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2014 Election Impacts Union Amid Contract Talks

CSEA Central Region 5

A spokesman for a labor union that spans New York State says the state did not see the same political polarization that Washington did after the outcomes on Election Day. However, there is still work to be done.  Steven Madarasz, a representative of the Civil Service Employees Association, says the union endorsed candidates whose record they were familiar with, and the union had personal experience with.

We had, you know, Republicans and Democrats in the mix. We had some cases where we won and some cases where we lost in both directions… in both parties,” Madarasz said Thursday.

Madarasz criticizes Governor Cuomo for promoting his own agenda: such as the Start-UP New York program that offers tax free zones for new businesses, and tax free wages for their employees.

That [program], really, is at the expense of localities. It’s very easy for the state government to make that promise of no taxes, but it comes out of the coffers of localities at the same time they’re being shortchanged.”

Madarasz says what happens in Albany greatly affects the municipalities.  He says the union still has a contract on the wish list for Onondaga County employees, and feels an agreement can be reached.

John Smith has been waking up WAER listeners for a long time as our Local Co-Host of Morning Edition with timely news and information, working alongside student Sportscasters from the Newhouse School.