b"I decided that if the Union has this much control over my life, I better get involved. I was paying dues anyway, since we'dhad an agency shop since 1976. I started going to meetings of the White-Collar chapter. After a while, I became recordingsecretary and later, chapter chair. I got involved because I thought the Union was doing something bad, but I learned thatthe Union was right, that having rules was the only way people would be treated fairly.In Islip, we were originally in CSEA. Under their pay plan, we never, ever got to the top. There were 30 steps! Insteadof getting raises for everyone across the board, every contract just added more steps at the top. The starting salary neverincreased. You could be working for 25 years and still not be at the top pay level. You could never get parity; people in thesame title doing the same work never made the same wages. The Teamsters started changing that as soon as they came.Lou Partenza especially did a great job. It took time, but now it's down to eight and it works beautifully.\x02Terri DahlOff Track Betting, Cashier, Long Island Office- Business AgentMember since 1976In members own wordsI've been at OTB in Hauppauge, in Suffolk, since January 1976. OTB started in Suffolk in 1975. I started as a part-time cashier and became full-time in 1978. I joined Local 237 when I started at OTB because the Union was there; everybody joined.Back in '89, part-timers were told that we couldn't join the pension plan. Some people tried as individuals but nothing happened. We organized a group of OTB cashiers, and held a meeting at the Masonic Hall. My branch spearheaded it. About 40 people came. We formed a committee to write letters to our state senators and assemblymen.The Union helped us organize a bus trip to Albany in 1991. We spoke in front of the legislators and told them wewanted to join the pension plan. State Senator Caesar Trunzo put us in touch with the right people. He and his secretarieswere wonderful.Trunzo introduced the bill in 1991, but Governor Cuomo said he wanted a bill that would cover part-timers all overthe state, not just OTB in Suffolk, so the legislators rewrote the bill. We worked with Pat Stryker, the Union's lobbyist, andshe was instrumental in getting the bill passed.The bill passed in June 1993, and as a result, thousands of part-time public workers all over the state-teachers, policeofficers, and many others-were allowed to join the New York State Retirement System.\x02Rosemarie Mango CavanaghBoard of Education DieticianIn her own wordsIf it wasnt for the union, I wouldnt have achieved my goals in life. The Union has always supported my concerns andthrough the years has given me guidance and advice. Through their guidance, I was able to be successful starting as a 207 "