LUCKY
WINNERS — Richard Mata and Jemma Hanson draw the names of scholarship winners. —
Photo by Bill Sachs
PEF E. Board adopts 2006-07 budget
By LINDA RUBIN and SHERRY HALBROOK
The PEF Executive Board adopted the union’s 2006-07 budget at the March meeting
in Albany.
The board also approved taking an additional $175,000 from PEF’s contingency
fund for continuation of the “Go Public” Campaign. A matching amount also will
be provided by a PEF international affiliate — the Service Employees
International Union (SEIU).
A motion was adopted to contribute $25,000 in 2006 to New Yorkers for Fiscal
Fairness.
A motion also was adopted to review the expenditures of the labor-management
committees.
The Executive Board approved amendments to the PEF Retirees’ Constitution and
ratified and accepted a memorandum of agreement discharging any current debt
owed by the PEF Retirees organization to PEF.
And the board agreed to transfer $14,000 from PEF’s nursing campaign to the PEF
Nurses Committee.
Two nursing-related resolutions were adopted: “Protect Registered Nurses’
Ability to Bargain Collectively;” and “A United Nursing Community Should Be
Inclusive and Give Mutual Respect.” The two resolutions also will be addressed
by PEF’s other international affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers
(AFT) at its convention in July.
Legislative, political issues
PEF President Roger Benson reported on PEF’s main priorities, job security,
contract, retirement reform and civil service reform and answered questions on
those and other issues.
Board members received a report on the status of the 2006-07 state budget from
PEF Legislative Director and Counsel Brian Curran and Director of Civil Service
Enforcement Tom Cetrino.
The board voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the PEF Political
Action Committee and endorse the re-election of Alan Hevesi as state
comptroller. In June, the board will review other PAC endorsement
recommendations for the November 7 general election.
The Statewide PAC Endorsement Procedure Policy was amended and will be included
in the PEF Policy Manual.
Other policy issues
A “Collective Bargaining Negotiations Policy” was adopted by the board. The
policy defines the process for conducting negotiations for any new contract
(successor collective-bargaining agreement) covering any PEF-represented
bargaining unit. This policy will be included in the PEF Policy Manual.
The proposed agenda and travel measures for the 2006 PEF convention in October
were adopted.
The report of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee was tabled.
The board approved the appointment of Mary Lou Vasilev to chair the new PEF
Elections Committee, replacing Edith Cooper.
The PEF Code of Ethics was amended to include that, “no member or elected
official shall engage in bigotry or discrimination.” And “all of the meetings of
the Ethics Committee will be held in executive session and all members of the
committee will have an obligation for confidentiality.” This policy change will
be included in the PEF Policy Manual.
The board rejected a motion to hear an appeal of the Ethics Committee’s decision
in the matter of Posner vs. Besser and Goldstein.
The board went into executive session to discuss an issue in Region 9. Later, in
public session, it briefly took up an issue regarding the board’s review and
interpretation of improper practices and implications of policy in PEF Region 9.
Divisions’ constituency issues
The board also dealt with several matters involving PEF divisions and
constituencies.
The board approved requests from members in the NYS Welfare to Work Program to
remain members of PEF Divisions 245 and 359 at the state Labor Department,
although the state has transferred the programs they work in to the Office of
Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
And the board agreed to allow the state Office of Mental Health members of PEF
Division 402 at Five Points Correctional Facility to switch their membership to
Division 398 at the Dick Van Dyke Alcoholism Treatment Center.
The board also discussed some financial issues at Division 196 (Roswell Park
Cancer Institute).
A new board member, Toni Marie Ciarfella, was sworn in to fill the remainder of
an unexpired vacancy on the board.
Neil Boyle Scholarships
The names of winners of the 2005-06 Neil Boyle Memorial Scholarships, awarded by
PEF Division 236 at the state Division of Parole to the children of its members,
were drawn at the board meeting.
Each of the 10 winners selected receives a $500 scholarship from Division 236.
The winners are: Dolores Blais, daughter of Randy Blais; Christina Casamassima,
daughter of Sal Casamassima; Christopher Brooks, son of Craig Brooks; Tarah Lee,
daughter of Bernard Lee; Erik Hotaling, son of Fred and Mary Hotaling; Ashley
Herman, daughter of Francis Herman; Amy Carroll, daughter of James Carroll;
Alicia Kissane, daughter of Joel Kissane; Hamilton Whipper, son of Benjamin
Whipper; and Rachel Gentile, daughter of Richard Gentile.
Members of Division 236 should watch for information on the 2006-07 scholarships
which will be mailed by the division later this year.
The
Communicator June 2006
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