PEF responds to tentative agreement between Council 82 and the state

A tentative contract agreement was announced last week between Council 82 and the state of New York. The state offered PEF a similar proposal.

PEF President Ken Brynien said PEF has not accepted the state's initial offer because it would impose an unfair burden including long-term hardships on members and their families. The state's proposal would require an average PEF member to give up as much as $10,000 in salary and benefits every year of the contract. Additionally, the state made it clear that accepting these concessions would not ensure PEF members would not be laid off anyway.

PEF has a counter proposal on the table that would achieve the savings the state needs for this fiscal year. Brynien said the union is willing to accept short-term hardships for what may very well be a short-term fiscal crisis.

The Council 82 agreement does not set the groundwork for PEF’s continuing negotiations. It should be noted that the bargaining unit that agreed with the governor represents less than one percent of the state work force and is a very specialized unit that has been working without a contract since 2005.

PS&T contract negotiations continue

PEF’s PS&T contract team met with state negotiators April 5. Negotiations between PEF and the state are ongoing. The state’s negotiators continue to seek significant cost shifts in health insurance, including increased premiums for PEF members and significantly higher co-pays, while demanding hard wage freezes.

PEF has offered a counter proposal that meets the budgetary needs of the state, as identified in the enacted state budget.

PEF leaders are asking members to remain patient and ready to support actions which may be necessary to assist in achieving a fair contract.

If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up for the Active Informed Member (AIM) bulletins and continue to check the PEF website for the most up-to-date information on negotiations.

State Comptroller releases payroll bulletin for longevity awards

The Office of the State Comptroller has released a payroll bulletin for the April 2011 performance (longevity) awards. They will be issued in separate checks for eligible employees. For those in administrative payroll, the check date is April 27, and for institutional payroll employees, the check date is May 5.

For more information regarding eligibility, visit the PEF website and click on Contract Resource Center.

Parole officers in NYC metro area hold membership meeting

If you are a PEF member and parole officer in the New York City metro area, you may want to attend a membership meeting Thursday, April 14, at UFT, 52 Broadway in NYC from 6 to 8 p.m. The topic of the meeting will be the merger between the Division of Parole and the state Department of Correctional Services. Seating may be limited. Contact your PEF steward for more information.

PEF will observe Workers Memorial Day

PEF members in the Capital Region are invited to attend a Workers Memorial Day observance Thursday, April 28 at 10 a.m. in the garden monument area at PEF headquarters in Latham. The event will include a wreath laying ceremony and guest speakers.