DEEPLY APPRECIATED — PEF President Roger Benson
presents retiring Region 11 Coordinator Alan Schulkin
with a plaque recognizing his service. — Photo by
Olubiyi Sehindemi
Legislative
session ends but our work continues
By ROGER E. BENSON
The legislative session ended in June, marking what has
been one of the most successful budget fight-back
campaigns in the history of PEF. Unfortunately, despite
this year’s wins, we will likely face an even
tougher fight next year to preserve the essential
services we provide and to protect the jobs of our
members.
Our success in this year’s budget fight-back was the
result, not only of our mobilization around issues, but
also our ability to articulate a solution to help
alleviate the state’s fiscal crisis and our ability
to provide the leadership necessary to push our issues.
But projections for next year’s deficit have been
pegged at $5.3 billion. The Division of Budget is
preparing a budget proposal expected to be released in
July that will most likely be the opening salvo in next
year’s budget fight, all but promising more proposed
reductions in the state workforce.
Our budget fight is not limited to the state level, but
also includes the federal level. A handful of proposals
are winding their way through Congress that may cut
federal funding for the state Departments of Labor and
Transportation, presenting PEF members with yet another
challenge to their job security.
As daunting as these challenges appear, our success in
the recent budget fight should give us confidence that we
can prevail in these struggles. We are preparing to meet
the next round of challenges now. Our mobilization
successes have taught us how to mount effective campaigns
to defeat these cuts as well as the contracting out and
privatization that follow downsizing of the state
workforce.
PEF has already identified nearly a quarter of a billion dollars the state could save by
eliminating contracting out of nursing, engineering and
information technology services. These savings would
provide the funding necessary to restore needed jobs and
pay our members fair salary increases in our next
contract. We will raise the profile of these wasteful
practices through a multi-faceted campaign that will help
preserve the job security of our members and identify
funding sources for fair salary enhancements.
Our experience in the last budget fight will serve us
well. If success begets success, then there should be no
doubt that we can prevail in future budget battles.
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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
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