February 14, 2025 — The health and safety of members is PEF’s top priority. And while horrific stories of stabbings or assaults earn the headlines, there are many ways that PEF members work within the labor-management system to solve problems. That’s why PEF President Wayne Spence asked PEF’s Membership Benefits Program (MBP) to help run a sweepstakes for members in Western New York asking them to share their health and safety success stories for a chance to win tickets to a Buffalo Sabres hockey game.
“We have been hearing from members about all kinds of health and safety issues from infrastructure to lack of equipment and more,” said President Spence. “We’ve also been hearing from people who said that they’ve been able to use the union, or come up with ideas, that solve some of those issues. I wanted to highlight that.”
Ahmad Rashid is a registered nurse at Roswell Park. Rashid’s story centers around the cancer center not having enough staff, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Rashid said that while the institution has been working on the issue, he saw a chance to do something.
“We’ve addressed this by advocating for increased staffing levels and implementing strategies to improve workflows, such as streamlining communication through technology and adjusting assignments to balance workloads,” wrote Rashid in his response to MBP.
Rashid said that Roswell Park is not any different from other hospitals that experience short staffing, with sick calls, medical leaves and other unexpected absences being the main culprits. He believes that while Roswell Park is making efforts, it can do more to shore up its defenses by hiring more Patient Care Technicians (PCTs).
“PCTs are vital team members, assisting with patient mobility, hygiene, and other essential tasks that directly impact patient outcomes,” said Rashid. “Yet they are often paid close to minimum wage while working under high-stress conditions. I firmly believe that PCTs should earn at least $20 per hour or more, given their contributions to patient care.”
Revenue Crimes Specialist Trainee at the Department of Tax and Finance Alex Scalone grew concerned about the frequency of fruit flies in his office building. While fruit flies are typically more annoying than they are dangerous, Scalone felt that the issue was getting out of control.
“Every day there would be fruit flies buzzing around our heads at our desks, in the break room, and everywhere in the office,” said Scalone. “The issue was not dangerous to anyone’s health, so we could not get approval for an exterminator to come in and remove them.”
When Scalone researched how best to get rid of fruit flies, he learned that mixing everyday ingredients like vinegar and honey attracts and traps fruit flies when put into a cup and left out. Today, Scalone said, there are no more fruit flies in the office and without harmful chemicals which may have made the situation worse.
Philip Reinagel is a Medicaid Integrity Specialist 1 at the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, but his story came from when he worked for the New York State Retirement System.
As an avid Buffalo Bills fan, he was devastated on January 3, 2023, watching cornerback Damar Hamlin go into cardiac arrest after a hard hit during a football game. Watching the drama on TV as medical personnel employed an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to keep Hamlin’s heart beating made him realize his office building had no such device.
“We would often meet with older individuals simply based on retirement age or people with disabilities that may have been forced into exploring retirement options, so our office tended to deal with people that might be of higher risk of heart problems,” recalled Reinagel. “If someone were to suddenly go into cardiac arrest, we did not have the ability to help them to the fullest.”
So Reinagel contacted the Emergency Preparedness Team at the Office of the Comptroller and after several months he was able to secure an AED for the 8th floor of the Ellicott Square Building and arrange for training on how to use it effectively.
In an ideal world, Reinagel said more people would have CPR and AED training throughout his workplace.
“I would welcome the opportunity to be re-certified in CPR/AED so I would feel more comfortable acting in an emergency,” he said.
Each of these stories highlights how PEF members can be proactive in their workplace to ensure the health and safety of themselves and their co-workers. The PEF Health & Safety Department is always available to assist members who notice something unsafe at work. Contact them at HealthandSafety@pef.org.
Editor’s Note: Reinagel, Scalone and Rashid will be watching the Sabres take on the Edmonton Oilers on March 10 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo. We’ll include a center ice photo in a future issue!