The Business Council's Labor & Human Resources Committee will hold its annual western New York meeting Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Galleria Mall in Cheektowaga, Erie County.
The meeting will run from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in the mall's community conference room.
The agenda includes:
. A review of the 2002 legislative session by Assemblyman Robin L. Schimminger, (D-C, Erie County).
. A presentation by Dave Austin, the advocate for business at the state Workers' Compensation Board (WCB). Austin will offer an overview of the WCB, its history, and function. He will also detail how the advocate for business can help employers address questions and concerns about their workers' compensation insurance.
. A presentation on how turmoil at the Texas energy company Enron actually affects its employees' retirement plans by Suzanne D. Smith of Milliman USA. Smith will also review the federal government's response to resultant concerns about retirement security, and discuss legislative proposals being considered in Washington.
. An update on employee assistance plans (EAPs) by Bill Bowler, vice president of account development for Employee Services, Inc. He will review the current state of EAPs and discuss recent trends in these popular programs.
In addition, Tom Minnick, manager of The Council's Center for Human Resources, will review human resources-related legislative activities in Albany in 2002. Specific issues to be discussed include:
. A bill to require employers to accommodate employees' religious beliefs in the workplace.
. A law that seeks to encourage union organizing by requiring organizations that receive any state funds to provide that no state funds were spent on anything related to unions or organizing.
. A bill to increase the state minimum wage.
. A bill that would increase workers' compensation benefits without any essential reforms to offset increases in employers' workers' compensation costs.
Agenda details and an on-line registration form are available at www.bcnys.org/inside/labor/meetnote.htm.