WHEREAS:
Danny Donohue was a giant in the labor movement and was the longest-serving President of CSEA, who dedicated his life to fighting for the working people of New York and giving all working families a voice on the job; and
WHEREAS:
Danny Donohue’s career in public service began in 1965 when he was working as an attendant at Central Islip Psychiatric Center, where, in 1975, he became the local union president; and
WHEREAS:
Danny Donohue would become the Long Island Region’s 1st Vice President, becoming Regional President in 1980. He would serve in that role for eight years, later winning a race to become CSEA Executive Vice President in 1988; and
WHEREAS:
In 1994, Danny Donohue became CSEA’s President, and throughout his more than 25 years as President, Donohue won major victories for New York’s working families; and
WHEREAS:
Those achievements included historic growth across both the public and private sectors, including welcoming 25,000 independent child care providers into the CSEA family; winning a permanent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for retirees; passing a workplace violence prevention law; fighting powerful interests who wanted to contract out jobs, preserving union strength in the wake of the Janus decision; and
WHEREAS:
Throughout his tenure as CSEA president, Danny Donohue worked with politicians on both sides of the aisle, forging strong partnerships in service of CSEA members’ interests. Yet he was never afraid to stand up to anyone, from a governor to a local supervisor, who failed to recognize CSEA members’ value and/or give them the respect they deserved; and
WHEREAS:
Danny Donohue was a respected voice across the labor movement, serving as an AFSCME International Vice President and Vice President of the New York State AFL-CIO; and
WHEREAS:
Danny Donohue served CSEA for more than 50 years, retiring in 2019, and continued to fight for working families until his passing on August 10, 2025. In a career marked by toughness, tenacity, warmth and humor, Danny Donohue improved the lives of countless New York working families.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
AFSCME recognizes the life and impact of our union brother and friend, Danny Donohue, a dedicated and courageous leader within CSEA, AFSCME and the entire labor movement; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME will continue to honor Danny Donohue’s legacy by continuing to fight with the same grit, boldness and vision Donohue demonstrated throughout his career.
SUBMITTED BY:
Mary Sullivan, President and Delegate
Stacey Baldwin-Deyo, Secretary and Delegate
Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA)/AFSCME Local 1000
New York