WXXI: STATE WORKER UNIONS REMAIN A FORCE

Story by Karen DeWitt 

Albany, N.Y. (WXXI) - Labor unions in the United States have suffered in recent decades, as their membership and influence has declined. Here in New York, though, state employee labor unions are going strong, winning several key battles in the most recent budget cycle.

The state's Civil Service Employees Association, which has the most members of any state worker union, is celebrating its 100th year this year.

Formed in a time of corruption, Tammany Hall was in it's ascendancy, the original intent of the union was to provide a civil service, merit based system of hiring to counteract the rampant patronage in state government.

100 years later, in a time when state government has had more than it's share of corruption, Steve Madarasz, the long time spokesman for CSEA, says the union seems stronger than ever, but he says, with the severe fiscal crisis, "the stakes have never been greater."

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