will be heard on Friday morning. We understand this timeline is cutting it down to the wire, unfortunately the scheduling is out of our hands at this point. Once the Union has a decision on the Supreme Court Case we will immediately notify the membership. It is our hope the NYS Supreme Court will grant CSEA the injunctive relief and force OCA to the table to negotiate the parameters of this new policy. Until we have an answer from the Supreme Court we must follow the policy as set forth from OCA. Any individual who is not vaccinated by the September 27th deadline will have to file for either a medical or religious exemption by 5:00 p.m. on 9/27. There are several concerns we have with the exemption forms and our hope is to correct these items if and when we are able to negotiate them.
Again, once we receive a determination on Friday we will share this information immediately with the membership.
UCS TESTING POLICY
Testing has now been in effect for one week, for every employee that has not been vaccinated. If you are intending to do so, make your vaccination appointment as soon as reasonably possible, in an effort to avoid testing procedures any longer than necessary. If you have been vaccinated be sure to upload your required documents in order to be excluded from mandatory testing.
I have been made aware of multiple issues regarding the lack of information regarding test type on proof being submitted to OCA. Please be advised, if the results you are provided do not specify the type of test administered and you are unable to obtain documentation clarifying the same from the testing facility, members should affirm [write, sign, date] on the results document that it was an acceptable test per FN 1 in the 9-1-21 Memo (attached), i.e., not an antigen or antibody test. this is the same way you affirm the date you were tested.
Please continue to Keep track of your time used over the one hour and proof of the need for a longer time period (example: no test site or appointments in your area or travel route to or from work). If there is a cost associated with testing, keep your receipts. Most of the testing should be covered by insurance. Keep a detailed log of travel and time spent to have testing done. Keep in mind this log and information will be needed once OCA is brought to the table to negotiate with us.
DEFERRED COMP
Dan Kain will be hosting NYS Deferred Compensation Plan Enrollment and Retirement webinars later this month. Please use the links below to register for the webinars.
To register for one or more of the webinars, you may click on the links below:
Enrollment Webinars: (In this webinar you will learn about Deferred Compensation and how it can help you save for retirement as well as how to enroll)
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 12:00 pm
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=ecc274b89b484a202720c7f3d66f9f0c3
Pre-Retirement Webinars: (We will go over how to calculate your NYS Pension, how and when to withdraw Deferred Compensation Funds, the taxes involved with doing so and much more)
Thursday, September 30, 2021 10:00 am
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=e23a30ca5de00fbae414bfb478dd5bbd7
Use this link to schedule a phone appointment with Dan:
http://dankainphoneappointment.myRetirementAppt.com
LAST CALL SYRACUSE METS
Order your tickets now for the Syracuse Mets vs. the Buffalo Bisons game on Thursday, September 30th, 6:35 p.m. at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse. We will be on the Party Deck and admission will include an all-you-can eat picnic from 6:35-8:30 p.m. and our own cash bar. Tickets will not be mailed and can be picked up at the Group Will Call, window #7 at the box office, between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. the evening of the event. Order your tickets today before they run out – limited seating! Reservations must be received by September 23rd. See the attached flyer and registration form for further information.
Updates
UCS VACCINATION POLICY
Last week CSEA received PERB’s authorization to petition the State Supreme Court for an injunction regarding the mandatory vaccine policy. This decision is all part of an evolving legal landscape debating what are and are not acceptable actions employers may take during a pandemic. This is the first hurdle in what we expect to be a tough fight, as things progress I will keep you informed via these notices. I urge all members to remain patient and above all else calm, as this is a very fluid situation currently. Understand that your elected Officers are doing everything within our power, to ensure that all members rights under the contract and the Taylor Law are preserved. Rest assured that CSEA is doing everything legally possible to get a result that all can live with.
UCS TESTING POLICY
Testing has begun for every employee that has not been vaccinated. If you are intending to do so, make your vaccination appointment as soon as reasonably possible, in an effort to avoid testing procedures any longer than necessary. If you have been vaccinated be sure to upload your required documents in order to be excluded from mandatory testing.
I have been made aware of multiple issues concerning testing in locations across the Local. If individuals need to use more time to obtain a test based on availability of testing sites near home or work, OCA will be requiring employees to charge your their accruals. Keep track of your time used over the one hour and proof of the need for a longer time period (example: no test site or appointments in your area or travel route to or from work). If there is a cost associated with testing, keep your receipts. Most of the testing should be covered by insurance. Keep a detailed log of travel and time spent to have testing done. Keep in mind this log and information will be needed once OCA is brought to the table to negotiate with us.
DEFERRED COMP
Dan Kain will be hosting NYS Deferred Compensation Plan Enrollment and Retirement webinars later this month. Please use the links below to register for the webinars.
