PS&T CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE No. 49
(Previous updates can be read at http://www.pef.org/pst2003)

-TABLE TALK
Negotiators last met on Tuesday, February 17. The Union presented a full package counter offer to the State’s package of February 10. They have yet to provide the Union with a response to our proposal. The State and PEF are scheduled to meet Monday, March 1 to negotiate issues surrounding the SED Schools. (FYI, ground rules between GOER and PEF require that the Schools aspect of negotiations be completed before a final deal on the overall agreement can be inked.)

Speaking of Ground Rules, the Union gave the State the required 24 hours notice that we will use the public media in any manner we see fit to accomplish our goal of a fair and just contract settlement.

-MULTI - UNION COALITION MEETS
The multi union coalition partners met this week to discuss health benefits and other issues of mutual interest. We updated the group of our activities for a fair contract and also offered any assistance we could give to them in their fight for a fair contract.

Many of you will recall from an earlier AIM update that the one union most notably missing from the coalition of State unions is CSEA - who declined an invitation to join.

-LABOR SUPPORT ANNOUNCED
Source: PEF PRESS RELEASE
Friday, February 27, 2004

The Schenectady Central Labor Council calls on Gov. Pataki to offer state employees a fair contract

ALBANY — The head of the NYS Public Employees Federation (PEF) today publicly thanked the Schenectady Central Labor Council for its leadership in unanimously passing a resolution on February 25 calling on Gov. George Pataki to offer state workers a fair contract.

“We congratulate and thank the Schenectady Central Labor Council for being the first central labor organization in the state to pass a resolution asking the governor to personally intervene in negotiations with state employee unions such as ours to achieve immediate and fair contract settlements,” said PEF President Roger E. Benson. “Our 52,000 members and most of their co-workers in state service have been working without contracts since last April. It is time to bring these negotiations to a just conclusion.”

Most state employees have not received a raise in nearly two years. During this same time, the state and federal government, as well as many municipalities and school districts, have provided cost-of-living raises to their employees.

The Schenectady Central Labor Council is affiliated with the AFL-CIO and represents more than 100 local units of public- and private-sector labor unions and more than 29,000 members in Schenectady, Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties. PEF is an active member of the SCLC.

The full text of the resolution states:

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF ALL N.Y.S. EMPLOYEES

WHEREAS, contracts with Unions representing 175,000 N.Y.S. employees expired in 2003, and

WHEREAS, these unionized employees have not received a raise in 2 years, and

WHEREAS, the State refuses to provide the same raises to these workers that it has provided to its MTA and Port Authority personnel; the Federal government has provided to its employees; and many N.Y.S. municipalities and school districts have provided to their employees, and

WHEREAS, N.Y.S. wastes a quarter of a billion dollars per year in contractor salaries that in many cases are twice that of Civil Servants who perform the same job, and

WHEREAS, the State provides these same overpriced contractors with automatic cost of living adjustments for wages (in 2003 a 3.1% increase) while denying any increase to its own unionized workforce, and

WHEREAS, the State demands from its unions in these negotiations gut wrenching concessions in health insurance benefits currently provided present employees and future retirees that would seriously erode any fair increase in salary, and

WHEREAS, the State does not provide for a fair compensation differential for those employees who work in high cost areas, and

WHEREAS, New York State employees provide vital and essential services to the public and deserve to be treated in a just and fair manner.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that this Labor Federation requests that the Governor of this great State intervene in these negotiations and bring these negotiations to a quick and just end.

- CONTRACT RALLY - March 4 - Albany
Hundreds of members and supporters are expected to join the PEF Executive Board as they “deliver” CONTRACT PLEDGES to the Governor at a Contract Rally on Thursday, March 4 at the State Capitol (East Steps, Eagle Street side) beginning at noon with speeches set at 12:15. If you’re in or near Albany on Thursday stop on over! For more info visit us at http://www.thecommunicator.org/pradcampaigns/contracrally04.htm

-THE CONTRACT PLEDGE
PEF was in the driver’s seat a couple of months ago. When it became abundantly clear to the State that PEF's CONTRACT PLEDGE was a serious one they set out in search of a union that would agree to less. We responded by asking our members and other State employees to join us in taking hte CONTRACT PLEDGE. To date over 7000 PLEDGES have been delivered to Governor Pataki. We ask those who haven't taken the PLEDGE to do so today!

THE PLEDGE
Gov. George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

I will not accept a contract -

- That does not have a base wage increase in each year;
- That has significant health concessions including increases in premium percentages;
- That diminishes the health insurance benefits of present or future retirees; and,
- That does not provide cost-of living adjustments for high cost geographic areas.

Signed, _______________________

- Take the PLEDGE online by visiting www.unionvoice.org/campaign/pledge and ask your co-workers to do the same (advantages of taking the PLEDGE on line are it is free, quick, and a copy is automatically e mailed to your elected N.Y.S. legislators!)

-or-

- Sign the PLEDGE and ask your coworkers to do the same. Give all signed PLEDGES to your PEF leader who will arrange for it to be faxed to the governor.

The PLEDGE can be downloaded from the PEF website at http://www.pef.org/files/contactpledgead3.pdf

Copies can also be obtained by sending an e mail with your name, address and number of copies needed to PEFonline@pef.org. If you do not know who your local PEF rep is return signed pledges to the nearest PEF Regional Office or send them to

PEFc/o Margaret Wexler
PO Box 12414
Albany NY 12212