To All Members:
I hope this email continues to find you, your family, and your members healthy and safe!
As you are aware, I communicate regularly with NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. We agreed that it would be a good time for him to give our members a briefing on the recent developments regarding divestment from fossil fuels, and the 2021-22 budget proposal.
We have set up a teleconference exclusively for NYSPEC members units, and the following is the call in information:
- 9:00 am, Tuesday, February 9
- Call-in Number 1.646.307.1990
- Conference ID: 442-081-741
If you have a particular issue you would like the Comptroller to address, please forward that to me via email as soon as practicable so that it can be included in his presentation.
I would also like to update you on some other NYSPEC issues.
NYSPEC’s 2021 Legislative Agenda has been posted on our website. Note that COVID-19 Coronavirus-related legislation is our foremost legislative priority in 2021, as per our unanimous consensus at our November 10, 2020 annual meeting.
As of now, and as previously reported, we plan to conduct our 2021 Annual Meeting and Convention at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I am regularly in touch with the hotel management. Currently the property is operating, and while not quite at a 100% capacity, barring any unforeseen circumstances, they plan to be at 100% by October/November of this year. As a reminder, our dates this year are before Thanksgiving: November 12 thru 16, 2021.
During these trying times the leadership team of NYSPEC continues to monitor and stay on top of what is happening in Albany, especially during the budget process. As previously reported, the COVID-19 Coronavirus death benefit law (Chapter 89 of 2020) was extended by Executive Order 202.91, with a new expiry date of Monday February 22, 2021. We are working diligently to facilitate passage of, at the very least, a law extending this crucial benefit until the end of 2022.
Stay Safe!; In Unity,
Peter D. Meringolo
Chairman
