End Mandatory Overtime for nurses. The life you save may be your own.
SAVE NY NURSES — This PEF ad developed from a TV commercial appeared in May newspapers as part of a statewide campaign to pass legislation to end mandatory overtime.

Pressure builds to pass bills as 2006 session nears end

By SHERRY HALBROOK
While the fate of state budget appropriations for 2006-07 has hogged the spotlight until now, a much broader range of issues important to PEF are still hanging fire in this legislative session.

Some of those introduced by the governor with his Executive Budget proposal were resolved with it, while others were not.

Pensions, retirements
The Legislature turned a cold shoulder to his proposal to create a pension reform task force. Although PEF seeks continued tier reform and other adjustments to state pension laws, PEF opposed the governor’s proposal as an opening gambit toward reducing benefits.

The governor could still appoint a task force, but the state comptroller has said he will not allow the use of state pension funds to support it.

PEF is still interested in the governor’s proposed early retirement incentive, which the Legislature also left out of its budget bills. According to PEF Legislative Director Brian Curran, this measure might still be taken up by the lawmakers. If that happens, PEF is pressing them to open it up to all eligible employees, regardless of their agency or job.

Taxes, revenues
Tax cuts are yet another issue introduced with the Executive Budget, but still in disarray.

PEF opposed and the Legislature rejected the governor’s proposals to widen the tax loopholes for big corporations and cut the estate tax and income taxes for the wealthiest New Yorkers.

The Legislature rejected offsetting tax and fee increases proposed by the governor that would have added $900 million in revenues over two years.

However, the lawmakers passed their own package of tax cuts, property-tax rebates and increased child tax credits totalling $4.1 billion over two years. The governor vetoed this entire bill, citing “serious constitutional and technical flaws.” Then, the Legislature overrode his veto. Unless an agreement between the Legislature and governor is renegotiated, these measures could end up in court.

Other priorities
PEF is pushing hard for the Legislature to pass the fourth and last public accountability bill — Cost Benefit Analysis — as well as nursing and workplace violence bills before the legislative session ends June 22.

“At this point, it appears we have some pretty good prospects for getting some of this legislation through both houses,” Curran said.

The main bill sought by the nurses, A.1199/S.169, would limit mandatory overtime for them. It’s sponsored by Assembly Member Cathy Nolan and Sen. Tom Morahan. According to Curran, PEF is working with lawmakers to develop a second bill to address short staffing.

PEF is urging passage of three bills to address workplace violence:
• Workplace Violence Prevention Bill, A.9691/S.6441 — This bill, sponsored by state Assembly Member Susan John and Sen. Nick Spano, would require all public employers to identify risk factors that could lead to violence at their worksites. And those with more than 20 employees would be required to develop and implement a written program to prevent violence, including a list of risk factors and how to reduce them.

Last year, a slightly different version of this bill was passed by the Legislature, but was vetoed by the governor. In 2006, it has been passed by the Senate and is awaiting action in the Assembly. The Civil Service Employees Association has joined PEF in pushing legislators and the governor for its enactment.

• Judi Scanlon Bill, A.2570/S.207 — Sponsored by Assembly Member Sam Hoyt and Sen. George Maziarz, this bill is named for PEF member Judi Scanlon, an intensive case manager (ICM) for the state Office of Mental Health (OMH), who was murdered by a patient while making a home visit to that patient.

This bill would require OMH to send employees in pairs, when one of them requests it for a home visit to a person with serious mental illness. It would also require OMH to provide all ICMs with annual training in safety and violence prevention, and mobile phones. And it would limit their caseloads to a maximum of 12 patients per ICM.

• Workplace Injury Disclosure and Accountability Bill, A.9692/S.6480 — John and Sen. Joe Robach sponsor this bill which would require the state Department of Civil Service to annually report on workplace injury rates and costs at state agencies.

PEF is also supporting dozens of other bills on a wide range of issues consistent with the union’s 2006 Legislative Agenda. For a complete list of these bills and their status go online to www.pef.org and click on political action.

The Communicator June 2006

Features
Making Cost-Benefit Analysis law
Nurses Storm Capital
Stony Brook Nurses save tot
Legislature overrides vetoes

Departments
President's Message
You Said It - Member's Mailbag
Retirees in Action
Member Highlights
Membership Benefits & Travel

Union Matters
Pressure builds to pass bills
WPV survivor speaks up
Workers Memorial Day
PEF-DOCS joint conference
L-M conference
Walking program unites mermbers
DOL office closure stopped
E. Board Meeting
PEF Election Guide
Reg. 11 now has Brooklyn office

Other Links
Professional Directory
Members' Classified
Member Communicator Feedback
Do You Prefer The Online Edition?
How To Advertise Here
The Communicator Staff

Questions on this site?
Email the Webmaster