Negotiations became a little more serious this past Wednesday when the State's representatives moved from being on a "listening tour" to actually giving PEF negotiators helpful direction on issues in couple of articles including feedback on PEF's demands in Article 33 (disciplinary protections). Present for this discussion was the General Counsel of GOER, Walter Pelligrini and the Deputy General Counsel for PEF, Lisa King.

For the first time in these negotiations the State provided to the Union specific contract language. The language was for changes in Article 30 and 32. The Union provided grievance and other statistical information supporting a demand to limit the State's ability to terminate an individual accused of job abandonment (Article 35). The Union now has on the table full text for 25 Articles it is seeking some change in.

This coming Wednesday, June 25, the negotiators plan to swap demands specific to the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. On the following week, July 2, the parties will discuss their demands in the Health Insurance area including Dental and Prescription coverage.

- Receive regular e-mail updates – send your home e-mail address to PEFonline@pef.org

- To date, PEF has posted at its website 20 updates regarding negotiations. Regularly check PEF’s “CONTRACT ’03” website for new information. Just go to www.PEF.org and click on the “CONTRACT ‘03” Button in upper left hand corner

- The PEF Telephone Hotline message is updated weekly. Check it out at 1-800-342-4306, ext. 555

- Check out the June, 2003 MOBILIZER Contract ’03 Edition at http://www.pef.org/pst2003/newsletter/newsletter062002.pdf

- Become more active in your Union! Sign up to become a PEF Member Mobilizer! Learn more about this at http://www.pef.org/et/index.htm