For the Kids' Sake

LEVITTOWN, NEW YORK — On June 3, taxpayers in 700 New York school districts voted on their budgets. Due in great part to an active outreach campaign spearheaded by the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA)/AFSCME Local 1000, voters in 94 percent of those districts confounded pundits and proved their commitment to the state's children by adopting the budgets — even though they carried a price tag: increased property taxes.

There were two ballot issues here: basic school funding and a bond issue. Failure would have meant layoffs for some of the 35 CSEA unit members. Even worse, class size would have been increased and programs cut.

"We really needed to get out there and do our best," says Levittown Unit Pres. Denis Midnet. Their efforts even drew participation from the association of local property owners, who realized that inferior schools would lower housing values.

"When we asked members to get involved, it lifted their spirits," says Midnet. "We did phone banks, and CSEA mailed postcards to members in the area. We won with two-thirds of the vote."

In Saratoga Springs, CSEA members won increased funding and elected three school board candidates. Unit Pres. Betty Eagan recruited the stewards to get the word out — person to person. "We were so strong in our efforts that we carried 69 percent of the vote."

The city of New Rochelle faced the closure of its historic public library on July 1. Twice before, the funding issue had come to a vote, and each time it had been defeated.

This time a coalition effort brought victory. CSEA helped organize community events and a get-out-the-vote campaign. There was a broad-based team: Library management, Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library and other area unions joined the library staff's 40 CSEA members in educating residents about what they would lose if the library closed.

The budget passed with 63 percent of the votes.