Csba Attorneys

06/25/2025

Thank you to all who attended and helped make last night's CSBA Annual Meeting one of our most memorable recent events. Special thanks to Cora Crafts from Empower, who showed us options for our individual Annuity Fund accounts, and to Joel Sosinsky, a former CSBA President, who gave a fine presentation about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Memorial and the subsequent worker safety movement.

I was happy to share that our Welfare Fund Trustees voted to significantly improve Dental coverage as of August 1st, as follows:
* Moving up to the MetroDent Plus tier network, which provides higher payments for many procedures and hence has a broader panel of participating dentists and specialists, and
* Increasing the maximum number of cleanings from two to three per year.

Thanks again to the Welfare Fund Trustees (I'm only one of five voting Trustees), and to Sandra Aguiar from Amalgamated Employee Benefits, and to Simone from A*O SIDS.

06/24/2025

Hear it first at our Annual Meeting on Tuesday June 24th! We will be announcing a significant benefit enhancement.

Contact us by 3PM at csbainfo@local237.org for login information.

06/19/2025

Happy Juneteenth, the day that the last enslaved Black Americans received word of their emancipation!

FYI, to my surprise, early voting locations are open today. One less thing to do next Tuesday June 24th, when I hope to see you online at our Annual Meeting.

06/17/2025

Next Tuesday June 24th, we are conducting our Annual Meeting (as opposed to our other General Membership meetings). As usual, it is a Member-only event and will be held virtually. Please contact us at your earliest convenience (at least a day in advance) for log-in information.

We apologize for the fact that it conflicts with Primary Day. Please note however that Early Voting is already underway, which option we strongly suggest you utilize.

Below please find a copy of the flyer containing the agenda and list of scheduled presentations and speakers. It promises to be a very full and informative meeting!

06/11/2025

Many of us are deeply troubled by the heavy-handed, autocratic direction our country is rapidly devolving into. The marines and other armed forces should not be deployed domestically, especially against the will of the people of that or any other state. We are a constitutional republic, a democracy. Here in New York, we are a stone's throw away from the Statue of Liberty, which enshrines our nation's history of welcoming immigrants. After all, we are a nation of immigrants!

As Agency Attorneys, we know that at its core, our laws require due process to assure that rights are respected and protected. Deportations cannot happen without due process. Tenured Federal employees cannot be terminated without cause in violation of their contracts. The poorest and most vulnerable among us should not be put in an even worse situation to fund massive tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy.

A lot of events are scheduled for this Saturday June 14th. It is Flag Day and also President Trump's birthday, so the President has ordered a massive, soviet-style parade with hundreds of tanks and thousands of troops running through the heart of our nation's capital. It's an unprecedented spectacle likely to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, a very unwise use of scarce taxpayer dollars.
Hundreds of marches, mass protests and other events are also planned for that day all over the country (except in DC) including in New York City from 2-4PM at Bryant Park [5th Avenue and East 41st Street].

The organizers of these "No Kings Day" events have explicitly stated that these are to be nonviolent events and are training participants to de-escalate any potential confrontation. Here are two related No Kings Day event links:
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/784466
https://www.nokings.org

A word of caution: Please use your good judgment at these events. Speak up and demonstrate, absolutely! This is a very important time to act in defense of our constitutional way of life. Just be safe and wary of provocateurs.

On June 14—Flag Day—Donald Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else.

06/03/2025

Aldona's wake/ viewing is this afternoon from 3-7PM at the Clavin Funeral Home on 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and her funeral service is tomorrow morning at 10:15 at the Our Lady of Angels Church, also on 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge, immediately followed by burial at St John's Cemetery in Maspeth Queens (see previous post for details).

This has hit us all like a ton of bricks. Aldona deserved much better after serving us all so well for over 25 years! As promised, here are a couple of photos of our beloved Aldona Vaiciunas, CSBA and Local 237 Grievance Coordinator, Office Administrator, trusted advisor, confidante and so much more.

05/28/2025

It is my very sad duty to announce the sudden passing of Aldona Vaiciunas, our longtime Grievance Coordinator and Office Administrator.

I had the pleasure of working with and knowing Aldona for 25 years. She was a dear, loyal friend and was one of the brightest and most hardworking people you'll ever meet.

The Viewing/ Wake is next Tuesday June 3rd from 3-7PM at Clavin Funeral Home, 7722 4th Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11209.

The Funeral Service is next Wednesday June 4th at 10:15AM at Our Lady of Angel's Church, 7320 4th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11209.

Further information and/or photos may follow in the next couple of days.

05/16/2025

Thank you to all who participated in the Nominations process culminating in the virtual Special Nominations meeting on Tuesday evening May 13th.

Congratulations to the following individuals who were elected or re-elected without opposition: Gladys Egwuonwu (DSS) and Michele Mirro (DOF) - Welfare Fund Trustees, Class of 2027;
and
Andrew DeMasters (DSS), Zachary Sachs (ACS), David Millstein (TLC), Andrew Engel (DOB) and Joshua T. Richardson (DOT), Board of Directors, Class of 2028.

We look forward to working with you to keep both the members and the union better represented and informed. Thank you again for all that you do and will continue to do in the months and years ahead!

05/16/2025

We are in receipt of a response from the Mayor's Office of Labor Relations ("OLR") with respect to what last week's increased paychecks represent. Based upon the one week pay lag, it asserts that no retro pay should be expected.

"The CSBA 3.25% increase, effective 4/18/2025, was paid 5/9/2025. This check covers the pay period 4/20/2025 through 5/3/2025 and would also have picked up any retro due 4/18/2025-4/19/2025 that were approved."

We will be evaluating this response shortly after consultation with the Board of Directors (among others). Thank you as always.

05/06/2025

Hi All,

I am requesting that you consider joining the CSBA Board of Directors. We currently have several vacancies. Whereas the nominations meeting is next Tuesday May 13th at 6PM, nominations are already underway via email. The details of how to be nominated and seconded, and how to attend the virtual nominations meeting are in the flyer below, which was recently mailed to all members.

These are unusual times and no one can predict with certainty what will happen next. Please help make our union stronger and your colleagues better informed!

Many thanks as always.

Sincerely,
Saul

04/29/2025

If you are inclined to rally against vicious, unprecedented attacks on workers job security, safety enforcement and gross due process violations (and more) by the Federal government, here's one at a time and place that may be relatively convenient. Sponsored by the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, it will be held on Thursday May 1st ("May Day") at 5PM at Foley Square.

NYC LaborVotes! NYC LaborVotes! is the political program of the NYC Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. It is critical we elect public servants who will put working families first. Help us reach union members and their households to ensure they know when, where, and how to vote. Get Involved!

03/31/2025

Many thanks to everyone who participated and/or attended the CSBA General Membership Meeting this past Wednesday evening, March 26th. It was well-attended and dynamic! Councilmember/Civil Service and Labor Committee Chair Carmen De La Rosa was terrific in addressing our mutual areas of concern on issues of recruitment, retention and career advancement, and on how the city resists restoring headcount and filling vacancies in a more timely manner.

Thanks also to Sandra Aguiar, Richard Wetzel (AEBRx) and Bernadette Turowitz (Prime Therapeutics) for taking our questions about changes in prescription drug prices. We look forward to your follow-up responses.

The following evening was our second "Virtual Social." Unfortunately, this suggested event by one of our newer Board members was once again poorly attended, despite the lure of door prizes. Nonetheless, we remain open to other new events and ideas and look forward to your suggestions.