Brynien updates E Board on state’s shift from consultants to employees

By MEGHAN ALLEN and SHERRY HALBROOK
PEF President Ken Brynien updated the PEF Executive Board at its December 2009 meeting in Albany on efforts to get the state to shift from its reliance on private consultants to greater use of state employees to do that work.

Brynien reported the state Department of Law gave two-week notices to 20 consultants November 16.
 
He also announced PEF and the state had negotiated a formal memorandum of understanding granting up to 1 million dollars for information technology (IT) training that PEF members soon would be able to access and he said legislation had been passed to allow the state to replace up to 500 IT consultants with state employees.

Brynien also reported Bernard M Fineson Developmental Disabilities Services Office had tried to lay off 35 employees and did not offer them the severance package. After PEF brought it to the attention of the governor, the severance was offered at that facility.

Brynien reported the state Education Department had tried to abrogate its joint labor-management agreement with PEF, with managers saying they were going to cancel the agreement and start over.

The president said that decision was reversed after PEF contacted the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations.

Brynien reminded the board members how critically important it is that they contact PEF and write letters to state legislators and the governor whenever they see waste at their state agencies. The president said they must keep bringing the issues to the governor’s and the Legislature’s attention over and over again, until they respond.

In her financial report, PEF Secretary-Treasurer Arlea Igoe stated PEF membership was down by 936 members, which would cost the union approximately $540,000.

Vice President Joe Fox reported the PEF Political Action Committee (PAC) had met and achieved clarification on three main issues: political action liaisons (PALS), local elections, and plans for next year.

PEF Retirees Representative Bob Harms announced the PEF Retirees Executive Board had gathered the signatures of 40 percent of the delegates to the 2009 PEF convention on a petition requesting an amendment be placed before the next PEF convention. Harms presented the petitions to the secretary-treasurer, who told the PEF Executive Board the retirees were asking for two more representatives on that board, and that would require an amendment to the PEF constitution.

Igoe said if the signatures were found to be valid, the petition would be referred to the PEF Constitution and Bylaws Committee to present to the next PEF convention.

PEF Region 1 Coordinator Kevin Hintz announced PEF Division 312 at the state Health Department requested the board’s permission to change the division’s constitution to allow the term of office to be three years, instead of two. The board voted unanimously to grant the request.

The board members also received sexual harassment awareness training at this meeting.

Five new board members were given the oath of office at the meeting. They were: Angel Cook, Bruce Jagroop, David Porter, Christina Ryan and Yvonne Singletary.