Union of State Employees. Local 382 (N.Y.)

The Union of State Employees originated among clerks in the Claims, Underwriting, and Actuarial departments of the State Insurance Fund and was first chartered by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees in February, 1937. It was called the "Jewish" union because the majority of the activists were Jewish. Six months after joining AFSCME, the local joined the State County and Municipal Workers of America, CIO as Local 45. During its first year 500 of 800 employees in the State Insurance Fund enrolled in the union, but subsequent political infighting between Stalinist and Trotskyist minority factions impeded membership gains. The majority, characterized as New Deal Democrats, eventually prevailed with the election of George J. Levine during World War II.

After the war, the SCMWA went into the United Public Workers which combined membership in the State Insurance Fund, Workers Compensation Board and State Department of Labor as one chapter in Local 1099, UPW. Six months before the UPW was expelled from the CIO, the chapter bolted, becoming the Union of State Employees (Independent). When the CIO set up the Government and Civic Employees Organizing Committee, USE received a charter to organize state employees throughout the state of New York as Local 382.

When the AFL and CIO merged, Local 382 joined Council 50 of AFSCME which spearheaded organizing among New York State employees. Council 50 was led by Al Wurf, whose brother Jerry had more success on the municipal level through District Council 37. Council 50 faced strong competition from the Civil Service Employees Association, regarded by AFL-CIO affiliates as a company union. At its height in 1969, Council 50 could claim 15-18,000 members to CSEA's 100,000. When the Taylor Law provided for collective bargaining rights for state employees, five units were established: professional, administrative, operating, correction and mental hygeine. Council 50 (which became AFSCME Council 82) won only Correction; CSEA won the other four. Although the rest of Council 50 withered away, Local 382 continued to exist as an independent despite the fact that CSEA had bargaining rights for the State Insurance Fund. Local 382 worked sub-rosa to represent employees and served as a gadfly to further state employees' rights. The local claims an important role in winning health insurance for state employees.

In 1972 Local 382 began an affiliation drive with the Service Employees International Union with the idea of calling another election to challenge CSEA. The campaign was initiated by John Kraemer, a Department of Labor employee and former president of Council 50. CSEA successfully kept its four units in 1972. SEIU Local 382 was defeated again in 1975 with a closer vote. With the backing of the SEIU and the AFT, it succeeded in winning the professional unit in 1978. It planned to try for the administrative unit, but as a defensive measure, CSEA joined AFSCME in 1979. Local 382 was absorbed by the Public Employees Federation (SEIU) representing professional, scientific and professional employees of the state of New York. Local 382 disbanded in 1982.