CSEA REACHES MILESTONE

Albany, N.Y.--  You only turn 100 once.  New York's leading union will reach its milestone 100th anniversary in 2010. The association began in October 1910 with a small group of New York state employees dedicated to merit and fitness in public employment. Today, CSEA has nearly 300,000 members living and working in every community in New York. While most CSEA are still public employees, the union has a growing private sector division and a membership that is a microcosm of the diverse New York population.

"A benchmark event like a 100th anniversary provides an opportunity to look back and reflect on where we've come from and how we got here," said CSEA President Danny Donohue. "More importantly, it provides an opportunity to look forward to the future and think about how we can become better."

The story of CSEA is extraordinary in many ways. It is a story about individuals but it is also a story about collective action - people working together. Most importantly, it is a story about aspiration.

"From the very start on Oct. 24 1910, the story of CSEA has been about people wanting to do better and believing it could help make New York a better place," Donohue said."That's still true today."

But the CSEA leader noted that it's important to consider all that has occurred between now and then: When CSEA came into existence, America was just becoming a world power.  Theodore Roosevelt was the dominant political figure of the time, women did not have the right to vote, people of color were at best second class citizens, cars were just being mass produced and radio broadcasting was in its infancy.

Since then, we have come through two world wars, a Great Depression; Communism rose and fell; endless other wars and conflicts; terrorism; we've endured cycles of boom and bust and social, cultural, sexual and technological revolution. Throughout it all, CSEA has grown, changed, adapted and yet still remained true to its core values.

CSEA is marking the centennial with a several sets of traveling displays criss-crossing the state to tell the union's story. Public events are also being planned in various locations as well along with the union's 100th Annual Delegates Meeting scheduled for Albany in October. CSEA has not held a statewide convention in Albany in decades.

But CSEA will also be focused on standing up for its members and essential services in 2010.

"The past year has been difficult and based on what we're already seeing across New York; there are some enormous challenges ahead in our centennial year," Donohue said. "If there's one lesson to take from our history, it is that CSEA is always at its best in adversity."