3/13/2003

Pre-Tax Pilot Program expands
UUP members now included

Downstate PEF members may soon save money on their transportation expenses thanks to an agreement signed by PEF leaders and representatives from the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) to launch a pilot program for pre-tax transportation benefits.

The program will be offered to eligible employees who work for the Labor Department, state Insurance Fund and OSC in New York City’s five boroughs.

This week, GOER has agreed to add eligible employees who work at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. With the addition of this facility, the size of the pilot program has effectively doubled, and members of another bargaining unit, United University Professions (UUP), will be eligible to participate.

Negotiations continue with clarifying proposals

PEF’s negotiating team spent this week in the grinding process of clarifying proposals with negotiators from GOER. The two teams spent hours to ensure complete understanding of the ideas being presented at the March 12 meeting.

PEF’s team finished answering the first round of employer questions regarding the union’s proposals. The state then walked through their conceptual proposals.

The next session will be held on Wednesday, March 19, with the union’s turn to ask clarifying questions necessary to precisely understand the positions offered by GOER. Both teams will also develop a schedule for more in-depth dialogue on mutually important bargaining areas.

Olivia Robinson moves on

One of PEF’s 2003 contract team members, Division 224 Council Leader Olivia Robinson has decided to leave state service and move on to greener pastures. The PEF membership loses a passionate and articulate employee advocate. The contract team loses a dear and valuable friend. All the best, Olivia!

The Job Security/Fair Budget Campaign

A Contract is meaningless without a job. Join the PEF campaign for a fair NYS budget!

STOP JOB-KILLING SERVICE CUTS THAT WILL CUT 5,000 STATE JOBS AND 45,000 PUBLIC AND HEALTHCARE JOBS THAT RELY ON STATE FUNDING
THERE’S A BETTER CHOICE!

The Richest New Yorkers and the State’s Most Profitable Corporations Must also Share the Burden of the
State’s Fiscal Crisis!

The Executive Budget proposes more than $4.7 billion in cuts to essential education, health care, and mental health services.
It will close four psychiatric centers, Stop research efforts to improve the treatment of mental disorders; and hurt PEF families and the most vulnerable New Yorkers we serve.

The wealthiest New Yorkers with incomes of over a half million dollars, pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than we do. They pay only 6.5 percent of their income in state and local taxes while the rest of us pay 12 percent.

When Albany cuts the state budget, local property and sales taxes soar; the proposed Executive Budget will increase local property taxes by an average of 15 percent this year and for some communities local taxes could rise more than 25 percent.

Call your elected officials including Governor Pataki, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today at 1-877-255-9417 (an operator will transfer you to their office).

Tell them that to preserve essential services, you support recouping a portion of windfall federal tax cuts by imposing a surcharge on the wealthiest New Yorkers and closing corporate tax loopholes.