Scroll down to read this
month's member's letters.
Ag & Mkts
members ensure safe food
To the Editor:
Thank you for the excellent article about food inspectors at the
state Department of Agriculture and Markets. Evelyn Fuentes, the
food inspector you featured, is a steward covering the entire New
York City area for PEF Division 275.
Our food inspectors play only one part in food safety for New
York State. We have several different types of inspectors
statewide — weights and measures, milk, kosher, farm
products, food, horticulture, dairy processing and food
processing.
Some milk inspectors perform screening tests on their samples at
satellite laboratories around the state. Food and dairy samples
are sent to our food laboratory in Albany for analysis.
Our PEF members often testify as expert witnesses for the state
when violators are brought to court.
The Department of Agriculture and Markets affects everyone in the
state every single day by monitoring and ensuring a safe food
supply for people and animals.
If New Yorkers understood this, I’m sure they would back our
fight for a fair contract out of self-interest alone.
PRISCILLA SWEET
Pattersonville
Fight for
best pension boosts
To the Editor:
After reading the Retirees in Action column by Ray Ferraro in The
Communicator, it is my strong belief that he should be more
aggressive in the suggestions he makes.
His recommendations for pension increases sound more like the
usual less-than-assertive positions taken by people who have
purported to represent me. In fact, they seem to be an
appeasement, when we should be looking for something similar to
what federal retirees get or what NYC police, fire and now
correctional employees enjoy as pension supplements.
The suggested cap and five-year wait have to go. Inflation
affects the entire pension and does not go on hold for five years
to wait for a half-baked supplement to kick in.
The pension system is overflowing with money. It is way over
reserved and the political climate is right. The push should be
for supplementation mirroring the federal or New York City
uniformed-employees’ programs.
Al Stubenvoll
Harrison
Expects more
from Region 12
To the Editor:
I attended PEF’s April 6 contract rally in Albany and I
congratulate PEF's leaders on a successful event. The turnout was
fine, the speeches were great, the participants were into it, and
the presence of state legislators on the podium was encouraging.
On top of that, our bus was comfortable, prompt and we were
provided with nice drinks, snacks and a lunch. Let's continue our
momentum by protesting against Pataki at every one of his public
appearances.
The problem I had with the April rally was with the poor turnout
of my fellow PEF Region 12 employees from Long Island. With 4,300
PEF members in our region, we should be a major force in the
union. So, why was there only one bus with 25 members? Why were
only seven of us from Long Island's Department of Transportation
(about 1 percent of us) and no union delegates from the DOT on
the bus?
Instead of just blaming Pataki for our current contract woes and
our tiny downstate adjustments, we should look at ourselves.
Notice that Civil Service Employees Association members on Long
Island were willing to risk their jobs in a sick-out while 99
percent of us can not be bothered to charge a personal day to
protest at this crucial time.
After all, this next contract is likely to control our benefits
and wages for four years. Surely, we are not so ignorant and
naive as to think that this governor is going to give us fair a
contract, without any pressure on him, just because it is the
right thing to do.
It's time the members of PEF Region 12 wake up and become the
force we can and should be.
Charles MAASS
Hauppauge
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