PEF has reached tentative agreement with the state Thruway Authority on a contract for approximately 30 PEF Division 504 members at the NYS Canal Corporation.
The members are professional and technical employees of NYS Canal Corp., which operates the state canal system.

If ratified, the four-year agreement will provide 3 percent annual raises to base pay, retroactive to July 1, 1999 when the previous contract expired.
The new agreement would also allow members to donate leave to other members of the unit in need of additional sick leave.

New contract language clarifies that seniority is based on contiguous service with Canal Corp, the Thruway Authority and the state of New York.
Employees who would rather have more time off than earn overtime pay, will be given the option of earning comp time at the rate of 1.5 hours for every hour of authorized overtime they work. Employees can accumulate up to 100 hours of comp time. It will not expire and can be cashed in when they leave the bargaining unit.

Employees who retire with 20 years of satisfactory service with Canal Corp or 15 years of continuous service since Nov. 5, 1992 will retain their Thruway E-Z Pass privileges.
On the down side, new employees to the unit will have to pick up a share of their health insurance premiums for the first four years. They will pay 10 percent of the premium cost for individual coverage and 25 percent of the cost for family coverage.

PEF field representative Thomas Capone was chief negotiator for the Division 504 unit. The PEF Executive Board must approve the pact before it can be sent to the unit members for ratification or rejection.
— Sherry Halbrook

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