SHADOW BOXING — PEF Shadow Agency Committee members Bill Holthausen, Wayne Bayer, Bill Wurster, staff members Jeff Waggoner and Steve Connolly, and Lou Matrazzo, Region 8 coordinator meet to discuss strategy. Photo by Sherry Halbrook
PEF committee takes on shadow threat
By SHERRY HALBROOK
Wrestling with shadows is a slippery business at best, but that‘s what PEF has been trying to do for more than a decade with mixed success.
The bogeymen in these shadows are a host of public authorities, public benefit corporations, research ventures and public-private partnerships that hover on the edges of New York‘s state operations gobbling up state services, resources and jobs at every opportunity.
For instance, according to a state comptroller‘s report, public authorities are responsible for 93 percent of this state’s debt. Thanks to the shadows, state taxpayers have had the opportunity to approve only $5 billion of New York’s debt at the polls. But the taxpayers are paying for all of it.
For PEF members, shadow agencies pose a threat to their jobs, civil service, legal and contract rights, quality services and manageable workloads.
PEF President Roger Benson has appointed a committee to shine a strong, new light on shadow government and come up with strategies for protecting members and the public.
Chaired by Bill Wurster of the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the committee includes PEF Region 8 Coordinator Lou Matrazzo of the state Health Department, Bill Holthausen of the state Transportation Department, Jeff Janiszewski of the state Department of Economic Development (DED) and Wayne Bayer of DEC.
“We are taking a close look at possible legislative controls and other tactics,” Wurster said. “We are also reviewing ideas and information from PEF’s international affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers, which is tackling the problem nationwide.”
So far, PEF has had its best successes in persuading state lawmakers to block proposals from the governor to move everything from the state University of NY medical centers to the state Museum, Library and Archives into the shadows.
Several years ago, PEF was also able to hold off an attempt to absorb the DED. The union was not able to prevent Roswell Park Cancer Institute from becoming a public-benefit corporation, but PEF was able to maintain contractual and some civil service rights for members there.
“We face new attacks on our members and services every year,” Wurster said, “we have accomplished a lot with the help of state
legislators, but we must come up with new and stronger strategies.”
The
Communicator Dec.04-Jan.05
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