Unique initiative sets CSEA's 99th Annual Delegates Meeting apart

BUFFALO, NY (09/11/2009)(readMedia)-- More than 1,200 CSEA delegates and other participants will convene for the union's 99th Annual Delegates Meeting at the Buffalo Convention Center, September 14 -18. As CSEA prepares for its 100th anniversary in 2010, the 99th Annual Delegates Meeting will feature one of the most unique events in the union's history – an Electronic Town Meeting.

Throughout the past year, CSEA has provided an opportunity for members' voices to be heard like never before. The union has held dozens of Town Hall Meetings in every part of the state, offering a forum for members to state what's on their mind.

The extraordinary outreach will culminate with a daylong Electronic Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, September 15.

The information gained from the candid comments made by members at the meetings across the state has been reviewed and is being used to frame the topics for discussion and development in the Electronic Town Hall Meeting. The outcome of the process will help to make CSEA a better, more effective union and guide us into our second century.

The unprecedented process is a unique and bold initiative giving members a chance for critical input that sets a progressive agenda for addressing challenges.

"CSEA's strength over the past 100 years is our ability to learn, grow and adapt," said CSEA President Danny Donohue. "This process of Hearing Every Voice has been exciting and challenging but there is no doubt that it will make us stronger in the long run. The Electronic Town Hall Meeting will produce energy and ideas to help bring our agenda for the future into clearer focus."

"CSEA has done what is necessary to hear what our members think about where the union should be heading," said CSEA Executive Vice President Mary Sullivan, who has been coordinating the project. "The idea of Hearing Every Voice and working for meaningful change is what CSEA is all about."

How it works:

• The Electronic Town Hall Meeting will be shaped by ideas and information from CSEA members, leaders and staff who participated in dozens of town hall meetings across the state over the past year along with other discussions and member polling;
• Diverse groups of CSEA delegates will participate in presentations and small group discussions around key issues;
• Laptop computers and hand-held key pads will be used to collect and instantly tabulate feedback into consensus recommendations;
• The results will help develop an agenda to lead CSEA forward.

CSEA is New York's leading union, representing nearly 300,000 members across New York. CSEA members perform every kind of job. Most CSEA members are public employees working for New York State, its counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, library systems and public authorities. The union also has a growing private sector membership primarily in human services and childcare. The projected economic benefit for Buffalo from the CSEA convention is more than $1.3 million.

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Media Advisory: CSEA representatives will be available to discuss the Electronic Town Meeting during a rehearsal session at the Buffalo Convention Center at 10 am on Monday morning September 14. Coverage of the Electronic Town Meeting itself is by prior arrangement only, contact CSEA Communications Director Stephen Madarasz via cell phone at 518 598-4705.