President's message

CSEA siblings,

As the nation’s largest union of classified employees, CSEA’s advocacy extends beyond our home state. We represent possibility and a brighter future for classified employees across the country, and I am proud to say that we are leading from the forefront.

Members of the Board of Directors and I recently returned from our nation's capital where we met with key federal leaders and labor coalition partners from across the nation. Walking through the halls of Congress and the White House was truly a sight to behold, and we were honored to represent a union that is known in those buildings for our strength, integrity and unity.

We met with many of California’s Congressional delegation, including Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Pete Aguilar, to discuss the need for increased federal funding for public education. We were also welcomed to the White House, where we met with some of the President's senior advisors on labor and education.

In each meeting, we spoke of the critical role classified employees play in our students’ educational success and the challenges we and our students face every day. Our stories fell on sympathetic ears, and the solutions we brought forth were welcomed with enthusiasm and pledges of support.

While in D.C., we also met with member leaders from classified employee unions in Washington state, Utah and Minnesota as part of our coalition, the United Classified School Employees (UCSE). Our collaboration with these unions has yielded triumphs like the federal RISE Awards and our coordinated lobbying efforts gives classified employees a leading voice at the national level.

For the past few weeks, I have also been busy planning to ensure we make the most of our time together for our statewide town hall meetings.

It has been a while since we last gathered for a town hall, and I am excited to connect with you all in person once again. Seeing the work of our union up close is something I continue to value, and I look forward to hitting the road for 22 town hall meetings across the state in the next three months.

These town hall meetings are a chance to rekindle our union bonds, greet new and familiar faces, and discuss the current state of our Association.

I will be joined by Executive Director Keith Pace and local CSEA leaders at these meetings, which are being held in all 10 CSEA areas. This will be a special time to further strengthen our union’s commitment to one another, hear your feedback and celebrate our achievements.

Your attendance and participation are crucial to the success of these meetings and most importantly, the future of our union. By attending these important town halls, you can expect to leave with important takeaways regarding upcoming conference resolutions, challenges facing CSEA, and how you can play a role in the future of our organization.

I look forward to seeing you at your local town hall meeting, so please be sure to RSVP for an upcoming town hall with your field office.

Our CSEA family continues to grow in leaps and bounds. The cover story of this issue of Focus highlights some of our newest CSEA chapters, showing why classified employees are choosing CSEA and how we grow stronger with new siblings joining our ranks.

All of us have fond memories of attending our very first chapter meetings and I am committed to making sure all CSEA members have the resources, knowledge, and information needed to create strong chapters of which they can be proud.

Strength and unity are two words that define CSEA, from our school’s halls to the halls of Congress and the White House. I look forward to building upon that strength and unity by engaging with you at an upcoming town hall.