To register for one or more of the webinars, you may click on the links below:
Enrollment Webinars: (In this webinar you will learn about Deferred Compensation and how it can help you save for retirement as well as how to enroll)
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 10:00 am
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=e828fad4a9b610c6efdc4e41c51cdac47
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 12:00 pm
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=ed5863ad466a982eb6f447a783f861c3
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 12:00 pm
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=ecc274b89b484a202720c7f3d66f9f0c3
Pre-Retirement Webinars: (We will go over how to calculate your NYS Pension, how and when to withdraw Deferred Compensation Funds, the taxes involved with doing so and much more)
Monday, September 20, 2021 12:00 pm
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=e6b3b855c914010c37f31ad966d88c606
Thursday, September 30, 2021 10:00 am
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=e23a30ca5de00fbae414bfb478dd5bbd7
Use this link to schedule a phone appointment with Dan:
http://dankainphoneappointment.myRetirementAppt.com
SYRACUSE METS
Order your tickets now for the Syracuse Mets vs. the Buffalo Bisons game on Thursday, September 30th, 6:35 p.m. at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse. We will be on the Party Deck and admission will include an all-you-can eat picnic from 6:35-8:30 p.m. and our own cash bar. Tickets will not be mailed and can be picked up at the Group Will Call, window #7 at the box office, between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. the evening of the event. Order your tickets today before they run out – limited seating! Reservations must be received by September 23rd.
Updates
UCS VACCINATION POLICY
At approximately 2:30 Friday afternoon September 10th Court Unions, along with Court personnel, received the written policy as well as religious and medical exemption forms, intended to be implemented on 9/27 by the Chief Judge regarding Mandatory Vaccination (See attached). Please remember none of these policies or procedures have been negotiated with the Union per your Collective bargaining agreement. The Union has an obligation under the Taylor Law to act when its members rights are being violated. In this case, the Court has failed to enter into good faith negotiations regarding testing for non-vaccinated members, and the requirement of mandatory vaccination of those same members. Be advised that on Friday, September 3, 2021 CSEA filed an application for injunctive relief against UCS with the Public Employee Relations Board Office of Counsel, based on the Court Systems unwillingness to negotiate with CSEA or any other Court Union. That request is currently being processed by PERB, we ask that members remain calm and allow the legal process to effect the change we seek. Please understand, as I have had this conversation with multiple members over the last weeks, CSEA is not attempting to enter into the political fray that the COVID 19 pandemic has become, we are doing our sworn duty to insure that all members rights under the contract and the Taylor Law are preserved. Rest assured that CSEA is doing everything legally possible to get a result that all can live with.
UCS TESTING POLICY
Testing is slated to begin next week for every employee that has not been vaccinated. If you are intending to do so, make your vaccination appointment as soon as reasonably possible, in an effort to avoid testing procedures any longer than necessary. If you have been vaccinated be sure to upload your required documents in order to be excluded from mandatory testing.
CSEA has been made aware of multiple issues concerning testing in some of our more rural areas. If you need to use more time to obtain a test based on availability of testing sites near home or work, OCA will be requiring employees to charge your their accruals. Keep track of your time used over the one hour and proof of the need for a longer time period (example: no test site or appointments in your area or travel route to or from work). If there is a cost associated with testing, keep your receipts. Most of the testing should be covered by insurance. Keep a detailed log of travel and time spent to have testing done. Keep in mind this log and information will be needed once OCA is brought to the table to negotiate with us.
VIRTUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Local 334 will be scheduling a virtual membership meeting on Wednesday September 15th at 6:00 p.m. Link to attend will be provided by Tuesday evening on the 14th.
DEFERRED COMP
Dan Kain will be hosting NYS Deferred Compensation Plan Enrollment and Retirement webinars later this month. Please use the links below to register for the webinars.
To register for one or more of the webinars, you may click on the links below:
Enrollment Webinars: (In this webinar you will learn about Deferred Compensation and how it can help you save for retirement as well as how to enroll)
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 10:00 am
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=e828fad4a9b610c6efdc4e41c51cdac47
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 12:00 pm
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=ed5863ad466a982eb6f447a783f861c3
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 12:00 pm
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=ecc274b89b484a202720c7f3d66f9f0c3
Pre-Retirement Webinars: (We will go over how to calculate your NYS Pension, how and when to withdraw Deferred Compensation Funds, the taxes involved with doing so and much more)
Monday, September 20, 2021 12:00 pm
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=e6b3b855c914010c37f31ad966d88c606
Thursday, September 30, 2021 10:00 am
https://nationwidepcsales.webex.com/nationwidepcsales/onstage/g.php?MTID=e23a30ca5de00fbae414bfb478dd5bbd7
Use this link to schedule a phone appointment with Dan:
http://dankainphoneappointment.myRetirementAppt.com
SYRACUSE METS
Order your tickets now for the Syracuse Mets vs. the Buffalo Bisons game on Thursday, September 30th, 6:35 p.m. at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse. We will be on the Party Deck and admission will include an all-you-can eat picnic from 6:35-8:30 p.m. and our own cash bar. Tickets will not be mailed and can be picked up at the Group Will Call, window #7 at the box office, between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. the evening of the event. Order your tickets today before they run out – limited seating! Reservations must be received by September 23rd. See the attached flyer and registration form for further information.
