MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

By Erich Shiners

Erich Shiners is a Board Member at the California Public Employment Relations Board, where he participates in deciding appeals, formulating regulations, and overseeing agency operations. Before his appointment to the Board, he represented public agency and nonprofit employers in labor and employment matters. He can be reached at e_shiners@u.pacific.edu.

During the last few months, the world has faced a public health crisis unlike anything else in our lifetimes. It is impossible to express proper gratitude to the healthcare providers who are treating those who fall ill and who work hard to keep the rest of us healthy, as well as essential workers whose work allows us to maintain the necessities of life. To those on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19, I extend a heartfelt thank you!

Thanks also are due to the millions of Americans who followed public health officials’ guidelines to minimize contact with others to stop the rapid spread of the virus. It was difficult for us to give up our normal lives, but doing so helped spare our families, friends, neighbors, and strangers from serious illness or death.