The CSEA Union’s local 830 division, part of one of the largest unions in New York, sent out a mailer depicting Bruce Blakeman, the first Jewish executive of Nassau County, with horns on his head.
The mailer was sent Oct. 11, one day before Yom Kippur, which is the holiest holiday in Judaism. Horns depicted on Jews is an antisemitic stereotype that started in medieval times. Alongside the image of Blakeman was information on the union’s health insurance coverage, which is part of a months-long dispute between Blakeman and the union.
“Bruce Blakeman is trying to replace your negotiated health insurance with a subpar insurance plan behind your back,” the mailer said. “But he wants you to believe it’s CSEA’s fault.”
Also on the front of the mailer was a headline that “The Devil is in the Detail” and a speech bubble next to Blakeman saying, “we’ll make them pay more and not even tell them.”
“As antisemitism reaches unprecedented levels, this is appalling from CSEA Local 830 — targeting the first Jewish Nassau County Executive with this bile the day before Yom Kippur begins,” the Republican Jewish Coalition said on X. “Shameful. CSEA must immediately apologize to Nassau Executive Bruce Blakeman and disavow this mailer.”
Chris Boyle, a spokesman for Blakeman, called it “despicable” that with all the antisemitism present, the union would depict Blakeman with horns.
“Blakeman will not capitulate to the union’s demands for a different healthcare provider that they didn’t bargain for, which would cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars,” Boyle said in a press release.
Blakeman and the union have been battling over health insurance coverage for about 4,200 county employees since the summer. Newsday reported that the feud escalated two weekends ago through direct emails between Blakeman and union leadership.
CSEA members agreed last year to move from the state’s Empire Plan to the Excelsior Plan, saving the county about $280 million over their 13-year contract in exchange for wage increases and signing bonuses.
However, Aurora Scifo, vice president of CSEA Local 830, said Blakeman “quietly informed” NYS Civil Service on Aug. 26 that they would not be transitioning Excelsior-covered employees to the Empire Plan on Jan. 1, kicking them out of the New York State Health Insurance Program completely.
“The county did not notify the union as required,” Scifo said on Facebook. “The county plans to enroll the CSEA employees in a very high deductible plan which provides inferior coverage at a much higher cost to the employee, which violates our contract.”
In a letter dated Oct. 6 to all active CSEA county employees, Newsday reported Blakeman assured them that Anthem would provide health coverage beginning on Jan. 1.
