Dear Members:
I hope all of you were able to enjoy the season’s holidays, and have been in good health. Unfortunately we are still faced with COVID; I’ve heard from a few of our members that have come down with COVID, and it’s apparent that we all still have to be careful. It is difficult when, as union leaders, we must be around large crowds. So, stay safe and stay well!
I was very pleased with our annual meeting/convention. It was a huge success again this year, and I appreciate the level of participation at all the meetings. I have been in contact with Senator Jackson, his Chief of Staff Johanna Garcia, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato and our Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. They’ve all expressed deep appreciation for the way they were received by our membership, and expressed their thanks to all of us.
While there were some labor bills that were vetoed once again, there were also several that NYSPEC supported that were signed into law. I believe it was a good sign from our Governor and I feel we are moving forward in a positive direction. There is much more work to be done to overcome some of the recurring vetoes, and we will continue to have NYSPEC’s collective voice heard.
NYSPEC’s Annual Legislative Breakfast, the highlight of our events calendar each year, is not far away; as you are aware, each year we publish a pocket-sized booklet to distribute at (and after) the breakfast. While the booklet contains an updated message to our governmental officials along with our 2024 Legislative Agenda, it is important to remember that it also contains NYSPEC’s rosters of our membership. Therefore, please take a moment now to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information regarding the names of your unit, your unit’s leader (referred to by NYSPEC as a “Director”), and your unit’s Legislative Director if you want to list one. You may view the information we currently have on the public portion of our website in drop downs under “NYSPEC ROSTERS”. Even if you informed me or someone else about changes to your unit’s information at our convention, I ask that you email the changes to me once again, to ensure that the information in our printed booklet is updated correctly.
I look forward to seeing all of you at our legislative breakfast on Tuesday, Feb 6; as a reminder, we always conduct a Legislative Committee meeting immediately following the breakfast’s formal program, so please arrange your plans accordingly.
As the New Year approaches I wish you, your families, and your members a very Happy and Healthy New Year. I look forward to working with all of you during the 2024 legislative session and pushing the NYSPEC agenda.
In Unity,
Peter D. Meringolo
Chairman
