GET THE MESSAGE — PEF activist Maureen Hogle, council leader at Division 301 in Syracuse, joins demonstrators in making sure Gov. George Pataki sees the union’s contract justice message at the Syracuse Hancock Airport. — Photo by Ken Brynien
PEF
shadows Pataki as he campaigns for Bush
Members mobilize on moment’s notice to keep contract
on front burner
By DENYCE DUNCAN LACY
Scores of PEF members grabbed rally placards, whistles,
buttons and stickers to confront Gov. George Pataki and
demand a fair contract in March, as word traveled around
the state that the New York governor would be coming to
their towns, campaigning with Republican presidential
hopeful George W. Bush.
“We’re going to be the governor’s
‘shadow’ around the state this weekend to
remind him of how unfair we believe he is treating us in
our contract negotiations,” PEF President Roger
Benson told reporters. “It’s time for Gov.
Pataki to treat us with the same fairness and respect he
showed to the state workers at the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (MTA).”
PEF is seeking the same three-year-contract package
approved recently for the MTA employees. Those workers,
represented by the Transit Workers Union, will get raises
of 5 percent, 3 percent and 4 percent, along with
enhanced health care and pension benefits.
Weekend
welcoming committee
The weekend member-mobilizing campaign began the
afternoon of March 3 as dozens of PEF members on Long
Island gathered on a few hours notice to demonstrate
outside the SUNY Stony Brook Health Sciences Center where
Pataki and Bush were appearing. Pataki accompanied the
Texas governor during his pre-Primary Day campaign swing
through New York.
And later that night, members of PEF and the Civil
Service Employees Association (CSEA) “greeted”
the Republican governors at the Syracuse Hancock Airport,
bearing bumper-sticker signs saying “No contract. I
blame Pataki.” But the protesters were not able to
make their case for long at that location.
“Bush noticed our signs and I could see him ask the
person next to him, ‘What’s that all
about?’ ” said PEF Vice President Ken Brynien.
“The next thing we knew, some police officials came
over to us and told us to either take down our signs or
leave. So, we left.”
Undaunted by that reception, the union “welcome
wagon” was also on hand in Buffalo at 9 p.m. to meet
Pataki and Bush at the Buffalo International Airport.
Some 75 members from the Buffalo area, led by PEF Region
1 Coordinator Bill Parolari, turned out to call for a
fair contract offer there.
See you at the next airport
And the following day, at noon, members of PEF and CSEA
in Binghamton were out in force chanting slogans for
contract justice, blowing whistles and making other
efforts to gain the New York governor’s attention,
as he arrived at the Binghamton Airport.
“Gov. Pataki is the highest-paid governor in the
state and he’s not treating us fairly,” Region
5 Coordinator Mary Twitchell told a television news crew
covering the event. “We’re here to tell him
it’s time to stop disrespecting us.”
“We’re just asking for the same contract that
they (MTA workers) got,” added Dan Majeski, a
Johnson City engineer who serves as council leader for
Division 227 of the New York State Public Employees
Federation.
The protesters followed Pataki and Bush to downtown
Binghamton for that city’s St. Patrick’s Day
parade, remaining a very visible presence along the
route.