IN THEIR MEMORY — At a memorial service in Albany on the one-month anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, PEF President Roger Benson vows that the 34 PEF members who lost their lives that day will never be forgotten. — Photo by John Epting Job security still No.1 priority Honor fallen members by protecting services By ROGER BENSON Even as we mourn for our members who remain missing from the World Trade Center tragedy, the impact of that terrorist attack on state finances is becoming clearer. Currently, the state estimates a $9 billion loss of tax revenue over the next two years as a result of the attack, and most experts agree that job losses related to the attack will approach or exceed 100,000. In response to these predictions, last month, Gov. George Pataki proposed a plan that would reduce the state’s budget by $3 billion over the next 18 months, including a reduction of 5,000 in the state work force. Job security has been a cornerstone of my administration. In my State of the Union message delivered last month at the PEF convention, I pledged there will be no layoffs of PEF members. This was a pledge I made four years ago, and one that has been and will remain a principle of my presidency. The mobilization efforts around the last contract have enhanced our position and opportunities to effect changes in our terms and conditions of employment, and have given us a greater voice in the process. Most importantly, our mobilization network has given us the ability to quickly respond to threats such as these. The governor has committed to work to avoid layoffs by using hiring freezes, attrition, transfers, and early retirement incentives. PEF will work with the governor to ensure his proposal does not unduly affect our members, create additional short staffing problems or impair our ability to provide services to the public. These are uncertain times. New York State has never before suffered such an abrupt and devastating impact to its economy. However, we will not allow this tragedy to be used as an excuse to reduce and impair the ability of our members to provide vital and necessary public services. As I said in a memorial ceremony for the state employees missing in the World Trade Center tragedy — what state employees do is critical. We will not forget and we will not let anyone else forget this ultimate sacrifice. We will use all our resources to ensure that the work they were doing on behalf of the citizens of New York State will not be lost. I can think of no better way to honor the memory of our fallen members than to fight to protect the services we provide to those citizens. The Communicator Home Page