eliminating abusive employers
By DEBORAH A. MILES
The day beamed with warmth and sunshine, but the mood of the dozens of PEF leaders and staff remained solemn. As in past years, they stood shoulder-to-shoulder on Workers Memorial Day in front of the union’s monument at its headquarters in Latham.
PEF President Ken Brynien and Secretary-Treasurer Arlea Igoe placed a wreath in memory of members who lost their lives while on the job. They were joined by PEF Vice President Joe Fox.
It was just one of the many April 28 events being held across the country. It was a day when family and friends of lost workers stood in solidarity to renew the fight for safer working conditions.
Brynien talked about the hazards state workers face on a daily basis.
“As the years pass, we find there is always something on the horizon,” he said. “This year, the swine flu has become front-page news, with Mexico being the epicenter of the outbreak killing dozens of people. Scores of cases have been confirmed in the United States. Many of our PEF members are exposed to the general public and are at risk of catching this flu.
“This is in addition to the risks our members take every day on the job. Last month, a 41-year-old parole officer, Jeff Woolson, lost his life in an accident. Let us take a moment of silence and bow our heads in his memory.”
Brynien also said life seems to be moving faster and faster. “Take time to enjoy it and find moments of peace and reflection,” he said.
Eight fallen workers
A few hours later, Brynien joined other union members at the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) headquarters. The event remembered eight workers from the Capital Region who were killed on the job during 2008. The youngest, Brett Peck, 20, died in a construction accident. And 70-year-old retired NYSUT member Roberta King was among those shot in the Binghamton Immigration Center tragedy.
The
event opened with music performed by PEF Director of Occupational Health and
Safety Jonathan Rosen and his wife Annie.State Human Rights Commissioner Galen Kirkland talked about the need for dignity and respect for all workers.
”It is clear to me as the commissioner, thousands of people go to work every day anticipating one more day of hell. That’s because the work environment is often hostile, especially against people with different backgrounds. Last year, the division reviewed 7,600 complaints related to employment discrimination. Most of them are cases of extreme psychological pain in the workplace,” Kirkland said.
“We need to move forward with diligence and speed and turn to our young people. We need to change the social norms. We are living in the most bizarre period with the economy in a downturn and people losing their jobs and homes. We have to reach young people in small groups to let them know attacking someone because they look different, or come from another country, or have a different sexual orientation is not correct.
“We have to address violence and abuse in our own communities. There can be sunlight on the horizon if we all become activists and reach out to more people,” Kirkland said.
Farm workers lack rights
Jordan Wells, a coordinator for the Justice for Farm Workers Campaign, spoke about the horrendous abuses farm workers endure, such as living in filth and squalor, and being physically and verbally abused by employers.
Wells said the farm workers need to be able to speak freely without fear of retribution.
“They need to have the opportunity to expand their rights such as getting one day off a week, overtime pay, the right to unionize and the right to disability insurance,” Wells said.
The event concluded with a rose ceremony and the reading of the fallen workers’ names by Fox, in his role as president of the Capital District Area Labor Federation.
