Scroll down to read this month's member's letters.
Police-state
tactics offensive
To the Editor:
The January 5th demonstrators braved wind-chill
temperatures near zero to demonstrate on the Empire State
Plaza and around the state Capitol to make sure the
governor and the Legislature would hear their message and
know their frustration.
What we received was a shameful and intimidating display
of police force that has never been seen around the
Capitol before. The peaceful, law-abiding demonstrators
were met by a band of state troopers and city police in
full riot gear with batons held chest high ringing the
Capitol.
Protecting public safety? They deliberately interfered
with our First Amendment right to public assembly.
Since when does a gathering of state employees, most of
whom have families to take care of, become a threat to
the Capitol and the governor?
What WAS threatened was our right to express our
dissatisfaction with the governor on our contract
negotiations.
I am horrified that the governor felt he had to turn the
state Capitol into an armed garrison. Until the governor
sits down and listens to his workforce and makes a
reasonable offer that compensates state employees fairly
for the vital work we provide to the people of New York
state, then he should be prepared for even more public
employees exercising their First Amendment rights.
Andrew Maceda
Monroe
Push
for more pension reform
To the Editor:
Attention: All employees hired between April 1,1972, and
June 30, 1973.
A bill in both the state Senate (S.2074) and the Assembly
(A.3562) was introduced by Sens. Caesar Trunzo and
Vincent Leibell and Assem. Eric Vitaliano. If passed and
signed into law, it would materially change the
calculation of your pension benefit.
Currently, employees hired during this five-month period
cannot include accumulated unused vacation in their final
salary pension calculation.
Employees in Tiers 1, 3 and 4 enjoy this valuable
benefit. Passage of this legislation would remedy the
inequity.
Contact your local legislator today and voice your
endorsement of this
important legislation.
CHARLES CARSON
Stewart Manor
PEF
should do more, ask for les
To the Editor:
What is the union doing to make our state agencies less
bureaucratic, more productive and more responsive to the
needs of the citizens of New York state?
John F. Kennedy's famous quote was, "Ask not what
your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your
country."
There's so much "gimme, gimme" in the world
today anyway. It would be nice if PEF adopted a different
attitude. The rewards the union is looking for might
quickly follow from an increased willingness to serve and
to make things better.
JONATHAN
WOLFINGER
Rochester
Letters policy
The Communicator
welcomes letters to the editor about union issues and
events relevant to PEF's diverse membership.
All letters are subject to editing for space, fairness
and good taste.
Please keep them brief (up to one page, double-spaced or
a maximum of 250 words), and please include your name and
phone number for verification.
Send letters to:
The
Communicator
Public Employees Federation
P.O. Box 12414
Albany, N.Y. 12212-2414
or email Denyce Duncan
Lacy, Executive Editor The Communicator - Director of
Public Relations mailto:dlacy@pef.org
or Sherry Halbrook, Editor of The
Communicator- shalbrook@pef.org