JUST THE BEST — PEF Vice President Ken Brynien, chair of the PEF Political Action Committee, recognizes the union’s outstanding PALs (political action liaisons) for 2001 at PEF PAL training in New York City in November. — Photo by Bill Sachs Activists learn to lobby, campaign PEF PALs hone skills By SHERRY HALBROOK PEF spent two days in mid-November training its political-action liaisons (PALs) in preparation for the 2002 legislative session which begins in January and the 2002 elections for all state leaders and members of Congress. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno were among those who addressed the nearly 100 PEF activists participating in the training in New York City. Quality counts State Sen. Frank Padavan was presented with a PEF Quality Services Award for his leadership in opposing the relocation of children’s psychiatric services into facilities for adult patients. State Sen. Nancy Larraine Hoffman also received a Quality Services Award for her leadership on that issue. That award was presented to her in October at the PEF convention. Awards were also presented at the PAL training to the outstanding PEF PALs for 2001. Building skills Training covered political campaigning, lobbying and how to mobilize members. Staff from the American Federation of Teachers and the Service Employees International Union were on hand to help PEF leaders and staff cover the bases. State AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes also gave the PALs tips on how to wage successful legislative and political campaigns. LABOR LESSONS — NYS AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes talks with PEF Vice President Joe Fox and Division 170 Council Leader Jonathan Gittens about labor’s legislative priorities for 2002, during a break in the PEF PALs training session in NYC in November. Fox also serves as president of the Capital District Area Labor Federation, one of the state fed’s five new regional federations. — Photo by Bill Sachs The Communicator Home Page

Taylor Law reforms to be issue in ’02 By SHERRY HALBROOK The state AFL-CIO will need all of the legislative skills and support it can muster in the 2002 legislative session for reforms it wants to the state Taylor Law. A task force of the state federation has called for three changes to the law as “the minimum steps that must be taken now to protect and enhance the collective-bargaining process and the rights of public employees under the Taylor Law.” These changes are: 1. Make permanent the Taylor Law’s existing provisions on binding-interest arbitration for essential personnel, agency-shop fees, and injunctive relief under improper-practice charges. 2. Enact legislation (S.5259-A/ A.8741-A) to guarantee all public employees a right of representation when they are subjected to a disciplinary interview by their employer. 3. Enact legislation (S.5899/A.4085) to provide for an effective remedy when public employers are found to have refused to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement in good faith. Legislative survival test While the Taylor Law issues will be taken up in the next legislative session, some bills that passed in 2001 are just now finding their way to the governor for his signature or veto. And this is often the toughest hurdle to clear. Legislation that PEF supported extending minimum leave for occupational injury to two consecutive rather than cumulative years was vetoed by the governor on October 31. And the governor rejected a bill that would have given employees the right to be represented by non-attorney union reps in investigations governed by the Civil Rights Law. Yet another bill PEF backed was rejected by the governor in November. It would have made employees of the state Transportation Department eligible for hazardous-duty pay when they must work close to traffic and are exposed to safety and health risks. Verdict still out Two other bills supported by PEF were sent to the governor November 16 for his action. S.884/A.2153 would grant employees at Roswell Park Cancer Institute the right to take state civil service promotional exams. And S.5617/A.9202 would allow workers to join a union without lengthy delays by providing that the employment relations board shall designate a collective bargaining representative after a showing of majority interest by employees in the unit. One of the most important bills to PEF members that was passed by the Legislature in 2001 would restrict the state’s use of shadow agencies. That legislation had not been sent to the governor yet in late November as The Communicator went to press.