BuildtheCoalitionconferenceboosts
By DEBORAH A. MILES
Significant
Themainbuzzatthetwo-dayPEF
investments
HealthandSafetyConferencefocusedon
PicoBen-Amotz,state
howmuchinformationwasavailable,and
deputycommissionerof
thegreatamountofenthusiasmshown
laborforworkerprotection
bytheparticipants.
andoneofthekeynote
Morethan400PEFmembersandstate
speakers,toldanattentive
agencymanagerstookadvantageofthis
audience,“Forsomeofus,
high-energyconferenceinAlbany
safetyandhealthisour
sponsoredbyPEF,PEFMembership
BEN-AMOTZ
job.Forothers,itisour
BenefitsandtheGovernor’sOfficeof
business;itiswhatweget
EmployeeRelations(GOER)inMarch.
involvedin.
Theeventfeatured17workshops
“Whetherwearedoing
rangingfromahealthandsafety
ourjobsormindingourbusiness,
committees“101”toanadvanced
workplacesafetyandhealthisaboutlives
workers’compensationforum.Thetheme
andfutures.Itisaboutlookingafter
was“BuildtheCoalition.”
ourselvesandeachother.Ourinvolvement
“Thisconferenceprovidedanexcellent
insafetyandhealthgivesourlivesreal
opportunitytoeducate,trainand
meaningandpurpose.Itiswhatletsus
motivateourunionleadersandstate
sleepsoundlyandawakentoanewdawn.”
agencymanagerstoaddresscrucial
SHOWTIME–Dr.BarryLevyand Dr.
Ben-Amotzspokeaboutthevisionheld
healthandsafetyissues,”saidPEF
GregLaGanaperformamusicalsatire
bytheDepartmentofLabor’sdivisionof
PresidentKenBrynien.
aboutthestateofhealthcareinAmerica
safetyandhealth,andthePublicEmployee
“PEFstandsunitedwithGOERinour
attheconferenceplena
SafetyandHealth(PESH)bureau,andhow
mutualgoalofpreventingworkerinjury
—
ry
Ph
s
o
e
t
s
o
si
b
o
y
n
K
.
enDischel
ithasgrownduringthelasttwoyears.
andillness,painandsuffering,andthe
2
“Changedcircumstancestelluswehave
associatednegativeeffectsonagency
tostartmakingsignificantinvestmentsin
performanceandworkers’compensation
providingadditionaltraining,guidanceand
costs.”
a
0
n
0
supporttoourstafftoensureourstrong
enforcementcanwithstandincreased
A
d
9
w
S
a
H
a
r
e
f
d
e
a
s
t
l
y
th
challenges,”Ben-Amotzsaid.
“Thecurrentbudgetcrisiswillpresent
additionalchallengesasweseekto
improveandenhanceourefforts.The
departmentwilldoeverythingwecanto
continuetopushforthefundingandtools
weneedtoensurethesafetyandhealthof
publicemployees,”hesaid.
TheJudithScanlon
HealthandSafety
NewCDavailable
ActivistAwardwentto
Theconferenceprovidedmanytoolsfor
PEFmemberEdSnow,
training.Inadditiontotheworkshops,
forhisdedicationand
participantsreceiveda“Buildthe
advocacyinpromoting
Coalition”CD,alsoanefforttogogreen
thehealthandsafety
andreducepaperwaste.
oftheworkersat
“Therewasawealthofinformation
Sunmount
available,andwewantedtomakesurethe
Developmental
participantshadaccessto
DisabilitiesServices
SNOW ALBAMONT STEIN KINLEY
alltheworkshop
Office.
materials,”saidPEF
MarianneAlbamont
HealthandSafety
receivedTheOutstandingServiceAwardforheroutstandingservicetothehealthand
CommitteeChairKathy
safetyofPEFmembersatthestateOfficeofMentalHealth.
D’Arminio.
PaulStein,healthandsafetyco-chairforPEFDivision199,alsoreceivedanaward
TheCDcontains
forhismanyyearsofunionactivism.
presentationsfromthe
MichaelKinley,PEFco-chairoftheNYSEducationDepartmentWorkplaceViolence
workshops,factsheets
PreventionCommittee,receivedaLabor-ManagementAward.HewasjoinedbyDavid
andnumeroustopical
Green,managementco-chairandKeithPrior,CSEAco-chair,fortheirdedicationand
materials.Itisavailable
perseveranceinmakinghealthandsafetyapriorityatSED.Thecommitteewasalso
uponrequestthrough
recognizedforservingasamodelforlabor-managementcooperation.
D'ARMINIO
PEF’sHealthandSafety
Page10—TheCommunicatorMay2009 PEFInfor
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1-800-553-2445
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