PEF E-Board hears from SEIU president
Eaton joins E. Board; More mid-term vacancies to be filled
As the only certified candidate to fill Seat 540 on the PEF Executive Board, Margaret Eaton has filled a mid-term vacancy in that seat.

It represents certain members at National Development and Research Inc in New York city and at Lockport Hospital in western New York.

Balloting is underway to fill a vacancy in Seat 435. The two certified candidates are Migdalia Ramos-Ensslin and N. Gwen Pope.

Seat 435 represents certain members at the state Office of Children and Family Services in PEF Region 8, except for those at Cass Residential and Brookwood Residential facilities.

A new round of special elections will begin in July to fill at least four more vacancies on the board. These vacancies are in:

• Seat 15, which represents certain members who work at the state Department of Civil Service;

• Seat 45, which represents certain members who work at the following state Department of Correctional Services facilities at Fishkill, Wallkill, Eastern, Woodbourne, Downstate, Mid-Orange; Otisville, Camp Beacon, Ulster, Shawangunk and Sullivan;

• Seat 145, which represents certain members at the state Division of Parole in PEF Regions 1-9 and at the Adirondack Park; and

• Seat 440, which represents certain members at the state Office of Children and Family Services in PEF Regions 9-12, and Brookwood Residential facility.

Nominating petitions for these seats will be available in PEF regional offices beginning July 7.

The PEF Special Elections Committee is still in the process of establishing other dates and deadlines for conducting third quarter special elections.
                                                        – Sherry Halbrook
 The Communicator Home Page

STERN MESSAGE — SEIU President Andy Stern addresses PEF Executive Board in April, warning of threats against health care benefits.

Photo and Story By Darcy Wells
He came to speak about changing America, bringing justice to everyone and taking the health care issue into the general election.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) President Andy Stern highlighted the points in a speech to the PEF Executive Board April 29 in Colonie.

He opened his remarks by applauding PEF for negotiating a contract that all unions strive for, then launched into a lengthy PowerPoint presentation focusing on the successes of SEIU and warning of the threats against health care benefits.

“We have to bring the rest of the country up, or the rest of the country is going to bring us down,” Stern said.

Stern is promoting an aggressive organizing campaign aimed at “providing good jobs, affordable, quality health care, and retirement with dignity for everyone.”

He talked about the SEIU convention scheduled for May 31 to June 5 in Puerto Rico.

“The convention is about our kids and their future,” Stern said.

“The American dream is dying in front of us. We worry our kids won’t be able to do as well as we have. It’s time to restore the middle class, change lives, raise wages and win health care.”

Forty-six PEF members are scheduled to attend the SEIU convention.