CAREFUL SCRUTINY — PEF Region 1 convention delegates
take a careful look at proposals before voting on them.
— Photo by Ken Dischel
Delegates
approve PEF’s 2003 legislative goals
By DEBORAH A. MILES
Delegates to the PEF convention in October reaffirmed the
union’s top issues to be presented to state
legislators for support.
In summary, these issues are:
• Ensuring quality services — The state should
provide high quality service for all citizens and have
sufficient funds included in the state budget to
guarantee expedient and effective delivery of public
services.
PEF supports high staffing levels at every agency to
ensure quality service to many of the state’s most
needy citizens, who often may receive inadequate care.
PEF opposes the use of per diem or contract employees,
and the privatization of government services.
• Protecting employee rights — Supporting state
employees’ rights to be treated with respect and
dignity, PEF will continue to fight for a workplace free
of harassment, discrimination, random drug testing and
unwarranted discipline.
Employees have the right to expect that civil service
rules which affect hiring, promotions, layoffs, transfers
and other aspects of state employment will be fair,
supportive of the merit system, and open to public
scrutiny.
• Maintaining a stable public workforce — While
changes in the size and composition of the workforce
often occur, PEF supports proper management of these
changes to result in fewer disruptions in the provision
of services.
PEF is opposed to the contracting out of services that
state employees could provide. PEF will continue the
battle for the rights of employees threatened with
layoff.
• Reforming NYS and federal labor laws —
Certain reforms are needed to promote responsiveness with
regard to collective-bargaining negotiations. In
addition, injunctive relief should be expanded to include
all improper-practice charges, and all pay differentials
should be considered collective-bargaining issues.
The union also supports reform of the federal Hatch Act
to allow state employees the unfettered opportunity to
participate in political activities of their choosing.
• Improving working conditions and benefits —
The state needs to continually monitor working conditions
and to take remedial action to improve them when
necessary. High on the list of priorities is ensuring
that health and safety concerns are swiftly addressed.
PEF encourages legislation to provide for study of
prevailing wages for various job titles, and the
subsequent increase in salary grade allocation of state
titles with pay grades below the prevailing wages for
those professions.
• Providing for a well-deserved retirement —
State employees deserve a comfortable retirement after
giving decades of their lives to serve the public good.
Benefits among the retirement tiers should be equalized
and penalties for early retirement should be reduced or
eliminated.
At the PEF Convention, the union’s Legislative
Agenda was amended to call for Tier 3 and Tier 4
employees who made 3 percent contributions to the
retirement system for more than 10 years to receive upon
retirement “two months,” rather than one month
of additional service credit for each year of service
beyond the first 10 years.
For a complete copy of PEF’s Legislative Agenda for
2003, call the union’s Legislative Department at
1-800-724-4997.
PEF endorses
seven more candidates in Nov. 5 election
The PEF Statewide Political Action Committee made the
following political endorsements at a special October
meeting held during the union’s convention in
Buffalo:
• PEF Region 1 — Sandra Lee Wirth, R, 142nd
A.D.;
• PEF Region 4 — Patricia Ritchie, R, 118th
A.D.;
• PEF Region 5 — Barbara Lifton, D, 125th A.D.
and Robert Warner, R, 126th A.D.;
• PEF Region 9 — Adam Bradley, D, 89th A.D.;
and
• PEF Region 10 — Jonathan Bing, D, 73rd A.D.
and Ruben Diaz, D, 32nd S.D.
These endorsements are in addition to the many made by
the PEF Executive Board in August and those made by the
PAC in September.
You will find these earlier endorsements listed in your September and October issues of The Communicator, which are also
available online at www.pef.org.
— Deborah A. Miles
Don’t
forget PEF’s endorsements in statewide contests are:
Governor — George Pataki
Comptroller — Alan Hevesi
Attorney General — Elliot Spitzer
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COMMUNICATOR HOMEPAGE
Inside This
Issue:
Features
Union sticks with Pataki,
Hevesi
Benson pledges: No more
zeroes
Hallum: Strict fiscal
controls, methods paying off
UFT leader shares
negotiating tips
Convention delegates adopt
eight resolutions
Delegates amend PEF
Constitution
Departments
President's Message:
Standing together
You Said It: Member's
letters this month
Member Mobilization: Div.
240 awards
Legislative Action:
Delegates give thumbs-up
Nurses' Station: Convention
roundtable on OT
Health Notes: Flex
Spending/Dependent Care
Member Mobilization:
Divisions testing system
PEF Membership Benefits
Program & Travel Corp
Union Matters
PEF brings tough new outlook
to contract talks
Early retirement window
opens at Mental Health
PEF to launch new ad
campaign
Arbitrator overturns
member’s suspension at DOH
Multi-union program mentors
future leaders
Member honored for her
unique role
PEF endorses 7 more
candidates in Nov. 5 election
Financial Statement
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