September 22 — It took eight days of suppression efforts for responders to knock down and contain the Napanoch Point wildland fire in Minnewaska State Park, a testament to the dedication of state and local partners who took swift action to combat the blaze. What started as a suspected lightning strike on August 27...
Read More
September 15, 2022 — The PEF Executive Board met September 8 and 9 in Albany, observing a moment of silence for those lost on September 11, 2001; deciding on a Convention location for 2023 and 2024; discussing membership, financial and organizing updates; and approving political endorsements for the November general election. Silence for the fallen ...
Read More
It was a warm day and evening as hundreds of PEF and other union members marched through the streets of downtown Albany on September 9 in the city’s annual Labor Parade. Colorful shirts, hats, pennants and whistles were worn and carried by marchers, along with signs. Some of the signs carried by PEF members said:...
Read More
September 15, 2022 — Did you visit the PEF booth at the New York State Fair? You weren’t alone. More than 1,100 active members and retirees stopped by the booth from Aug. 24-Sept. 25 and signed about 5,000 petitions supporting the union’s Fund Our Future campaign. The PEF Organizing Department was the driving force...
Read More
September 15, 2022 — PEF testified September 13 in Albany when the Assembly Committee on People with Disabilities held a public hearing on a draft strategic 5-year plan developed by the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. PEF Vice President Randi DiAntonio, who was limited to just 3 minutes of verbal testimony along with...
Read More
I hope every PEF member had a relaxing and engaging Labor Day! It was great to see so many smiling faces at the Albany, Massena, Rochester and Syracuse parades. We feature a write-up of the largest gathering, the Capital District Labor Parade, in this issue, as well as dozens of photos from the other celebrations across...
Read More
September 15, 2022 — Paying for college amid record-high inflation got even harder as of July 1, 2022, when interest rates for federal student loans rose from 3.73 percent to 4.99 percent for subsidized and unsubsidized undergraduate loans, and from 5.28 percent to 6.54 percent for unsubsidized graduate loans, according to Forbes. “Each May,...
Read More
September 15, 2022 — Four vacant seats on the PEF Executive Board have been filled and a fifth seat will be filled pending the results of a special election. These were all mid-term vacancies and PEF members filling them will serve the remainder of the unexpired terms that end July 31, 2024. Keith Browne fills...
Read More
September 15, 2022 — Paying for college amid record-high inflation got even harder as of July 1, 2022, when interest rates for federal student loans rose from 3.73 percent to 4.99 percent for subsidized and unsubsidized undergraduate loans, and from 5.28 percent to 6.54 percent for unsubsidized graduate loans, according to Forbes. “Each May,...
Read More
September 7, 2022 — Sharks already get a bad rap, but with all the recent news of an uptick in shark sightings along Long Island beaches, the East Coast, and around the world, many people are growing wary of entering the water. It might seem more dangerous given the media attention, but according to...
Read More