THE RIGHT COUNT — Tellers and sergeants prepare to count delegate votes on the convention floor.
PEF reaffirms support for single-payer

By SHERRY HALBROOK
In mid-September, delegates to the PEF convention voted to continue supporting HR 676, federal legislation to create a single, not-for-profit, health care system for all, commonly referred to as “single-payer.”

“Health care reform is the most important issue facing our nation today,” said PEF Region 8 delegate Holly Clark of PEF Division 169 at the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which led the effort to support single-payer. “We need this reform now.”

Before voting to include single-payer on PEF’s list of federal issues and legislation it will support in the next 12 months, delegates had the opportunity to learn about health care reform at a workshop conducted by a figure in the national debate, Andrew Coates, MD, a PEF delegate and Division 231 steward. They also could view Michael Moore’s film on the subject, “Sicko.”

“PEF’s position for years has been to support Medicare for all, or single-payer,” said delegate Wayne Bayer of Division 169. “The time is now. We must fight for it now. It’s the best way to improve health care in the U.S.”

One delegate told how the lack of health insurance is forcing painful choices for members of his family.
“I have numerous family members having difficulty affording health care,” he said. “Sometimes they must settle for filling just half of a prescription.

When their insurance denied a claim, they unsuccessfully appealed it twice and then were required to pay a $50 fee to file an external appeal.”

He went on to say when his niece had a new baby and couldn’t afford to pay for family coverage, “she had to give up her job so she could qualify for Medicaid for the baby.”

Delegate Joe Greenfield of the Department of Correctional Services said he worries about the cost of trying to cover everyone.

However, according to Dr. Coates, single-payer is the best way to drive down health care costs nationally.

In her address to the convention on its opening day, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said, “I like the Medicare-for-all approach,” basing premiums on a percentage of income and saving money by helping people stay healthy, rather than waiting until they are so sick they are in the emergency room.

If Medicare for all can’t be won, Gillibrand said, “I’m going to fight hard for the public option.”

On the PEF convention’s final day, Sept. 16, Dr. Coates reported the AFL-CIO, at its national convention being held that same week in Pittsburgh, also had just voted overwhelmingly to support single-payer.

That resolution was submitted by (AFL-CIO) delegate Mike Keenan, a retired member of PEF Division 169 and president of the Troy NY Central Labor Council. The Troy CLC had sent it to other labor bodies throughout the country and obtained resolutions of support from 70 of them before the national convention.

Timing poor for pension reforms

By SHERRY HALBROOK
Although delegates to the PEF convention held last month in Niagara Falls spent a great deal of time debating resolutions and amendments to the union’s list of state legislative priorities related to pension and tier reform, the discussions were circular.

They ended with recognition the agreement entered earlier this year between PEF President Ken Brynien and Gov. David Paterson to avoid state layoffs temporarily puts a lid on efforts to fight expansion of pension inequities based on state employees’ hiring dates. And the poor economy makes improving pensions unlikely.

Brynien had agreed PEF would not oppose creation of a new pension tier 5 that would require new hires to permanently contribute to their pensions and would require some to work longer before retiring. In exchange, Paterson promised he would not lay off any PS&T employees for the remainder of his term of office that ends December 31, 2010.

While the delegates chafed at the limitation, the majority acknowledged the agreement not to fight Tier 5 was necessary to save members’ jobs.
Delegate Sue Kent, urged the delegates to disregard the agreement.

“This is wrong,” Kent said. “The (agreement) should have been debated by our Executive Board.”

Delegate Jim Close said, “Five years from now, delegates will probably scream bloody murder.”

“And well they should,” replied PEF Vice President Joe Fox, who chairs the PEF Political Action Committee, “but we’ll have 20 years to do something about it.”

So far, however, Tier 5 legislation has not been introduced in the Senate or Assembly and opposition from unions representing New York City employees, whose members also would be affected, has held it at bay.

The delegates also debated proposals calling for legislation to improve pension benefits or make up for inequities among the existing four pension tiers, but several PEF leaders warned state and national economic problems make the timing poor for such attempts.

“Asking for even one month of service credit (for Tier 3 and 4 employees who contributed to their pensions for more than 10 years before that limit was placed on employee contributions) may be more than we should ask for now,” said delegate Jim Blake. “It’s a great idea, but not now.”

PEF Legislative Director and Counsel Brian Curran told the delegates such corrections or improvements to pension law “are not impossible, but they are unlikely” at present. Such measures have the best chance when the economy and the state pension fund are flourishing.