2003 PS&T Contract News 03/21/2003

3/21/2003

Help support a fair budget
There is nothing new to report for this week in negotiations. The arduous process or reviewing proposals for the PS&T contract continues. The negotiating teams are scheduled to be back together on Wednesday, March 26th.

The foundation for successful negotiations is a sound financial picture. Call your legislators today and urge them to support a fair budget by closing corporate loopholes and passing ".007" — a tax that returns to the state budget a small portion of the federal tax rebate windfall that those who earn over $100,000 are scheduled to receive.

The Job Security/Fair Budget Campaign
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 health care 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. The 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.

Raises across NYS continue to be negotiated
(UPDATED 3/17/2003)

Members of PEF’s PS&T negotiating team are keeping a watchful eye on all the raise increases within the state and across the country. Following is list of recent increases.

- From the February, 2003 NYS- NEA “ADVOCATE”
- Adirondack Community College ESP Association’s 3-year contract includes salary increases of 3 percent + $260 for 2002-2003 and 3 percent + $205 for each of the remaining years. Other gains: life insurance at twice the employees’ salary, and a 1-year freeze on health insurance premium increases.

- Gloversville Office Personnel Association’s three-year contract includes salary increases of 4.5 percent + $400 for typists for the year 2001-2002. Second and 3rd year increases: 3.25 percent + $200 and 3.25 percent, respectively. Other gains: New longevity step at 10 years plus increases to all longevity steps.

- Peru Association of Teachers’ 3-year contract includes salary increases of 4 percent for 2001-2002, and 4.5 percent and 4.25 percent for the remaining years,. Other gains: Teaching Assistants add new step in years 2 and 3; payment of unused sick leave at retirement increases; retirement benefit increases.

- Bethlehem Central Teachers 3 year contract providing salary increases of 5.6 percent, 5.2 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

- BNA's "Government Employee Relations" Report dated February 25, 2003. Federal employees will receive a 4.1 percent average pay increase in 2003 retroactive to the beginning of January under a bill signed by President Bush on February 20. Both houses of Congress overwhelmingly approved the bill on February 13.

In December 2002, Bush signed an executive order granting 3.1 percent raises to federal civilian employees and 4.1 percent raises for military personnel. This recently signed bill corrects the disparity.

The Bush administration's recent 2004 budget proposal calls for a 2 percent across the board pay raise for federal employees plus $500 million for performance bonuses.

-January 9, 2002, state workers in Nebraska reach a tentative agreement. 1.5 percent 2003, 2 percent 2004, and freeze contractual step pay plan that would have provided 2.5 percent in each year. Reduce cost to employees of prescription drug co-payments.

-NEW YORK TIMES January 5, 2002 – Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYS Governor appointees) and the Transport Workers Union Local 100 (representing 34,000 subway and bus workers in NYC) - $1000 one time payment 2003, 3 percent 2004, 3 percent 2005; plus “nearly $400 million more over three years to safeguard health coverage”.

-http://www.dol.gov/esa/ - The United States Office of Personnel Management announces that non-military Federal employees will be receiving a 3.1percent across the board salary increase beginning January 1, 2003. Military personnel will be receiving 4 percent.

-TIMES UNION, December 6, 2002 – “All Albany County employees should see raises next year, after all – unless they were elected to their jobs”…. “4 percent cost of living raises for workers whose jobs are not covered by union contract and who make $50,000 or more a year”

-The BUFFALO NEWS, December 3, 2002 - Niagara County Community College faculty pay “will rise 2 percent in the current academic year, 3 percent in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 and 4 percent in 2005-06”

-NEW YORK TIMES, June 11, 2002 - “District Council 37 and most other city unions received raises of 9 percent over 27 months in contracts that averaged a 4percent raise each year”.

-NEW YORK TIMES, August 7, 2002 - “The union, the bus companies and the city (NY) reached a tentative deal on Saturday” — 27 month agreement is retroactive to 1/1/01 and provides for 4 percent in 2001, 4 percent in 2002 and another 1percent on March 31, 2003.

-THE CHIEF LEADER - UFT and NYC reach settlement for 80,000 Teachers. ATB 16 percent (compounded), 4 percent 11/16/00, 5 percent 11/16/01, 6 percent 9/1/02.
Raise starting salaries by 22.3 percent “State lawmakers have included $400 million in the new state budget to pay for and sustain the 6 percent pay hike”

-NEW YORK TIMES, September 19, 2002 – 3000 health care employees in New York area receive a 20 percent increase over 15 month agreement.

-WALL STREET JOURNAL, September 15, 2002 - “Salary freezes will be rare next year, and raises are likely to be slightly higher overall.” “On average, salary increases are expected to be 3.9 percent for salaried overtime-exempt employees, 3.8 percent for salaried union workers and non-union hourly workers, and 4.1percent for executives, according to a survey of 1,045 companies by consultant Hewitt Associates.”

-TIMES UNION – City of Albany and Albany Blue Collar Workers Local 1961 receive back to back 3 percent raises on December 31, 2002 and January 1, 2003, 4 percent in 2004 and 5 percent in 2005

-TIMES UNION – City of Albany and Albany Permanent Professional Firefighters Association receives 0 percent for 2002, 1percent January 2003, 1percent July 2003, 2 percent for 2004 and 3 percent 2005 and “heftier retirement and insurance benefits”.

-NYS DOL Collective Bargaining Settlement Report, August 2002 – City of Troy and CSEA 3 percent 1/1/02, 3 percent 1/1/03, 3 percent 1/1/04, 3 percent 1/1/05, 3 percent 1/1/06, 3 percent 1/1/07

-NYS DOL Collective Bargaining Settlement Report, August 2002 –Columbia County and UPSEU 3 percent 1/1/01, 3.25 percent 1/1/02 and 3.5 percent 1/1/03

-NYS DOL Collective Bargaining Settlement Report, August 2002 – Rockland County and CSEA 4 percent 1/1/02, 3.75percent 1/1/03

-NYS DOL Collective Bargaining Settlement Report, August 2002 – Ulster County and CSEA 3 percent 1/1/03, 3 percent 1/1/04 and 3 percent 1/1/05

-NYS DOL Collective Bargaining Settlement Report, August 2002 – Suffolk County Community College and AFT Local 3038 2 percent 9/1/02, 3 percent 9/1/02, 3 percent 9/1/03 and 3 percent 9/1/04.