September 15, 2026 — Many Americans remember where they were on September 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center was the target of terrorist attacks. On that day, 40 members of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance lost their lives, including 34 PEF members who worked in the twin towers.
Twenty-five years later, a memorial service was held in Brooklyn, with PEF President Wayne Spence and Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Amanda Hillard joined by other union leaders, family members and current Taxation and Finance employees to mark the solemn anniversary.
PEF President Wayne Spence was joined by AFT President Randi Weingarten and CSEA Local President Felicia McCullough in remembering the lives lost and making clear that unions continue to support the families, just as they did 25 years ago.
“We had union members volunteer at Ground Zero and people across the country came together to support the victims in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania,” said President Spence. “The American flags displayed in the months afterwards reflect a nation united in grief and in resolve. In the aftermath, unions like PEF provided comfort, assistance and vital information as members and families faced the emotional, legal and insurance challenges created by the attacks.”
PEF’s Membership Benefits Program documented more than $1.5 million in incurred liability for term life, accidental death and assault claims. Using funds secured from AFT, SEIU and the PEF World Trade Center Fund approved by the union’s Executive Board soon after the attack, PEF was able to provide direct support to the families.
“PEF members who work at Tax and Finance throughout the state made sure that PEF as a union did not forget,” said President Spence. “They knew the challenges of their coworkers and survivors. How were they going to pay rent? How were they going to pay mortgages? How were they going to pay bills when there was a struggle with insurance companies?”
President Spence said that it is important to affirm every year not only the union’s commitment to ensuring that family members continue to receive the support they need, but that all New Yorkers and Americans continue to remember the fallen and celebrate their lives.
“As we commemorate the 25th anniversary, we honor the members we lost, those who love them, and the coworkers who continue to carry their memories,” said President Spence. “Today we affirm to the families: You are not alone, you are not forgotten, and you never will be.”
PEF Executive Board Member Conrad Davis, who works as an auditor at Taxation and Finance, spoke directly to his colleagues.
“Forty stories, 40 co-workers, 40 people who mattered,” he said. “25 years we remember, 25 years we speak their names. And as long as we are willing to gather, willing to remember, and willing to tell their stories, a part of them remains among us. To our 40 colleagues: You came to work one morning and became forever woven in history. But today remember that before you were ever a part of history, you were a part of us. And you still are.”
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul shared a recorded message to attendees. She said that New Yorkers are forever grateful in grief to those who lost their lives, especially those who lost lives ensuring others survived.
“We remember their names, their stories, and their service to New York State,” said Governor Huchol. “With every passing year, we’re called to preserve their legacy and sacrifice. So today, I say thank you and may God bless all of you.”
Following the speakers, members of the department were invited to read the names of those who passed, and a short documentary was played featuring family, friends and co-workers sharing memories of their departed loved ones and colleagues.
Acting Taxation and Finance Commissioner Amanda Hiller praised the work done by those at the department.
“Tax administration is not usually thought of as heroic work. It happens quietly. But government depends on people willing to do that quiet work every day. Our colleagues understood that,” Hiller said. “When we remember them today, we should be careful not to only remember them in terms of the work that they did. Because no one is only their job. The colleagues we lost were parents, spouses and partners, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends, neighbors, individuals who had favorite places and favorite foods, inside jokes and family traditions, hopes for the future and plans ahead. They had people waiting for them to come home and they didn’t.”
As the ceremony came to a close, a more intimate gathering was held separately for some of the families in attendance. President Spence, Conrad Davis and PEF Region 11 Coordinator Bernadette O’Connor presented families in attendance with a special certificate commemorating the 25th anniversary. President Spence credited Davis with the idea of coming up with a certificate of remembrance, especially for younger generations of New Yorkers and Americans.
“People forget that it wasn’t just police and firefighters,” said President Spence. “I know that they ran in, but people don’t realize that these people just went to work. So, with the help of the state, we wanted to do something from New York and the union to recognize the sacrifice your family made.”
