Sept. 11 Victims Remembered on Fifth Anniversary

Leaders and staff of the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) marked the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by gathering at a garden on the grounds of PEF’s headquarters in Latham. There they remembered their 34 union brothers and sisters who died at the World Trade Center complex.

The PEF members who died were among some 300 PEF members who worked for New York state’s Department of Tax and Finance, the Department of Transportation and the National Development and Research Institute. Thirty-one of the PEF members working in the South Tower for tax and finance and three working in the North Tower for transportation perished.

“The terrible events of Sept. 11 brought out the best in our members in their courage and their service to the people of New York,” said PEF president and AFT vice president Kenneth Brynien. “Our members responded to the attack with selflessness, courage and valor.”

Brynien noted that many PEF members continued working Sept. 11 “in whatever capacity they could, helping evacuate the towers, working in rescue operations and ensuring that the vital services our members provide to the citizens of New York were not interrupted.”

In New York City, United Federation of Teachers president and AFT vice president Randi Weingarten was among the invited guests for a Sept. 10 ceremony at Ground Zero. On Sept. 11, Weingarten visited two schools that were located on Trinity Place near the twin towers.

In Washington, D.C., colleagues and students remembered three D.C. public school teachers who were among the passengers killed when American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon. The three teachers, all members of the Washington Teachers Union, were accompanying three schoolchildren on an educational trip to a marine sanctuary in California.

Retiree of the Year Continues to Fight Union’s Battles

For 55 years, Abe Levine has lent constant support to his union, the United Federation of Teachers in New York City. He rarely misses a rally, demonstration or meeting, even though he’s been retired for 13 years. His work with the union earned him honors as the 2006 AFT Retiree of the Year.

“I have experienced so much, and I believe there is an appreciation for that experience,” says Levine, who is the vice chairman of the Retired Teachers chapter of the UFT.

The desire to give back to the union has made Levine, 77, a tireless activist. When he became an elementary school teacher in 1951, he joined the Teachers’ Guild, a predecessor of the UFT. Levine became the UFT’s vice president for elementary schools in 1960 and later served as assistant to UFT president Albert Shanker. Levine held these positions until he retired in 1993.

“I speak up for retirees, but I always remember to speak up for all members. As unionists, we know that there will always be battles to be fought. We must continue to build not only for ourselves and today’s in-service members but also for the generations to come,” he says.

AFT Produces Pamphlet on HIV/AIDS Epidemic in America

AFT members can download and reproduce copies of a new AFT-produced pamphlet promoting awareness about the spread and prevention of HIV/AIDS in America.

The pamphlet, produced by the union’s human rights and community relations department, is available in pdf format at www.aft.org/topics/aids-in-america. It details the scope of the crisis, the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness, ways to get involved in fighting the problem and more.