New York Healthy Workplace Bill Press Conference and Town Meeting

[Kathy]

PRESS CONFERENCE

Senator Diane Savino and Assemblyman Steve Englebright
New York State Nurses Association,
NY Healthy Workplace Advocates, Maria Morrissey, and Kathy Hermes,
and others to speak at Workplace Bullying Press Conference


S4289 / A4258 Healthy Workplace Bill

Monday, May 2, 2011
12:00pm at the LCA Room
Legislative Office Building

TOWN HALL MEETING
Interactive Presentation & Discussion
Beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Room 711A , Legislative Office Building
Open to the General Public

Senator Diane Savino and Assemblyman Steve Englebright will discuss
New York State's workplace bullying legislation A4258 / S4289. Maria
Morrissey, the sister of workplace bullying target, Kevin Morrissey,
will speak about the importance of such legislation. Kathy Hermes,
the friend of bullying target, Marlene Braun, will also speak about
the need for the legislation.

In 2010, Maria Morrissey lost her brother Kevin Morrissey, managing
editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review, published by the University
of Virginia, to suicide, due to workplace bullying. In spite of
numerous well documented attempts over several years by Kevin
Morrissey to seek help from his employer, little was done to address
the situation before he took his life.

Kathy Hermes lost her friend, Marlene Braun, to suicide in California
in 2005 because of workplace bullying, with Marlene having been denied
transfer requests that would have allowed her to instead work in a
healthier environment.

Maria Morrissey and Kathy Hermes are traveling to New York to express
the need for a law that will address workplace bullying and will
participate in a grassroots lobbying effort on May 2 & 3, 2011.

The current Assembly Bill has over 60 sponsors while the companion
bill passed in the Senate last year with a vote of 45 in favor as
S1823. Several major unions have issued a Memorandum of Support for
the bill, including: AFL-CIO, NYSUT, AFT, DC37, PEF, and the New York
State Nurses Association.

As a follow up to the midday Press Conference, a Town Hall Meeting
that is open to the general public will be held in Room 711A of the
Legislative Office Building beginning at 5:30 p.m. to allow for a more
in depth presentation by the afternoon press conference participants
and an interactive question and answer period.