PS&T CONTRACT UPDATE
Pay hikes
hot contract topic
By DEBORAH A. MILES
The state’s economic climate has been dominating the
PS&T bargaining talks, with representatives from the
Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER)
painting a bleak picture of New York’s fiscal
situation for this year and next.
At a mid-June meeting, experts from the state’s
Division of Budget (DOB) said there is no money in the
budget for employee raises. PEF President Roger Benson
said DOB omitted to report that any monies required to
implement the pay raises in a new contract are
appropriated in the “paybill” which is adopted
by the Legislature and signed by the governor.
PEF Vice President and Contract Chair Ken Brynien added
that once the contract is ratified, the state must adjust
the budget to accommodate raises for state employees.
“DOB has a long history of crying poverty at the
contract table,” Benson said in a letter to
Albany’s Times Union editor. “More important,
DOB’s singular focus on state employees fails to
recognize the wage increases that are included in the
2003 executive budget. For example, school districts and
local governments throughout the state are giving their
employees raises in 2003.”
These are funded in part by local assistance monies
included in the Executive Budget. In addition, many state
contracts with private companies include provisions for
annual employee raises.
DOB experts also said the state’s economic recovery
would include an average wage growth for all state
employees over the next several years.
Union negotiators challenged the state to re-examine its
use of contractors. PEF negotiators reiterated to GOER
that the state could save a quarter of a billion dollars
by letting state workers do their jobs instead of hiring
contractors. Benson added, “You would think, in such
a dire fiscal environment, both DOB and the Business
Council would be looking to reign in wasteful
contracting. Yet both remain silent, preferring instead
to focus their cost- containment efforts on the men and
women working for the state of New York.”
The contract team will continue to meet with the state
throughout the summer. — By Deborah A, Miles
To learn about future topics at the bargaining table,
visit www.pef.org and click on the 2003 orange button for
weekly contract updates. Members are also invited to
visit the FAQ section on that Web page.
For more
info click the button
|
Site Map What's New Search COMMUNICATOR HOMEPAGE
Inside This Issue:
Features
Lawmakers override all 119
budget vetoes
Set state safety, security
standard
Thank your legislators
Departments
President's Message:Our work
continues
You Said It: Member's
letters this month
PS&T Contract Update:
Pay hikes hot topic
Member Highlights;Keeping up
the good fight
Retirees In Action: New
officers take the reins
PEF Membership Benefits
Program & Travel Corp
Nurses' Station:
- Derail unsafe staffing, put
laws on the fast track
- Roswell Park honors nurses
- Nurses conference addresses
timely topics
Legislative Action:
- Union presses lawmakers on
contracting out
- Legislature passes 11 bills
PEF supports
- Don’t let feds
shortchange NY
Health Benefits:
- Feds aim to guard your
privacy
- College students need shot
in arm
- HMO applied wrong rule for
disabled kids
Union Matters
PEF, OASAS train workers for
emergencies
EAP Coordinator earns
Quality Service Award
Making state park system a
summer delight
Pre-Tax Transit pilot put on
hold
Balloting brings 13
newcomers to E-Board
Convention 2003: Delegate
preview
You can COPE. Join today!
Other Links
Professional Directory
Members' Classified
Member Communicator Feedback
Do You Prefer The Online
Edition?
How To Advertise Here
PEF Pride Store
The Communicator Staff
Questions on this site? Email the comwebmaster.
 Register here on the
PEF
Member Network.
 Click Here email notice when next issue is
online
|