The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) is a labor union representing state and local government employees across the state of New York. The CSEA reported 230,353 members across New York in 2018, making it the largest state level labor union in the nation. The CSEA is affiliated with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and is AFSCME’s largest chapter, Local 1000. Through AFSCME, the CSEA is also an affiliated member of the AFL-CIO union federation.
Like most labor unions, the CSEA is notable for a far-left stance on political issues and prominent politicians.1 The CSEA also has a history of corruption among union leaders.2
History
The CSEA was founded in 1910 in Albany as the Association of State Civil Service Employees. In 1930, during the Great Depression, then-New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized the group as an official representative group of state employees. In the 1940s, the association grew to include local chapters and local government employee members. The CSEA boats ties to many historical Democratic Party politicians on its website including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Governor Mario Cuomo, President Jimmy Carter, and President Bill Clinton.3
In 2000, an internal report from the CSEA was made public that detailed widespread corruption and abuse among 35 leaders of the union. The report detailed a total of $4.6 million in misappropriated or embezzled funds. The various union officials allegedly misused amounts ranging from $2.2 million to $51,000.4
Political Activism
The CSEA is often described as one of the most politically powerful organizations in New York and almost exclusively supports Democrats for elected office in New York. In 2002, while discussing the gubernatorial race, the New York Times noted that the association had “a formidable electioneering organization and can put thousands of workers on the streets during an election to encourage Democrats to vote” and noted that the CSEA “is generally regarded as having one of the three most effective political operations in the state.”5
In 2018, the union endorsed incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo over “Sex and the City” actress Cynthia Nixon in the Democratic Gubernatorial primary, after opposing him in the prior two elections. Union leader Danny Donohue had previously called Cuomo a “monkey and a moron.” 6
During the 2022 midterm election, the CSEA Republican Representative Marc Molinaro’s campaign for the 19th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley of New York State. 7
Finances
CSEA reported $122 million in dues and fees collections in its 2018 fiscal year.8 It also reported $15 million in various payments from the New York State government.9
Leadership
The CSEA has been led by president Danny Donohue from Long Island, NY since 1994. Donohue started his career as a government worker as an attendant at a Psychiatric Center in the 1970s and became a local union chapter President in 1975.10 Donohue has a history of extreme comments; he has called New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) a “monkey”11 and explicitly suggested President Donald Trump would have “mentored” Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, and Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.12
In 2018, Donohue received total compensation of $170,461 to lead the CSEA.13
Salary data from 2015 shows over 50 CSEA employees earned total compensation exceeding $100,000 from the union.14
References
- Klepper, David. “N.Y. labor leader says ‘lunatic’ Trump ‘could have mentored’ Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin”. The Washington Times.June 27, 2018 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/27/danny-donohue-csea-president-likens-donald-trump-h/
- McKinley, James. “Document Details Abuse in Union of Civil Servants” The New York Times. January 21, 2000. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/21/us/document-details-abuses-in-a-union-of-civil-servants.html
- “CSEA Timeline” CSEA- Civil Service Employees Association. https://cseany.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/csea_timeline_2009.pdf
- McKinley, James. “Document Details Abuse in Union of Civil Servants” The New York Times. January 21, 2000. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/21/us/document-details-abuses-in-a-union-of-civil-servants.html
- McKinley, James. “Civil Service Union Puts its Political Muscle Behind McCall. New York Times. July 19, 2002. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/19/nyregion/civil-service-union-puts-its-political-muscle-behind-mccall.html
- Conley, Kirstan. “Cuomo Gets Endorsement of Largest Public Employee Union”. New York Post. June 25, 2018. https://nypost.com/2018/06/25/cuomo-gets-endorsement-of-largest-public-employee-union/
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Reisman, Nick. “New York House Republican Candidates Receive Labor Backing.” spectrumlocalnews.com, September 13, 2022. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/ny-state-of-politics/2022/09/13/house-republican-candidates-receive-labor-backing.
- Civil Service Employees Association (AFSCME Local 1000; Department of Labor file number 515-614), Annual Report of a Labor Organization (Form LM-2), 2018, Statement B line 36
- Civil Service Employees Association (AFSCME Local 1000; Department of Labor file number 515-614), Annual Report of a Labor Organization (Form LM-2), 2018, Schedule 14
- “President Danny Donohue”. CSEA- Civil Service Employees Association. https://cseany.org/csea-president-danny-donohue/
- Short, Aaron. “Top State Union Leader Calls Cuomo a ‘monkey,’ ‘moron’.” New York Post. January 30, 2014. Accessed January 15, 2019. https://nypost.com/2014/01/30/top-state-union-leader-calls-cuomo-a-monkey-moron/.
- Klepper, David. “N.Y. labor leader says ‘lunatic’ Trump ‘could have mentored’ Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin”. The Washington Times.June 27, 2018 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/27/danny-donohue-csea-president-likens-donald-trump-h/
- Civil Service Employees Association (AFSCME Local 1000; Department of Labor file number 515-614), Annual Report of a Labor Organization (Form LM-2), 2018, Schedule 11
- “Civil Service Employees Association/AFSCME Local 1000”. Union Facts. Unionfacts.org. https://www.unionfacts.com/local/employees/515614/AFSCME/1000/