TO: Statewide Health and Safety Committee, Agency Health and Safety Chairs, Local Health and Safety Chairs, Infection Control Nurses/Personnel, Statewide Nurses Committee, Agency Safety Managers, and PEF Executive Board Members

FROM: Jonathan Rosen, Director, PEF Health and Safety Department

DATE: October 25, 2002

RE: 2003 PEF Health and Safety Conference, "Our Jobs, Our Lives!"

The Public Employees Federation Health and Safety Program would like to invite you to this year’s Health and Safety Conference to be held on January 30 – February 2, 2003 at the Crowne Plaza in Albany, NY. Enclosed please find registration materials to be completed and returned by December 20, 2002.

The theme of this year’s conference is "Our Jobs – Our Lives." PEF is committed to safe jobs and safe workplaces. The conference is an excellent opportunity to network with fellow labor and management health safety personnel to discuss key issues. Past conferences have featured national and state experts and prepared participants to accomplish important improvements such as instituting bloodborne pathogens, ergonomics, workplace violence prevention, and confined space entry programs

The keynote speaker will be Charles Levenstein, MS, PhD, Director, Program on Environment and Work, University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Please promote the conference at your next labor/management meeting and encourage representatives from management and other bargaining units to attend. Additional registration forms are available by calling Danielle Little-Thomson at (800) 342-4306, ext. 336. A tentative program agenda has been included in this packet to provide further details.

The following individuals are eligible for funding by PEF and should complete form #1 (pink paper, enclosed): Labor and Management representatives of the Statewide Health and Safety Committee, Agency and Local Health and Safety Chairs, Infection Control Nurses, Agency Safety Managers, PEF Executive Board Members, PEF Statewide Officers, PEF Regional Coordinators, PEF Field Staff, and members of the Statewide Nurses Committee.

All other participants must be funded by their PEF Division through a scholarship, their agency, or at their own expense. Individuals not funded by PEF should complete form #2 (yellow paper, enclosed), and attach a check for meals, housing, and the registration fee.

We encourage PEF Divisions to offer scholarships so that they may send additional health and safety representatives to the conference. Scholarships should include the cost of transportation, meals, housing, and the registration fee.

All hotel reservations will be made by PEF. A finite number of rooms have been reserved at a special rate for our group at the hotel. Space is limited and reservations will be taken on a "first come, first serve" basis. Due to cost and the limited number of rooms available, local attendees are not eligible for housing.

PEF policies for travel and other expenses apply. There will be no air flights approved for this conference by PEF. Expense vouchers will be available for participants at the conference.

The Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) has approved a request for release time for conference attendees, subject to agency operational needs. A letter outlining the agreement has been included for your information. If you need assistance in obtaining "Administrative Leave" from your agency or have any questions, first contact your local PEF Division Leader or Field Representative. Additional assistance may be obtained by contacting Ross Aronson (800) 342-4306 Ext. 252.

A registration fee of $35.00 has been implemented to offset the expense of the conference. The fee applies to all registrants, including those funded by PEF. Please make checks payable to: Public Employees Federation.

We wish to thank our sponsors for funding the conference: PEF, PEF Membership Benefits, and the State of New York/PEF Statewide Health & Safety Committee.

REGISTRATION MUST BE RETURNED BY December 20, 2002 ATTENTION:

Danielle Little-Thomson, Conference Coordinator

NYS PEF/H&S Conference Registration

1168-70 Troy-Schenectady Road

PO Box 12414

Albany NY 12212-2414

Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to seeing you at the conference!