By DEBORAH A. MILES
When you think of a city with pricey parking fees, Buffalo may not be on the top of your list. But PEF members who work at the state Department of Transportation (DOT) and other agencies were almost hit with significantly higher parking fees.

Not anymore, thanks to a settlement between PEF and the state.

The settlement was reached in early March, after PEF filed a demand to have the dispute resolved through binding arbitration. The settlement states the cost to PEF members will be $22 per parking space, per month at the 100 Seneca Street lot. The cost at the Exchange Street lot, three blocks away, will be $10 per month, both effective July 1, 2008. The rates are guaranteed to remain in effect until July 2021.

If you’re wondering how parking issues and fees mounted like a Buffalo blizzard, the story unfolds two years ago when the state Office of General Services (OGS) negotiated a parking fee with the Seneca Street landlord, without PEF’s involvement.
PEF Division 219 Council Leader Craig Walek said the state signed the lease in 2005 and did not consult the union.

“The PS&T contract states the employer (DOT) has to bargain with the union. That did not occur in the beginning,” said Lisa Newmark, PEF associate counsel.

The agency assumed employees would agree to pay higher fees that would escalate over the term of the lease, according to Walek.

Workers refused, and DOT prohibited access to the lot to employees who did not pay the rates. PEF filed a grievance, claiming DOT’s attempt to impose parking fees was a violation of Article 19 in the PS&T contract.

The lot sat vacant, and the state returned most of the spaces to the landlord at a monthly cost of $25 per space. Members ended up finding their own lot and negotiated their own rate.

Union action came into play when Walek started working with Jeff Odrobina, Division 219 labor-management chair and PEF field representative Art Munson. They had the backing of more than 150 members who attended meetings.

“I’m very grateful for their support, patience and help in our cause,” Walek said.

PEF’s Contract Administration Department also had a role in several stages of this process. Although some headway was made, the union was unable to achieve a satisfactory settlement and exercised its right to have the matter resolved by last-offer binding arbitration.

While the Buffalo arbitration was pending, the state introduced a proposal at the PS&T unit contract negotiations that would have affected how the Buffalo case was resolved, according to Robert Carrothers, PEF director of contract administration.

“During negotiations, the state proposed that all PS&T unit members who worked in locations where parking space was leased would be obligated to pay one-third of the cost, with no negotiation over the fees,” Carrothers said.

PEF resisted this proposal and it was ultimately withdrawn by the state. DOT had to confront the pending arbitration case and later agreed to settle.

“It was a long battle, but our members are pleased with the settlement and the new fee,” Walek said. “A few unresolved issues remain, such as how the parking spots will be distributed, “green spots” for people who carpool, and spots for handicapped drivers. Our other victory is the union coming together and taking action on various levels, especially the members who provided information and helped our endeavor.