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The Communicator
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| Members applaud PEF’s
negotiating Sweet success emerges from contract rallies By DEBORAH A. MILES PEF members at the state School for the Deaf in Rome and the School for the Blind in Batavia finally signed a contract, after a three-year battle. The union organized rallies at both schools on May 2 to spotlight how state negotiators dragged their feet at the bargaining table — delaying important issues such as year-round health insurance coverage for some PEF members. Just 21 days later, after a long day and night of negotiating with the state, PEF’s negotiating team emerged with smiles and a contract. “I was very pleased to get a resolution so soon after the rally,” said PEF Region 6 Coordinator Michael DelPiano. “Apparently, we nudged the state enough to get them to sit down with us and do something meaningful for our members at both schools.” Main issues resolved Victoria Stockton, PEF council leader at the School for the Deaf, said health insurance was the main issue for instructor assistants over the summer months, as they work a 10-month term. In the past, the cost to these union members often exceeded $1,500 to maintain coverage for those eight weeks in summer. “The biggest deal in the midst of the negotiations was the effort made by PEF to obtain the health insurance,” Stockton said. “Unfortunately, it won’t be in effect until the summer of 2003, but we still feel it was a wonderful accomplishment since the state totally refused to bargain on this issue in the past.” Union members at both schools also won salary increases, retroactive to October 1999 and eliminated the one-year delay in payment of performance advances beginning in September 2000. Until the very end of the negotiations, the state refused to implement this change any earlier than September 2001 — a year later than the date the same change took effect for other 10-month employees in the PS&T unit. “The other major victory is the retroactivity,” Stockton said. “Just the effort PEF displayed to support these people was a massive amount of work. And we greatly appreciate the outpouring of support from the nearly two-dozen other unions who came to our rally in Rome. “Our little division does feel it’s a part of the big system now,” she said. Members’ opinions count Echoing the same gratitude and enthusiasm, Deborah Cromwell-Stamp, PEF council leader at the School for the Blind, expressed relief over the signed contract and profound thanks to PEF. “My gratitude goes to everyone, but I especially would like to thank PEF associate counsel Elizabeth Hough, Region 3 field representative Bruce Smith and PEF Director of Contract Administration Robert Carrothers,” she said. “Without them, we would not have the contract we wanted. “Going through the negotiations, I realized how much of a family we truly are in PEF. The support members gave to each other was an eye-opening experience,” she said. Cromwell-Stamp said the time and commitment of the contract team impressed her the most. “I wish I could tell members how much their opinions matter,” Cromwell-Stamp added. “I’m amazed at how the voice of one member is heard and acted upon by PEF. I’m just thrilled to be a member of this union. It really is an honor.” “The successful outcome of these negotiations confirms the importance of politics, patience and mobilization,” said PEF President Roger Benson. “It helps us prepare for our next major struggle, negotiating the PS&T contract in 2003.” |
