Union Matters

Union Matters
PEF PS&T members: Contract Survey
Four E. Board seats filled, one at T&F vacant
NYS Museum, Archives, Library to stay at SED
PEF committee targets civil service issues

PALS — NYS Assembly Member Carl Heastie welcomes his PEF political action liaison (PAL) Richard Dillard, PEF Region 10 Coordinator Jennifer Faucher and Region 10 PAC Chair Bob Thomas to a recent fundraiser in New York City. Left to right are: Thomas, Dillard, Heastie and Faucher.

ASPIRING COMPTROLLER — New York City Comptroller Alan Hevesi asks members of the PEF Region 10 PAC to recommend the union endorse him in his bid to become the next state comptroller. — Photo by Bill Sachs

PEF committee targets civil service issues
CLICK HERE FOR THE ENFORCER

PEF’s Jeff Satz Statewide Civil Service Committee has drawn a bead on four priority issues for 2002.

These issues, which are outlined in the committee’s new quarterly publication, The Enforcer, include:
• Shadow agencies and proposed state legislation that would require their new employees to be hired through the civil-service process and would increase public oversight and accountability;
• Reassignments and proposed legislation to add safeguards for employees facing reassignment to other worksites;
• Transfers to higher salary grades in the face of eligible lists and proposed legislation to prohibit such transfers; and
• Performance-assessment tests review to identify flaws and best practices in testing procedures.

Chaired by PEF Vice President Joe Fox, the committee includes Nancy Becker, George Buldrini, John Clark, Edith Cooper, Casimir Czarkowski, Jeff Janiszewski, Bernie Kahn, Ron Manuli and Bill Wurster. It receives staff support from the PEF Civil Service Enforcement and Research Department.

Through The Enforcer, the committee is reaching out to these leaders and other interested PEF members to keep them informed and solicit their comments and insights.

“Although most PEF members are in jobs covered

by the state Civil Service Law, many find the civil-service policies, rules and procedures confusing and frustrating,” Fox said, “so we are reaching out to keep members informed.”

Already, The Enforcer has received an appreciative response from members.

“Lots of people have told me they like it, and it’s long overdue,” Fox said.

You can download a copy of The Enforcer from the PEF Website at www.pef.org. Just click on Current News and look under Special Postings.

Send your general questions, comments or suggestions to The Enforcer at EnforcerNews@pef.org or mail them to The Enforcer, c/o PEF Civil Service Enforcement Dept., PO Box 12414, Albany, NY 12212-2414.

Questions about matters relating to specific individuals or situations should be referred to the appropriate PEF field representative or Executive Board member. — Sherry Halbrook

NYS Museum, Archives, Library to stay at SED
Under steady pressure from PEF, the state Legislature in May rejected the governor’s proposal to transfer the state Library, Archives and Museum from the state Education Department (SED) to a public-benefit corporation.

The budget passed by the lawmakers and signed into law by the governor cuts a total of $5 million from the library, archives and museum accounts.

However, it also includes a $26 million addition from the Legislature for the Cultural Education programs. The money, which will come from a new $15 surcharge on filing fees charged by county clerks, is expected to be more than adequate to cover the operating costs for the three programs.

The budget also restores $1.2 million to the SED budget to continue the academic review of college and university programs by the Office of Higher Education at SED — a restoration which PEF had urged vigorously.

Unfortunately, the union was not able to head off the the governor’s proposal to consolidate the Office of Higher Education with the Office of Professions, also within SED. — Sherry Halbrook

PEF PS&T members: Contract Survey
If you are a PEF member in the state PS&T unit, check the center of the July/August issue for a special contract-survey supplement. It is provided only in Communicator copies mailed to PEF members of that bargaining unit.

Remove it carefully, fill it out and send it back to PEF — the postage is pre-paid — to let the PEF PS&T Contract Team know where you stand on important issues that may come up in negotiation of the next PS&T contract.

Talks will begin next winter for a successor agreement to the current contract which runs out April 1, 2003.

The team is also scheduling regional meetings with members for this summer to discuss issues and learn more about members’ concerns and priorities. Dates and locations for those meetings are being finalized as this Communicator goes to press, so check with your regional PEF office for details on meetings in your area. — Sherry Halbrook

To download a pdf file of survey click here
You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download

To get PS&T contract info: Call: 1-800-553-2445 Visit: www.pef.org E-mail: PEFonline@pef.org Ask: Your member mobilizer

To leave PS&T contract info: Write: PS&T Contract, PO 12414, Albany, NY 12212 Call: 1-800-342-4306, ext. 339 E-mail: PEFonline@pef.org Fax: 518-785-0525

Four E. Board seats filled, one at T&F vacant
Four vacant seats have been filled on the PEF Executive Board and nominees are sought to fill a more recent vacancy on the board.

Ray Lee, Susan Long Woytak, Piper Lutbak and Don Reinhard were automatically elected to the board when no other nominees for the seats were certified by the PEF Special Elections Committee.

Now, the committee is seeking nominees to fill a vacancy in Seat 485 on the PEF Executive Board.

This seat represents PEF members at the state Department of Taxation and Finance offices in Albany. Specifically, this includes:

• Processing Division in Buildings 8 and 8A on the Harriman Campus in Albany;
• Tax Compliance in Bldg. 8; Bldg. Compliance and Audit Systems Division - Technical Operations and Planning System Bureau;
• Filing Enforcement Bureau, Capital Region Office - Schenectady;
• Lottery Division - Schenectady;
• 855 Central Avenue;
• Wade Road; and
• Some other members of PEF Division 190C at Bldgs. 8 and 8A.

Petitioning begins July 22 and ends August 12 to nominate candidates. You must have been a PEF member since February 13, 2002 to run for this board seat. To sign a nominating petition, you must have been a PEF member since June 28, 2002.

If more than one eligible candidate is nominated for the seat, a special election will be held. Ballots will be mailed to members of that constituency on August 26, returnable to the American Arbitration Association (AAA) by September 16. You must have been a PEF member since August 12, 2002 to be eligible to vote in this election. — Sherry Halbrook
BACK TO TOP

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

Departments
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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The Communicator Staff

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