PEF praises
passage of privacy protection bill, fights Albany parking
plan
By DENYCE DUNCAN LACY
State lawmakers took action on one of the union’s
major priorities this summer, swiftly passing a bill that
would protect union members and other state employees
from identity theft by restricting the use of Social
Security numbers to identify employees on most official
government documents.
The Assembly passed the PEF-backed bill (A10040A and
S6707A) in May, and the Senate gave it final approval in
June.
PEF President Roger Benson hailed the lawmakers’
action.
“This bill was one of our legislative priorities,
after union members raised concerns about the lack of
protections to their personal privacy and the threat of
identity theft,” Benson said. “We are
enormously grateful to Sen. Hugh Farley and Assembly
Member RoAnn Destito for their vision and leadership in
sponsoring the bill and getting it through both
houses.”
PEF pushed
bill’s passage
Benson said the union helped initiate the legislation and
pushed for its passage because state agencies widely use
Social Security numbers to identify employees on job
applications, timesheets, performance evaluations, and
other forms, and some employees have had their privacy
compromised.
In one instance, a prison inmate at the Gowanda
Correctional facility gained access to state Department
of Correctional Services’ documents containing
employees SS numbers, and was apparently attempting to
find the home addresses of certain employees. Employees
were also concerned because Social Security numbers can
be used to create false credit accounts.
When PEF members first raised concerns about protecting
their privacy and preventing identity theft, the union
stopped using SS numbers, to identify members and created
a new system of personal ID numbers. Under the new
legislation, state agencies would be required to create a
new method of identifying employees.
“This bill will go a long way toward protecting our
members’ privacy and preventing identity theft by
limiting the use of their SS numbers, except where it is
specifically authorized by law.” Benson said.
“Now we will lobby the governor to urge him to sign
the bill as soon as possible.”
SAY NO TO PERMIT PARKING — PEF Region 8 Coordinator Lou Matrazzo
testifies against a residential permit parking bill for
the City of Albany during a legislative hearing in June.
— Photo by Sherry Halbrook
Opposing permit parking
While PEF leaders and members were lobbying for passage
of the Social Security bill, they also worked to defeat
proposed legislation that would pave the way for the city
of Albany to create a residential permit-parking plan
that would limit the rights of commuters to park on city
streets.
PEF Region 8 Coordinator Lou Matrazzo testified against
the proposal at a joint legislative session in June. He
told lawmakers the bill is flawed, and the timing of the
proposal is bad because an unknown number of additional
state employees will soon be moved to downtown Albany to
compete for scarce parking spaces.
“Until the state provides essential data about the
total number of state employees being relocated to
downtown Albany and commits to specific plans to provide
off-street parking to state employees, PEF cannot support
permit-parking legislation,” Matrazzo said.
“The bill being debated puts the cart before the
horse,” Matrazzo added. “It would give the
Albany Common Council the authority to limit on-street
parking in residential areas citywide, almost without
restriction.”
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The Communicator
July/August 2002
The Official Online Edition of
The New York State Public Employees
Federation
Inside This
Issue:
Features
ERI, 25/55 retirement
options
FAQs about ERI and 25/55
Contract Success: Schools
for the Deaf & Blind
PEF testifies on adult homes
Funding restored for youth
program
Workload hurting
nursing-home surveyors
Member works to empower
newcomers to USA
DDepartments
President's Message:
Mobilization forms results
You Said It:
Member Mobilization: Get
your Division mobilized
Members mailbag
Legislative Action: privacy
& parking
Health Notes: Empire Plan
enrollees counter costs
Retirees In Action:
Legislative issues homework
PEF Membership Benefits
Program &
Travel Corp: We've Moved to HQ
Union Matters
PEF PS&T members:
Contract Survey
Union honors parole officers
Four E. Board seats filled,
one at T&F vacant
PEF Scholarships Galore
NYS Museum, Archives,
Library to stay at SED
Fight Back Against
Privatization" Award Nomination Form
PEF committee targets civil
service issues
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