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Honorable Peter J. Abbate
NYS Assembly
Room 839 - LOB
Albany, New York 12248

RE: PEF/ New York State -Collective Bargaining Status

Dear Assemblyman Abbate:

I am writing to inform you about the status of contract negotiations between the Public Employees Federation and New York State. This contract affects 52,000 State employees, including many constituents who live and work in your district.

The PEF contract with New York State expired almost 15 months ago, on March 31, 2003. We have now been negotiating for over 18 months with no clear end in sight. Unfortunately, the State negotiators have not come to the table in a sincere effort to bring this negotiation to a fair settlement. Instead they have adopted a tactic of stalling and creating obstacles that prevent settlement.

About two months ago the State reached contract settlements with two other large unions of State employees – CSEA and UUP. Shortly after those settlements we indicated to the State negotiators that we believed that the PEF contract could also be resolved quickly with a comparable economic package. However, the State has not responded by putting a realistic offer on the table. Their negotiators have proposed terms to PEF that offer significantly less in salary and benefits that they agreed to with other unions. And they have demanded concessions on long-standing contract language even though they did not make similar demands of the other unions that have agreed to contract settlements.

The work that our members do on behalf of the people of our State is no less important than that done by other State workers, and we will not accept any attempt to treat us a second-class citizens. We want the same thing for our members that you want for all of your citizens- fair and equitable treatment from their State government.

The stalling tactics of the State’s negotiators are unnecessary and are contrary to the public interest. We are ready and able to bring this long negotiation to a fair resolution. But to do so we need a reasonable partner on the other side of the table who shares our desire for a prompt, fair settlement.

I know that you share our goal of fair treatment for all of the hard-working people who serve the people of New York. This can only be achieved when the Governor directs his negotiators to stop stalling and to move forward with a fair and realistic settlement of this contract.

Sincerely,

Roger E. Benson
                President