Union’s activists hit the ground running
‘Full staffing’ PEF’s rallying cry for 200I Legislative Session
By SHERRY HALBROOK
The 2001 NYS Legislative Session is off and running, and PEF with it.
In reality, PEF and the legislators hit the ground running back in November when the union began testifying at a series of legislative hearings on conditions at state health-care facilities. These hearings, which were held by several legislative committees at sites throughout the state, continued through December. (See pages 8-10.)
PEF members painted a painfully clear picture for the lawmakers of just how dangerous and harmful short staffing is in programs for the mentally ill, the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled and at state nursing homes for ailing military veterans.
It’s a good thing PEF members and other concerned groups and individuals came forward, because the Legislature would never have guessed any staffing problems exist by listening to the governor’s report on the State of the State delivered in early January.
“Short staffing in psychiatric hospitals and centers for developmentally disabled clients has created an environment that endangers both the clients and the caregivers in those facilities,” says PEF President Roger Benson. “Short staffing has also caused inefficient use of taxpayer dollars through excessive overtime, and increased worker injuries and lost work time.”
And the staffing problems are by no means confined to the state’s mental hygiene agencies, Benson says.
“Short staffing in other agencies, such as the state Transportation Department, has led to the use of costly consultants to perform work that could be done more effectively and cheaply using public employees. DOT, for example, could save taxpayers $75 million annually by relying entirely on its own staff for engineering services.
“This year, we will make full staffing a top legislative priority,” Benson says.
And it wasn’t just what the governor didn’t say, that sparked the union’s concern.
Benson says the union will watch closely to see how the governor’s proposal to end parole for all felons could affect PEF members at the state Division of Parole.
“Our members provide an indispensable service to the citizens of New York by carefully supervising the transition of felons back into the community after they have served their prison sentences,” Benson says. “Most felons return to our neighborhoods eventually. And when they do, they need the vigilant supervision that our members provide.”
“We achieved so many of our legislative goals last year, that we are coming into this session with a lot of energy and determination,” says PEF Vice President Ken Brynien.
“It is clear that years of patient, skillful and vigorous lobbying on our issues pays off, and we are well prepared to campaign for full staffing, professional standards, quality public services, and our other priorities this year,” Brynien says.
As usual, PEF activists will participate in both the annual weekend conference of the Black and Puerto Rican Legislators Association in Albany on February 16-18 and the conference sponsored annually by the Hispanic state lawmakers, which is coming up April 20-22.
If you are interested in participating in these events, contact your PEF council leader or regional coordinator, PEF Black Caucus President Grace Lott or PEF Hispanic Committee Chair San Vargas.
The union will hold its annual training and “lobby day” on the state budget March 6 and 7 in Albany.
But first, the PEF legislative and fiscal staff will carefully review the governor’s Executive Budget proposal and work with the union’s labor-management committee chairs at each agency to determine what positions to take.
“Last year, the state Executive Budget was so general and lacking in detail that it made meaningful analysis more difficult,” Brynien said. “That’s why it is so important for the labor-management committees to garner all of the details and insights they can into how the budget proposals are expected to affect their agencies. Once we have a clear picture, we will prepare position papers and testimony to give lawmakers the information they need to respond to the governor’s proposals.”
“The governor may not like to face the fact that his long hiring freeze has chilled public services to the bone,” Benson says, “but that is the reality and it is our job to make sure everyone knows it and sees it for what it is.”
Issues likely to revive in spring
2000 legislative stragglers find winter tough sledding
By SHERRY HALBROOK
While 2000 was a year of phenomenal legislative success for PEF overall, it ended on a frustrating note as the last three pieces of legislation that the union backed either fell short or appear unlikely to make it into law soon.
PEF’s efforts to get an amendment to federal tax law that would give members the option of rolling over their deferred compensation investments into an individual retirement account (IRA) failed to make it through Congress after it was added to a much broader tax bill that President Clinton and many Democrats opposed.
“The House passed a bill that included this provision and a separate bill that also included it was introduced in the Senate. So, we plan to follow this issue in the next Congress,” says PEF Legislative Director Brian Curran. “Hopefully, a new bill will be introduced that will solve the IRA-rollover problem and the changed political environment may help to get it adopted.”
Curran says members should continue to write their U.S. senators and representatives to request support for the change.
At the state level, Gov. George Pataki — who signed many other PEF-backed bills in the summer and fall — vetoed the Parole Heart bill in December. This bill would have established the assumption for workers’ compensation purposes that heart attacks suffered by parole officers are work related.
The only remaining piece of state legislation which PEF helped shepherd through the 2000 Legislative Session is the Whistleblower Protection bill (S.8133/A.11435).
It would protect health-care workers from retaliation if they blow the whistle on poor patient care.
Because this bill was sent to the governor at the end of December, slightly different rules for its enactment or veto apply. In this case, the governor has until late January to act, and if he does not sign it, the bill is automatically vetoed. At this writing in mid-January, he has announced no action on the bill.
“We are disappointed that these last few bills have not been signed into law,” says PEF Vice President Ken Brynien. “But the big lesson to be learned from the 2000 Legislative Session is that perseverance pays off.
“Many of the pension and tier reforms that we had worked on for years were enacted last year,” Brynien adds. “So, we certainly will not give up on the few bills that were not successful. Since the Legislature has already passed them at least once, we know they stand a good chance of being sent to the governor again. Our federal legislation also has a chance. We just have to keep expanding the base of support for these bills until they finally click.”
The PEF Black Caucus will sponsor a HOSPITALITY ROOM
In conjunction with the Black & Puerto Rican Legislators Association Weekend
February 16 • 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Quality Inn Hotel, Albany (I-90 and Everett Road)
Everyone is Welcome!