Members take the offensive in battle over layoffs

By SHERRY HALBROOK
The battle over 8,700 state layoffs has come down to a game of “Cat and Mouse,” but as to who’s the cat and who’s the mouse, it depends on your perspective.

The governor was threatening to gobble up PEF members’ pay, pensions or jobs. But clearly, it was PEF was chasing the governor all over the state, giving rise to one mini-drama after another.

NYC press conference
On April 22, PEF joined the Civil Service Employees Association for a press conference protesting the layoffs on the steps of New York City Hall in Manhattan.

NYC: Paterson fundraiser
On April 23, the union members showed up again outside the Harvard Club in Manhattan to greet guests at a campaign fundraiser for the governor sponsored by Lawyers for Paterson.

Buffalo: international trade
On April 29, the governor traveled to Buffalo to meet with foreign trade representatives at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. More than 100 PEF and CSEA members, Teamsters and representatives of other unions were there.

“When we saw the bus pull up, we moved our people down there,” said PEF Region 1 Coordinator Kevin Hintz, “but their security people would only let us get just so close. We made enough noise that they were all watching us. The governor arrived late, so he must have faced some interesting questions from his guests when he got there.”

NYC: governor’s office
On April 30, approximately 500 PEF, CSEA and other spirited union members jammed the sidewalk across 3rd Avenue from the governor’s Manhattan office at noon. They made sure half of mid-town heard their demands for respect and calls for him to “Cut the waste, not the workers!”

PEF President Ken Brynien, Vice Presidents Pat Baker and Joe Fox, Region 10 Coordinator Vernetta Chesimard and Region 11 Coordinator Jemma Marie-Hanson led the rally, along with leaders of CSEA. The demonstrators were cheered on by NYC Central Labor Council Executive Director Ed Ott and NYS AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes.

“The governor’s plan will devastate the state’s economy and severely reduce state services, particularly to our most vulnerable citizens,” Brynien told the demonstrators. “We recognize these are difficult times, which is why we are here today to once again deliver to the governor alternatives to the layoffs that would result in more savings than the governor is hoping to achieve through his plan.”

Then, Baker and Chesimard, with a wild send-off from the crowd and a police escort, crossed the street. Their mission: to personally deliver a letter from PEF to Gov. David Paterson’s office. The letter included a list of ways the governor can save the money he needs to balance the budget without cutting state jobs, state services, or state employees’ pay or pensions.

“Reducing the state’s reliance on costly consultants, cutting overtime costs by hiring employees and expanding the Voluntary Reduction in Work Schedule program will save the state $775 million over two years,” Baker said. “That’s almost twice what the governor hopes to save by adding thousands of state workers to the unemployment rolls.”

“We are appalled the governor continues to disregard President Obama’s directive to stimulate the economy. Instead, he is planning to add to the economic downturn by putting thousands of state employees out on the street,” Chesimard added.

“The governor continues to play a damaging game of politics with state workers and their families,” Fox said. “This has never been about achieving real savings. If it were, the governor would not be ignoring our suggestions. The governor merely wants a pound of flesh from state workers.”

“Until the governor has tried our proposals, it is unconscionable for him to continue to call for us to make concessions, or for layoffs of the state work force,” Brynien said.

However, Brynien continues to meet from time to time with Paterson’s staff to search for common ground.