SENDING A MESSAGE — PEF Secretary-Treasurer Jane Hallum and President Roger Benson prepare to deliver thousands of Go Public postcards to the governor. — Photo by Deborah A. Miles
2006 signals ‘sprint to the finish’
By ROGER E. BENSON
I have taken the opportunity at the end of each of the past eight years to reflect on the past year and begin preparations for the challenges we will surely face over the next one.
To keep the union moving forward we must look at both our successes and our challenges. We must continually explore ways to make PEF stronger — stronger at protecting job security, stronger at getting the contracts our members deserve, and stronger at improving retirement benefits.
Tough times, tough lessons
For the last few years, as a result of the fallout of Sept. 11, 2001, and the Bush recession, the fiscal landscape has been difficult for public employees. We have learned from these hard years how best to protect our members and still win gains in the most difficult times. We have applied what we’ve learned and have seen success on our budget issues, legislative program, and in our contracts.
We led government reform efforts with our Go Public accountability and anti-privatization campaign. We achieved passage of three of our four accountability bills — one restricting procurement lobbying was signed into law — and, as I write this, we are waging an override fight of the governor’s veto of our contract disclosure bill. We expect the third bill on public authorities to be signed in the near future.
We continue to fight to keep the state Department of Labor’s Manhattan Telephone Claims Center open, by holding rallies, filing lawsuits, and raising the profile of this ill-conceived plan through media campaigns. We have not been able to stop the proposed closure yet, but with a new legislative session in less than two months, we will continue our efforts to stop this wasteful and disruptive plan.
At the Middletown Psychiatric Center we effectively preserved our members’ jobs and the services they provide by creating with the governor’s office a model for new and enhanced community-based state mental health services.
Our parole officers have mobilized to alert the public to the dangerous practices at the state Division of Parole, and we are continuing our fight for retirement and benefit equity with other peace officers in the state.
At the Department of Transportation, our agency leaders pushed back hard against the worst components of an ill-advised “transformation” plan, and with a new commissioner in place better communication is occurring.
Even with these accomplishments, our work is not done.
More challenges ahead
To some, I have characterized the next eight months of my administration as a “sprint to the finish.” As part of that sprint it is assured we will be fighting state budget cuts and attacks on our pension benefits. We also will begin preparations for a new contract, and continue our fight against privatization and contracting out. We will begin new campaigns for workplace safety and work to address the issues of nurse short staffing and mandated overtime that make careers in nursing some of the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the state.
As PEF begins its first leadership transition in nine years, you have my commitment that we will continue to stay focused on the issues that matter most to our members: job security, stronger contracts and retirement reform.
My best wishes to all PEF members, their families and PEF staff for a safe and happy holiday season.
The
Communicator Dec 05-Jan06//
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