Updates
UCS TESTING POLICY
On August 26th, 2021 CSEA filed a demand for impact negotiations regarding the mandated testing policy issued on 8/17/21. Subsequently without response from the Unified Court System, on Aug 31st, 2021 CSEA filed an Improper Practice Charge with the NYS Public Employment Relations Board, which charges OCA with failing to negotiate in good faith the testing costs and potential loss of accruals of our members. In terms of surveillance testing we do anticipate some members will incur costs associated with that testing, as sites are not readily available in all locations of our Local. We strongly encourage all members to keep documentation of those costs, in addition to keeping track of the time commuting to testing, time taking the test, and accruals used if charged. Due to the lack of information provided to the Union and its membership, we recommend that all questions regarding the uploading of test results to SharePoint after September 7, 2021 be made directly to the OCA Human Resources Department. We anticipate OCA will provide the pertinent information to our members on how to comply with the policy in the coming days.
What we have been told – On 9/7/21, Kronos supervisors will be provided with a list of employees that have not submitted proof of fully vaccinated status by the close of business on 9/3/21. Those individuals will be required to arrange a day and time with their respective supervisor, during their regular work hours the following week to begin weekly testing, (i.e., there is no testing required next week 9/7-9/10). The date of 9/7 is being used as a control date for preparing a list of those employees that have or have not provided proof of vaccination status. This will allow time for employees that will need to undergo testing to make their appointments and arrange for release time the following week.
UCS VACCINATION POLICY
On August 26th CSEA filed a demand for impact negotiations regarding the mandated vaccination announcement by Judge Marks on August 25th. In the coming week, CSEA will also be challenging the vaccination policy proposed by OCA. Again, due to lack of information provided to the Union and its membership, CSEA recommends that all questions regarding application for medical and religious exemption in relation to the vaccination requirement be made directly to the OCA Human Resources Department. OCA to this point has provided no information to the Union regarding how to make this application or what the basis will be for such exemptions.
What we have been told – When instituted via the share point system, employees that submit proof of vaccinated status will receive an email that their upload was successful, and their documentation is under review. Once reviewed/approved, the employee will receive an email confirming that their submission has been approved (To the extent that the individual requested an orange card, it will be shipped as soon as it’s printed. However the email notification confirming that the proof of vaccinated status is approved is all that’s needed to be “exempt” from weekly testing).
As we are provided information from OCA, we will pass it along to you. We will also continue to update you here on CSEA’s future actions.
Updates
UCS VACCINATION POLICY
Without any notice, the Coalition of Court Unions and their members have yet again received an outline of a new policy. This time in regard to mandated vaccination.
Although all the Unions were expecting this based on Judge DiFiore’s address on Monday, we were not included or given an opportunity to engage in impact bargaining or even given notice of the directive outlined in her address on Monday. It is clear Chief Judge DiFiore does not have respect for the Unions or the Members it represents. Those that keep this agency operating. It is downright disgraceful. I pride myself in the work every one of you does day in and day out. Our Chief Judge obviously does not have that same pride as she dictates policy without the input form the people who do the job every day.
On Tuesday August 24th, the Unions that represent court employees met virtually with OCA Employee Relations regarding concerns with the mandatory testing policy as well as the remarks from Judge DiFiore about mandated vaccinations. As you can imagine many questions were asked, such as but not limited to: Will employees get excused leave if they become ill after getting an injection? Will individuals that had Covid-19 be able to submit to an antibody test, demonstrating the level of antibodies in their blood in lieu of having to receive the vaccination? How will OCA handle the shortages in staffing that currently exist and that will increase due to these policies? The liaison from OCA did not have the answers to these questions, but she said that she would try to obtain answers.
Yesterday Judge Marks issued the framework of a policy of mandated COVID-19 vaccinations. I know there is debate and division not only among our members but the public at large. CSEA is committed to representing all its dues paying members regardless of their beliefs. We believe OCA’s unwillingness to negotiate this new mandate is a violation of law. Based upon this, we along with the other unions are looking into all legal means to stop this mandate until OCA includes us in the discussion. There is a significant impact to our membership based on this mandate. From cost of testing to medical issues associated with testing and vaccination, as well as infringement of religious beliefs.
Some of our members who are vaccinated may look at this as a waste of time to protect a small number of individuals. About half CSEA’s membership has decided whether for medical, religious, or just personal beliefs not to receive this vaccine. There are also several individuals who would like to be vaccinated but cannot based on the reasons mentioned above. CSEA prides itself as an all-inclusive membership, we are one Union and harm to one is harm to all.
We are awaiting for the actual policy to be distributed. I’m sure it will be released to you at the same time we receive it. Based on Judge Mark’s memo yesterday we should be seeing it in the upcoming days.
I will schedule a Teams meeting for this coming Wednesday September 1st. I will forward the link to the meeting by Friday as long as there are no other major changes in this upcoming policy.
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL
© 2011-2019 CSEA Judiciary | Created By: dezinsINTERACTIVE