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MCC Daily Tribune

SUNY Chancellor, CSEA President Agree to Extend Free, Mandatory Testing at State-Ops

SUNY's MOU with CSEA is Available Online Here

On Friday, Nov. 27, Chancellor Jim Malatras and Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) President Mary E. Sullivan announced an extension on an agreement to conduct free, mandatory testing for CSEA-represented employees at SUNY state-operated colleges, universities, and hospitals. The memorandum of understanding follows a similar arrangement last week between SUNY and United University Professions for represented employees.

"As our students and faculty are now mainly transitioned to remote learning for the rest of the semester we are working on preparations for their return next spring, and I am thankful for the ongoing efforts of our CSEA-represented employees in keeping our facilities safe and operational," said Chancellor Malatras. "Regular mandated testing will continue to be a part of our strategy to keep campuses open, and thanks to the continued heroic efforts, ingenuity, and innovation of Upstate Medical University, we must continue testing everyone on campus. We are another step further to that end with CSEA President Sullivan joining me in providing testing for all of our CSEA employees. I thank President Sullivan for her leadership and her members for doing so much to help our students over the past semester. Working together we can continue to protect each other and keep this virus contained."

Civil Service Employee Union President Sullivan said, "The CSEA-represented workers at all our SUNY facilities are the foundation that ensures they continue to function. Continuing regular testing for them will help ensure our entire SUNY system is focused on safe operations to keep students learning and workers working. We appreciate collaborating with SUNY administration to protect our campus communities."

Effective through June 30, 2021, all CSEA employees at state-operated universities, colleges, and hospitals working in-person on campus will be tested regularly for coronavirus. Testing will be free of cost and conducted during regular work hours. Campuses will work with local CSEA representatives to develop their respective employee testing protocols. CSEA employee testing will be done at the same frequency as student testing.

This semester SUNY has conducted 544,190 COVID-19 tests with a positivity rate of 0.52 percent. Most SUNY students are finishing classes and finals remotely. All returning students will be required to submit to tests ahead of the spring semester.

About the Civil Service Employees Association

The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) is one of the largest and most influential unions in New York and the United States. CSEA represents more than 275,000 members who work for state and local governments, school districts, library systems, childcare, and the private sector. Formed in 1910, CSEA continues to improve the lives of hardworking families by negotiating fair and decent collective bargaining agreements. CSEA is the largest affiliate of our International Union, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). For more information, go to CSEANY.org.

Rosanna Yule
Government and Community Relations
11/30/2020