Retaliation comes in many forms.
In 1995 at the Department of State (DOS) in Albany, an employee lunchroom/breakroom was converted to “union” private offices and two leaders were relocated to the spaces. Those leaders and PEF didn’t take kindly to the situation.
According to then PEF Field Representative Jim Hair, the union broke new ground in the lunchroom improper practice charge case. Part of PEF’s argument involved the unprecedented assertion that management had retaliated against two active PEF leaders by creating the appearance of preferential treatment.
“Hair contended that by singling the two union leaders out for an apparent favor, at the expense of a popular benefit, department managers sought to foster resentment among the pair’s coworkers,” the story in the February 1995 issue of The Communicator stated. The settlement in the case called for removal of a dividing wall built during the conversion and restoration of the lunchroom.
The story also chronicled the cases of a leader downstate who said he faced retaliation in the form of lower performance evaluations for filing grievances and a council leader who was demoted due to his union activism.
Check out the original story here.
Nearly 30 years later, PEF is once again at the forefront of the fight against retaliation and toxic workplaces – most recently with the launch of a large-scale campaign to shine a light on what’s happening in New York state agencies and to push for legislation to address workplace bullying and abusive conduct through education and training. PEF will continue to push for passage of the legislation in 2024 – it got through the Assembly last year, but stalled in the Senate — and is calling for the state to create uniform standards to define bullying and abusive conduct in the workplace.
View “Toxic Tales” videos from fellow members about the toxicity of their workplaces and learn more about the campaign here. If you have a toxic tale to share, please get in touch with us at Communicator@pef.org. We will work with you to share your story in the most sensitive way and safeguard your identity if necessary.