The events of these past couple of weeks resulting from Sandy have left a significant number of our members without electricity for many days, an inability to get gas, damage to their dwellings, lost homes, and in a couple of instances, injury.  We have unfortunately had reports of some of our members losing loved ones as a result of the storm.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to each and every member and their families.  If you need assistance  in facilitating communications with agencies providing assistance, please let us know.

Many of our members in our law enforcement, EMS, DPW, operations and maintenance and healthcare units, to name a few, have been working around the clock while their own families are suffering with no power, damaged homes, and in some cases loss of their homes.  Public employees throughout the region have shown why they are a necessity in providing the services the public desperately needs.  Many of our members have gone to the aid of neighbors, relatives and strangers.  They have assisted in donating clothing, food and other necessities to those communities devastated by the storm.

God Bless Each and Everyone of You.

One major issue compounding matters, is the position of some employers not to pay employees, particularly the hourly employees, for the time they couldn’t work when their employers were closed.  We are in communication with each of our member’s employers imploring them to pay all staff whether legally obligated to do so or not.

It is unclear if the State Department of Education, through the legislator, will make up the days. The state and federal governments have already announced they will make local governments whole for overtime costs, all anticipated aid, and for damage to property.  Therefore, we believe no employee should suffer a loss.

Further, many of our operations and maintenance members in school districts worked during most of  the storm, and we have requested that each employer provide some form of additional compensation to each of you for your gallant efforts in going to work while your families were suffering with lost power and property damage.  We will continue to pursue these efforts on behalf of our members.

This period has certainly proved trying for many of our members, and members of the general public who are still suffering, and we all are hoping for a swift return to normalcy.  We all hope and pray it is soon.

Again, should any members of UPSEU need assistance in communicating with agencies providing aid, please let us know as soon as possible.

We thank each and every member who has gone above and beyond to assist each of us and your communities.

Fraternally yours,


Kevin E. Boyle, Jr.