SPREADING THE WORD — PEF Region 11 members in Long Island City picket in front of state offices to let the public know just how frustrated they are in pursuit of contract justice. — Photos by Robert Jackson


NO SNOW JOB — Members from PEF Regions 7 and 8 brave a cold and snowy winter night to rally for a fair contract at the opening of the Goodwill Games in Lake Placid. — Photo by Ed Lucas

PEF members give governor no respite from contract protests

In some ways, PEF’s pursuit of a fair PS&T contract has come down to pursuit of Gov. George Pataki.
And with a full year of experience under their belts, the union’s members are getting Pataki pursuit down to an art.

The object of the exercise is to make sure the governor gets no public peace until he faces up to his responsibility to treat state employees fairly.
Whether it was presentation in January of his Executive Budget for 2000-01 to the Legislature in Albany, opening the Goodwill Games in Lake Placid in February, or stumping across New York state with presidential candidate Gov. George W. Bush in early March, Pataki found himself face-to-face with determined and exasperated PEF members.

When the governor traveled to Staten Island or Johnstown to speak at Republican Party fundraisers, the state employees were waiting for him.
And when no gubernatorial appearances were scheduled, members did not let that dampen their spirits. In Long Island City and at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, PEF members used their lunch breaks to picket and tell the public why it should pressure Pataki and other state officials to settle the long contract dispute.

“Hundreds of PEF members participated in these protests and continue to step forward whenever we put out the call,” said PEF Contract Chair Eric Miller. “And that call often comes with only a few hours notice.
“It’s a tremendous help to our team at the bargaining table to know that members are so steadfast in their support,” he said. “We know that no matter what management says, the governor is clearly and painfully aware of just how determined we are.”

— Sherry Halbrook

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