PEF scores on top issues in ’O8 session
By SHERRY HALBROOK
As state legislative sessions go, 2008, has been special for many reasons.
For PEF, it’s historic because it brings to a successful conclusion years of
struggle on two of the union’s remaining top legislative priorities –
accountability in the award of state contracts, and an end to mandated overtime
for nurses.
“PEF has invested millions of dollars and untold hours of effort trying to clear
just those two hurdles,” PEF President Ken Brynien said. “We just refused to
give up. And now we can rightly savor the victory.”
Although the mandatory overtime bill has not been sent to Gov. David Paterson
yet for his signature, he has publicly stated his support for it.
(See related article)
And the governor issued Executive Order 6 which directs all state agencies to
carefully weigh the relative costs and advantages before they request bids from
contractors. (See related article)
Thirteen other bills supported by PEF have passed both the Senate and Assembly
in 2008. Two of these have been signed into law:
• S.8373/A.11439 (the PEF Pay Bill) which authorizes the state
to pay the raises and implement the new PS&T contract; and
• S.6751/A.9963 which clarifies the civil service and
bargaining rights of employees of the Foundation for Science, Technology and
Innovation (NYSTAR).
Other bills PEF supported that passed both houses and have not yet been sent to
the governor are:
• S.6457A/A.9393A which creates a task force with labor
representation to study and make recommendations about the preservation of
health insurance benefits for retired public employees;
• S.6652/A.9892 which requires the state to assign the least
senior employee in the job title when an employee is to be involuntarily moved
to a work location in a non-contiguous county;
• S.7272/A.10030 which makes permanent the agency fee
provisions of the Taylor Law;
• S.6533A/A.9511A which requires school district committees on
special education to provide information to the parents of blind and deaf
children about the services offered by the state schools for the blind and for
the deaf;
• S.1608/A.1206A which requires a qualified nurse be present in
an operating room for the duration of an operative procedure;
• S.7792/A.10381 which provides members of the U.S. armed
forces with the opportunity to take a civil service exam if they miss it because
of military service;
• S.7791/A.10486 which would increase employment opportunities
for veterans with disabilities;
• S.6717/A.9977 which clarifies that employee discipline is a
mandatory subject of bargaining for public employees;
• S.8142/A.10644 which would allow state Education Department
employees in the PS&T bargaining unit who are in the Teachers Retirement System
to obtain up to 200 days of pension service credit for unused sick leave.
Members who are in the NY State and Local Employees Retirement System already
have this benefit;
• S.8676/A.11730 which would allow members of the state pension
systems to be eligible for benefits under the World Trade Center Disability Law,
even if they had no pre-employment physical, if they provide medical records
showing they did not exhibit symptoms of a prior disabling condition.
• S.6778/A.10553 which extends the maximum leave of absence
from 12 to 18 months for state employees who are injured on the job.
Check the PEF Web site for updates on the status of these and other bills.
