Patience, timing lead to good contracts

By DEBORAH A. MILES
While some PEF delegates at the 25th annual convention said they were anxious to get a new contract, members of PEF’s negotiating team are urging patience.

“Patience is our strength,” said Roger Scales, PEF’s chief negotiator. “Our visions and goals are lofty. We may be compelled to wait.”

Scales said the contract team will review and perhaps repeat some of the negotiation strategies used by United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Randi Weingarten.

Last year, Weingarten won a three-year battle for a new contract for UFT members. Her strategy won a negotiating landmark with annual raises of 6 percent to 8 percent.

“Weingarten realized that at some point, management will need a contract more than you,” said PEF Vice President Ken Brynien and contract chair. “The tone of our negotiations is good at this point. All our proposals have been submitted. We need to wait for the right window of opportunity to fight for raises and benefits, just like they did at UFT.”

Scales said the contract team needs help and support from the membership now. “With the state budget being dismal, we need to put energy in the Cut State Waste campaign,” he said. “That’s where the money will come from for the raises everyone wants.”

The vast majority of the 800 delegates at the 25th annual PEF convention participated in a cyber rally, sending hundreds of letters to lawmakers, telling them to stop contracting out.

“Putting a stop to contracting out is our major hurdle,” Brynien said. “But if things break down at the bargaining table, we will need our membership to help us fight even harder.”

Brynien said divisions must be fully mobilized and members should be ready to sign petitions, participate in more cyber rallies and rally in the streets, when the right moment presents itself.


The bargaining teams will continue to meet throughout the fall. For weekly updates, visit the PEF Web site at www.pef.org and click on the orange contract button. You may also receive weekly Active Informed Member (AIM) updates to your home by sending your e-mail address to PEF.

To learn about future topics at the bargaining table, members are invited to visit the FAQ section on that Web page.

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