Legislation, agreements reached on key PEF issues
By DARCY WELLS
More than a dozen bills supported by PEF passed both houses of the state
Legislature in the final days of the 2007 session that adjourned June 21.
However, a special session is planned for mid-July.
Significant progress was made on the Mandatory Overtime bill, Cost Benefit
Analysis and the Berger Commission recommendation related to SUNY Upstate
Medical University Hospital.
Priority Bills
The nearly decade long fight to end mandatory overtime is paying off. A bill,
S.6342/A.1898B, that restricts mandatory overtime for nurses has, for the first
time, made it through the Assembly — much to the dismay of hospital groups,
which have strongly opposed the bill. Currently, the bill is stalled in the
Senate Rules Committee.
PEF’s Go Public campaign has taken another step
forward with the governor’s office agreeing to implement a cost benefit analysis
through administrative action, rather than legislation. Based on that
commitment, PEF has agreed to hold the bill for the remainder of the year to
allow discussions with the governor’s office to move forward.
The bill requires a cost comparison before the state contracts for personal
services to determine if the work can be performed at a lower cost by state
employees.
Lawsuits filed by PEF and three other unions over the Berger Commission’s
recommendations have been adjourned until September 28 because of new
developments that will save SUNY Upstate from being privatized. A tentative
settlement of the issue was reached through an agreement between SUNY Upstate
and Crouse Hospital in Syracuse that provides for an affiliation of the two
hospitals.
The agreement, signed by both hospitals, is awaiting the approval of the state
commissioner of health. It preserves all current rights of employees of each
hospital.
The Judi Scanlon bill, S.3101/A.2316 passed in the Senate. It directs that a
state Office of Mental Health employee who is required to enter the residence of
a person with serious mental illness can request to be accompanied by another
employee for safety reasons. The bill is stuck in the Assembly Mental Health
Committee.
Passed both houses:
- S.6030/A.8829 — The Retiree Health Insurance bill restricts public employers
from diminishing their retirees’ health insurance benefits;
- S.4820/A.6757 — The Reassignment bill requires 12 months notice before a state
employee is involuntarily relocated to another geographic location outside his
or her normal work location;
- S.4393/A.1108 limits the use of Social Security numbers for identification of
employees;
- S.2174/A.4466 creates a 25-year retirement plan for peace officers and police
officers at the state department of Taxation and Finance;
- S.2175/A.4379 provides for performance-of-duty disability retirement of
certain peace officers and police officers in the Department of Taxation and
Finance who are disabled by certain infectious diseases or heart disease;
- S.4163/A.7217 allows un-remarried spouses of deceased state employees who
retired prior to April 1, 1979, to pay for health insurance coverage at the same
rate paid by active state employees;
- S.5779/A.8468 Narrows the open window period for challenges to employee
representation rights during contract negotiations; and
- S.6376/A.8470 allows payment with pre-tax funds for previous service or
military service credit contributions to the state pension fund.
On governor’s desk
The following three bills have been sent to the governor for action:
- S.1710/A.6642 — The state Workplace Injury Reports bill, amends Civil Service
Law to require the state Department of Civil Service to annually report on
workplace injury rates among state employees and the resulting costs to the
state;
- S.1711/A.3421 — The Heart Bill would establish a presumption that a state
parole officer who becomes disabled due to a heart condition is entitled to a
disability pension; and
- S.1617/A.6758 — The Leave for Injured Workers bill increases from one year to
18 months the leave guaranteed to public employees who are injured on the job.
This allows them to retain their civil service rights to return to their
position when they recover from the injury.
Signed into law:
- S.2084A/A.5782A extends for two years certain temporary pension benefits
including pension supplementation for long-term retirees; and
- S.1632/A.3870 extends agency fee deductions for public employee unions for two
years.
Vetoed:
- S.1582/S.3503 would have prohibited retaliation by public employers against
employees who report certain violations of law; and
- S.1301/A.4592 would have provided that public employee discipline is a
mandatory subject of negotiation.
Further action on other bills is possible if the Legislature returns for a
special session later in the year.
Take action
The Retirees Health Insurance Bill, S.6030/A.8829, would keep your retirement
health benefits on a par with those of state employees.
Contact Gov. Eliot Spitzer and tell him how important it is to you that he sign
this bill and protect the health benefits of all state retirees, now and in the
future. Call him at 518 474-8390, or go to his Web site at www.ny.gov/governor
and select “Contact the governor.”
Your help is also needed to impress your state senator with the urgent need to
take up and pass in special session the bill to restrict mandatory overtime for
nurses — S.6342/A.1898B. The Assembly has already passed it, so call your
senator now. (To find out who your senator is, call 877-255-9417.)
The Communicator
July/August 07
Features
Nurses'
power rally
works
PEF
nurse saves child
Contract team
gives GOER list
Saving
School for the Blind
DOCS conference productive
Departments
President's
Message
Legislative
Action
You
Said It: Letters To The Editor
Health
and Safety
Retirees
In Action
Getting
To Know PEF
Member
Mobilization
Health
Notes
Member
Highlights
Membership
Benefits &Travel
Union
Matters
Convention
delegate list
Bronx
PC: Stopping violent attacks
Scacalossi
winners
Unions,
DMV renew Quality license
Executive
Board news
PEF runs in Corporate
Challenge
Other Links
Professional
Directory
Members'
Classified
Communicator
Feedback
Prefer
The Online Edition?
How
To Advertise with PEF
The Communicator
Staff
Website
questions ?
Communicator
Webmaster