April 3, 2002 
Human Resources Directors To: 
Joyce Villa From: 
Employee Relations Update Subject: 
Topics Covered: 
Workforce Champions 
Negotiations 
Whistle Blower Law 
Workforce Champions 
The Governor's Office of Employee Relations has announced the 
nominations period for the Workforce Champions Awards. The program 
recognizes the accomplishments of employee teams that have contributed to 
enhancing the quality of state operations. We are asking you to publicize the 
availability of the program widely throughout your campus. 
The deadline for nominations is May 15, 2002. The program is more fully 
described in the attached bulletin, where you will also find nomination forms. 
The nomination form asks that an agency level contact be identified (second to 
last line from bottom of first page) to facilitate follow-ups by the award 
committee. Please insert my name on that line. In the event the committee has 
questions regarding one or more SUNY applications, I will notify the affected 
campus.
Additional nomination forms can be obtained by visiting the GOER 
website or by calling (518) 474-5871. In the first year of the program, a SUNY 
team from Binghamton University, which included Sylvia Hall, was honored at 
receptions in Albany and at the campus. 
Please call me with any question you may have.
Collective Bargaining 
The process of collating and assessing proposals for upcoming collective 
negotiations is underway. Most campuses have consulted broadly and submitted 
comments, recommending ways in which the agreements can be improved. We 
are now entering the review and analysis phase of preparations where we will 
invite campus representatives to a series of meetings to further elucidate and 
evaluate the potential impact of proposals on all campuses. We will be working 
with a core group of campus representatives in an advisory committee as well as 
asking those campuses that have commented to join us for intensive discussions. 
Our goal is to have all campus sectors represented, to encourage a broad-based 
consensus where possible. 
Health Care Whistleblower Law 
The Governor has just signed a bill which prohibits employers from 
retaliating against employees who perform health care services in public 
university settings or in health care facilities licensed pursuant to Article 28 of the 
public health law, and who report, threaten to report or refuse to participate in 
improper patient care. A copy of the law is attached for your reference. 
This applies to SUNY hospitals, clinics and student health centers. 
Protections of the new law attach only after an employee has brought the alleged 
improper quality of patient care to the attention of a supervisor and afforded the 
employer a reasonable opportunity to correct the objectionable activity, policy or 
practice. This opportunity for correction requirement would not apply if the 
quality of care issue presents an imminent threat to a particular patient or the 
public health. 
The law expressly recognizes as a defense to a claim of retaliation that a 
negative personnel action was based on grounds other than the employee's 
exercise of rights under the statute. 
Attachments - (to be sent via U.S. Mail) 
c: Chancellor King 
Mr. Miller 
Mr. Edwards 
Presidents, State-operated Campuses 
Vice Presidents for Administration
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