You can help plan training at OCFS

If you work at the state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and are interested in education and training issues, you may want to volunteer to serve on a subcommittee of the Joint PEF-OCFS Labor-Management Committee.

PEF members Margaret Rice Harvey and Eileen Rice (not related) are the union co-chairs of the new joint L-M Training and Staff Development Subcommittee.

“We are looking for approximately five interested members to represent PEF on this subcommittee,” Rice Harvey said. “The subcommittee, including the management representatives, will forward its recommendations outlining the training needs, schedule and education for staff development to the joint L-M committee.”

“Our subcommittee will survey PEF members and develop training based on that assessment of their training needs,” Eileen Rice said.

“Our meeting schedule will be established by the new members,” she added. “However, we anticipate meeting quarterly either in the Syracuse Region 4 PEF office or at PEF headquarters in Latham.

To volunteer, e-mail
mriceharvey@pef.org or emrice@fairpoint.net.
– Sherry Halbrook

Watch for triennial PEF election rules in March Communicator
Rules for PEF’s annual triennial elections will be published this year in the March issue of The Communicator, contrary to the original expectation that they would be published in this, the February issue.

The three-year terms for all elected PEF Executive Board seats, regional coordinators, trustees and statewide offices expire July 31 and will be filled through the elections.

The election period begins March 2.

Constituency membership lists will be available for viewing February 2 through March 1, but then will become unavailable from March 2 until the candidates are certified.

Forms for slate submission and acceptance will be available starting March 2. Nominating petitions, both for slates and individual candidates, will become available March 30.
– Sherry Halbrook

Final mid-term board vacancy filled

A three-way runoff election has filled the final mid-term vacancy on the PEF Executive Board to be addressed by special election.

Quarterly special elections are suspended until October. The three-year terms for all PEF board seats, regional and statewide offices expire July 31 and will be filled through the annual triennial elections.

Janette Clark won the three-way runoff election to fill Board Seat 345, which represents certain PEF Region 9 members working for the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities main office and those in PEF Division 248 at the Taconic Developmental Disabilities Services Office.
– Sherry Halbrook