“We have built a bridge together to the 21st century. We’ve crossed it together, and we will not go back.” — Benson
Union faces fights over privatization, influence
Benson: PEF meets challenges, makes choices, manages change in 2000
By MEL HYMAN
In his annual convention State of the Union address, PEF President Roger Benson focused on the challenges still ahead.
Speaking at the September 11 plenary session, Benson urged the nearly 800 convention delegates to be prepared to continue the union’s fight to preserve the jobs of PEF members and defend against attempts to undermine the quality of public services.
Privatization battles loom
For example, state politicians beholden to corporate interests are taking a serious look at privatizing services for the mentally handicapped, he said. And there is a movement afoot at some of the state’s correctional facilities to turn over security operations to private companies, such as Wackenhut Security.
State officials also would like to turn over state-road-design work to private engineering firms that have been major contributors to political campaigns, the union chief added.
Benson warned that even tax collections could wind up being farmed out to private industry, and it’s already well known than the Pataki administration would like nothing better than to scuttle the parole system in New York state.
All of these measures — proposed in the name of saving taxpayers money — stem from the philosophy of former President Ronald Reagan who claimed “government was the problem,” Benson said. In actuality, “Ronald Reagan was the problem,” he said, “and now his successors” are trying to implement the same point of view.
“If we don’t fight this, we will be reduced to being inconsequential spectators as our jobs are dismantled,” he said.
New level of influenceOverall, PEF is in a much stronger position as a result of its 18-month struggle to win a new PS&T contract, Benson said.
“We have attained a new level of influence in state government,” he said.
Now, we must ask ourselves, “Are we going to continue our progress? Are we going to continue our growth?
“I ran for president four years ago on a promise to put the needs of our members first,” Benson continued. “These needs included greater job security, a stronger contract and retirement reform.”
Benson told the delegates the union has met those challenges, but can’t afford to be complacent now.
He noted that PEF has gone from zeros to “real salary increases” in each of the four years of the new PS&T contract agreement set to expire on April 1, 2002. In addition, Tier 3 and Tier 4 members with 10 years or more in the state Retirement System no longer have to make 3 percent pension contributions, he said, since that provision of the law was eliminated in this year’s legislative session.
Benson pledged his administration would continue its aggressive campaigns to defend members’ rights and build the union’s influence.
“We have built a bridge together to the 21st century,” he said.
“We’ve crossed it together, and we will not go back.”