By SHERRY HALBROOK
Binding arbitration of PS&T contracts is now a high legislative priority for PEF.

Delegates to the PEF convention in September passed a resolution setting the priority, despite a written analysis by two PEF departments that discouraged it, because it could undercut PEF’s ability to overcome weak patterns if they are set by other state-employee contracts.

The delegates also passed six resolutions setting negotiating goals for the next PS&T contract. (See related article, page 4.)

Besides the contract, resolutions passed at the convention cover topics ranging from opposition to the war in Iraq (See related article, page 3.) to pensions, public elections and PEF operations.

HEREBY RESOLVED — PEF convention delegates John Bright and Darlene Williams and...

...Dylan and Mike Keenan right) sort out the issues. — Photos by Ken Dischel and Bill Sachs

Merit and fitness matter
After debating and amending the original proposal, the delegates passed a resolution supporting legislation to restrict “70.1” transfer provisions in state Civil Service Law. That provision allows state employees to transfer to other positions up to two salary grades higher if they involve the same or similar qualifications. These transfers are allowed even when a valid list of eligible employees for the position are available. 

The amended resolution supports allowing the transfers only in cases where the employee is reachable on the civil service list.

Fair elections matter
Two of the resolutions passed deal with maintaining the integrity of public elections.

One of these directs PEF to work at many levels for extension and reauthorization of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, and to educate “communities of color” about the importance of extending the VRA.

The other resolution, directs PEF to oppose the use of voting machines in public elections that rely on the machine manufacturers to count the votes, and to support the use of “precinct-counted optical scanning machines programmed and maintained only by public employees, with the addition of a ballot-marking device for voters with disabilities and language minorities.”

Better ways
The delegates also had something to say about the way they want PEF to operate.

They passed a resolution calling on the union to make a stronger effort to “promote a system of diversity” in its own, as well as public, worksites.

And they instructed PEF to use electronic, rather than print, communications where it’s practical, and to inform members they can volunteer to receive more of these communications electronically.