Member involvement determines platform for 2007 contract bargaining

By DEBORAH A. MILES
PEF leaders are tapping into the membership to find out what issues are important to it on a local and statewide level in preparation for the coming 2007 PS&T contract negotiations.

In August, contract team members met with PS&T members in several PEF regions and will hold “town” meetings through September, with the final meeting in Lake Placid at PEF’s 28th annual convention, October 15-18.

These meetings are a critical part of preparing for negotiations, and follow the selection of the contract team, training and written surveys, according to PEF President Ken Brynien.

“Many members participated in the last contract fight and were instrumental in the union’s success at the bargaining table,” Brynien said. “The contract team becomes empowered when it realizes the priorities of the members. It is the team’s desire to bring members’ voices to the bargaining table again.”

Bargaining against a deficit
“We expect our power as a mobilized union will be put to a serious test in our negotiations. New York City, which is currently negotiating contracts with its unions, does so in the context of having a $5 billion surplus. Unions representing New York state employees will be negotiating their contracts in an environment of a looming $13 billion state deficit over the next two fiscal years,” said Roger Scales, PEF’s director of labor relations and chief PS&T negotiator.

Even though it seems there is little breathing space between the last contract battle and the one on the horizon, some issues stay the same while others have changed.

What’s hot this round
PEF Vice President and PS&T Contract Chair Lou Matrazzo said a pay raise in every year is always a priority issue.

“We want to continue making progress on our achievements,” Matrazzo said. “The members we have already talked with at our town meetings have defined their concerns, such as cost-of-living adjustments for those who live in high-cost areas, expanding salary grade parity with the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) through grade 18, and making improvements to the dental program.”

Matrazzo also said holding down health care costs and expanding the longevity program are other significant issues.

“Because of these meetings, our contract team will have the opportunity to prepare and be ready to go when it’s time to meet with the negotiators from the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations,” he said.

Members are encouraged to visit the PEF Web site at www.pef.org and click on the 2007 contract button for the latest news and the schedule for the September town meetings.

For those without Internet access, the tentative meeting schedule is: September 7, 20, and 28 in Region 4; September 18 and 19 in Region 1; and September 28 in Region 7. Call your regional coordinator for times and locations.

Members are also encouraged to register for the Active Involved Member (AIM) online updates.