Secretary-treasurer
focused on contract
Mobilizing members for a fair PS&T contract is PEF's focus, and that is the union's fiscal focus, too, PEF Secretary-Treasurer Jane Hallum told delegates to the 21st Annual PEF Convention in Rochester.
PEF, she said, is keeping a tight rein on expenses - making sure it gets maximum results for its money and its efforts.
The union's two international affiliates - the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) - have been very supportive, she said.
"AFT gave us $250,000 for our advertising campaign, and SEIU gave us $250,000 for our fight-back campaign," Hallum reported.
Meanwhile, PEF has improved The Communicator, while reducing its combined production and mailing costs to 54 cents per copy, she said.
In answer to a question from a delegate Hallum reported that annual car allowances for PEF officers have been eliminated.
Another delegate asked her to explain how sick-leave buy-back for some former PEF officers was accommodated, since it had not been budgeted. Hallum said the PEF Executive Board voted to take the money from the union's reserve funds.
Another questioner asked how much it would cost if PEF agreed to a state contract demand that would require the union to put all of its local and statewide elected officers on full-time union leave and reimburse the state for their pay.
Just paying for the 12 regional coordinators would
cost between $275,000 and $1 million, Hallum said.
The state's approach to bargaining is pushing the union "out of the box," she told the delegates.
"When New York State offers its workers zeros, the usual rules cease to apply," Hallum said. "It's time for us to start operating outside the box."