The "Taylor Law," formally known as the "Public Employees Fair Employment Act," is a New York State law that affects all the public sector workers at Westchester Medical Center. This is the law gives us the right organize and form a union as public sector workers. The law also affects our negotiations in a few key ways:

• We cannot strike. If we did call for a strike, CSEA 9201 leadership could be thrown in jail. This is what happened with the transit workers strike in New York City in 2005. The law also has a provision for fining workers twice their daily wages for each day the strike lasts.
  
  As you might imagine, our inability to strike limits what we can accomplish and we must find other ways to move management during negotiations.
  
  
• When our contract with Westerchseter County expires, the old terms and conditions remain in place until a new contract can be agreed upon. This is good because it prevents the county from cutting our wages and taking away our benefits.
• The law establishes procedures and mechanisms that must be followed if the two sides hit impasse (cannot agree on a contract). These procedures are designed to help us and management come to an agreement without us having to strike.

If you'd like to learn more about the Taylor Law, visit New York State's Taylor Law website page.