The following note was sent by Lee Adler in advance of NYSPFFA’s 2015 Cornell Seminar.
Dear NYSPFFA members:
There are a number of things we will be doing during our Cornell 3 day meeting, March 16-18, and they include:
- Monday afternoon we will be doing an interesting case study that will carefully review the tension that exists in locals when difficult members are brought up on discipline and intend that the local will represent them.. We have a very detailed and complex case study that will put us through our paces, and, quite importantly, we will talk about how to apply a recent and the most detailed ever case from New York’s highest court about the Duty to Fairly Represent…Understanding how to apply this case to your Local could have a significant impact upon the way your Local functions in these matters from this point on..
- A second case study that we will do is again based upon a recent high court ruling that addresses the important and nagging question of past practice, and whether to bring a PERB case involving a past practice or use your grievance procedure.. Although not as critical as the disciplinary case mentioned above, it is still an important conversation for us to have and may well help your Executive Boards make a more informed decision when faced with the past practice predicament- should I go to PERB or should I file a grievance, because, as many as you know, they are somewhat exclusive approaches to local union legal problem-solving;
- Our panel of lawyers who will deal with a whole range of legal cases and arbitration decisions will include Mimi Satter, Richard Corenthal, and Tom Jordan. They will each talk about their most important cases over the last year, and as always, entertain questions from the floor;
- Tuesday afternoon, we will have John Black for a session explaining some of the problems that NYSPFFA has seen, statewide, about cancer bill cases, and answer your questions about that issue and related issues; Earlier on Tuesday, we will have my students as our guest and I am still trying to figure out a good case that will match your wits and those of our Cornell ILR students;
- We will have a special guest for Tuesday afternoon in Arbitrator and Professor Jim Gross, who will give us some homework for Monday night, and then join us in a session for approximately 1 ¾ hours on Tuesday afternoon, helping us “Get Better at Understanding Contract Language”…He also will spend his last few minutes with you explaining why he thinks that fire fighter unions are human rights organizations.
- Wednesday morning we will have Kevin Decker join us and cover the topics he has for the last several years, all updated, including the economic state of New York; What he is seeing that towns and cities and municipalities are advancing to push back against our wage claims in interest arbitration; How he assesses the Governor’s budget plans and practices; and, of course, the most important part of his presentation, which is addressing the questions you have;
- We will of course have other cases to review in the latter part of Wednesday morning; And, both Tuesday evening from 4:30-5:45, and on Wednesday, for at least one hour after the session is over, I will hold ”Office Hours” and meet with any and all about questions or issues that they would rather discuss in a small group..
- Finally, we should be going to the Ale House again on Monday night as part of the class’ cost, and the ILR Conference center will be having corned beef and cabbage and potatoes for our St. Patrick’s luncheon on Tuesday, March 17.
Best-
Lee