‘I
am proud of the work we have done in politics, and that this work has benefited our job security, our contract
and our pensions.’
Working smarter in campaigns
By ROGER E. BENSON
As reported in this issue and in many past issues of The Communicator, PEF members are working hard to elect candidates who understand the importance of public services and the value of the labor movement. They are working hard, and working smarter.
Often, one of the most critical factors in endorsing candidates and determining the allocation of PEF’s campaign resources is overlooked: the factor of whether or not candidates can help us once they are elected. We cannot afford to overlook that factor.
A guiding principle of the current administration and of our approach to political action has been to elect candidates who have both the mindset and the ability to help us once they are elected. This has fueled our success in our budget and contract fights, and on our legislative agenda.
Currently, we are devoting our most significant resources to those candidates in the majority parties in the Assembly and the Senate. To some this may seem dispassionate. However, PEF was founded to promote the welfare of its members. Our grassroots participation in elections is perhaps the single most important activity we can do to engender the support of elected officials to achieve this goal for the benefit of our members.
This election represents PEF’s most ambitious involvement in political campaigns. In addition to our “Push Bush” activities, the local elections for majority candidates in the Senate and Assembly represent one of the most important activities PEF will undertake. It takes organizational discipline for many of us to work in elections or for candidates we may not personally support, but who will likely have a great statewide impact on our entire membership.
I am proud of the work we have done in politics, and that this work has benefited our job security, our contract and our pensions.
This election represents an opportunity to continue to build on our relationships with the leaders in the Senate and Assembly and will help us build allies in the struggles we are sure to face in the next legislative session.
The
Communicator November 04
Inside This Issue
Features
Union
rallies to save Bushwick
Retirees' bill vetoed by Gov.
Members
getting out the vote
Supporting candidates
PEF endorses 4 candidates
Engineers show solidarity
Departments
President's Message
Member's Mailbag
Health and Safety
Stronger Contracts
Health Notes
Nurses
Retirees In Action
PEF Membership Benefits &Travel
Union Matters
Back Cover Ad: VOTE
Making NYS diverse
PEF PR is looking for shutterbugs
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