DED member wins Privatization Buster Award
PEF’s 2009 Privatization Buster Award goes to a member who fought to keep the state Department of Economic Development (DED) from being merged into the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), a public benefit corporation.

Jeff Janiszewski, a PEF Executive Board member, Division 262 council leader and an economic development program administrator, said the support of the larger labor movement saved PEF jobs.

If the proposal was enacted, eight employees from the state Office of Science, Technology and Innovation Foundation and 40 percent of DED employees would have lost their jobs, with the rest transferred to ESDC.

“We are the smallest department in state government,” Janiszewski said. “We would not have been successful had we been on our own.”

Janiszewski said the efforts to recruit and mobilize “big” PEF and other labor organizations sent a loud and resounding message to legislators that the abolishment of DED and subsequent merger into ESDC was anti-union.

“We led the battle, but it was finding as many allies as possible that helped us win the war,” Janiszewski said.

The “we” Janiszewski is referring to is Division 262 Assistant Council Leader Kay Wilkie, whom Janiszewski said was equally involved in the mobilization effort.

“Along with PEF involvement and leadership, we got the Buffalo Labor Federation, the New York City Central Labor Council, the Troy Labor Council and the Capital District Area Labor Federation to support our position. Everyone involved played a role and deserves our thanks,” Janiszewski said.

Mary Lou Vasilev, chair of the Privatization Award Committee, said Janiszewski’s passion, drive and determination to protect the job security of members who work in a small agency tipped the scales in his favor.

“Jeff had the foresight to realize he needed the backing of the greater labor movement throughout the state. And he got it.”

The award was presented at PEF’s 31st Annual Convention in September. — Deborah A. Miles
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