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.

As I write this message (mid-March 2020), we are in the midst of a public health crisis unlike any in our lifetimes. In accordance with public health officials’ guidelines to limit interpersonal contact, we decided to cancel April’s 26th Annual Public Sector Conference and 37th Section Annual Meeting to protect the health of our members, staff, and presenters. I am optimistic that by the time you read this, we will be moving forward with a plan to provide the content from those conferences in another way. And to those on the frontlines of the fight against coronavirus/COVID-19, I extend a heartfelt thank you!

Since the situation seems to change almost hourly, I will leave further discussion of our current pandemic for a future message. I now return you to our regularly scheduled message, inspired by the conclusion of the California primary election.