By Saul Fishman
President, Civil Service Bar Association (CSBA)
From Newline, Fall 2024
It’s Autumn 2024. A bunch of us recently participated in the Labor Day Parade (see photos in this Newsline edition as well as on our CSBA (Attorney’s Facebook page). It’s now prime time for apple-picking, apple cinnamon donuts (sorry dieters) and pumpkin spice coffee. The leaves will be turning brilliant orange, red and yellow, and soon will be under foot. Maybe deep postseason baseball will return to New York (let’s hope).
What remains the same is the dedication of the CSBA staff to assist you however and whenever we can. We are here for consultation and advice on your contractual rights, and collectively have a lot of experience and a fair amount of contacts. Members can always email us at csbainfo@local237.org or call us at (212) 675-0519, and we will gladly respond quickly (reliably within one business day, usually sooner).
The benefit of an email to csbainfo@local237.org is that there are only four of us, all of whom are knowledgeable and discrete. Lee Gordon is our \Grievance Advocate/ Business Agent, and was a CSBA officer and member from ACS for many years. Aldona Vaiciunas has been the CSBA Grievance Coordinator and Office Administrator for well over twenty years, and is at least as knowledgeable as anyone here. Devin Rohena, our Receptionist/ Secretary, is our latest addition. He’s very polite, efficient, a quick learner and has a great attitude. Whatever he doesn’t know, he’ll find out and get back to you, or alternatively have the best available person contact you as soon as possible. And I’m Saul Fishman, trying to earn your trust each day for the past dozen years as CSBA President (and as CSBA Business Agent and Officer for a bunch of years before that).
Regardless of day of the week, time of day or night, grievance or arbitration schedule, vacation, illness, etc., one of us will read your message relatively soon and make sure that you are responded to courteously and professionally. Yes, the volume of emails, calls, consultations and grievances picks up from mid-September forward. Fear not. We are here for you!
P.S. Kindly advise us if there is an issue of concern in your shop. With approximately 40 agencies and 60 locations, we need your timely input. In addition to grievance and contract-related matters (referred to above), we take Health & Safety concerns very seriously.
Reserve the Date: the next CSBA General Membership Meeting will be held on Wednesday October 30th at 6PM. Kindly contact us a few days to a week ahead of time for member log-in information.