5.10.2007

CONTRACT UPDATE #5
EXCHANGE PROPOSALS
The PEF contract team met with negotiators from the Governor's Office of Employee Relations (GOER) on Tuesday, May 9, 2007 at the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Conference Center in Albany.

The State's Team is about the same size as the PEF team. Both are comprised of representatives from many executive branch agencies. To see and read about your Team visit us at  http://www.pef.org/pst2007/contractteam07.htm)

It was a productive first meeting. Negotiators exchanged conceptual proposals and discussed, agreed upon and signed off on ground rules. Future meetings were agreed upon. At these future joint sessions each party's conceptual proposals will be fleshed out and discussed in detail.

Both teams are together on May 15, 16 and 17. Meetings are also scheduled for May 22, 23 and 24. On May 23rd the myriad of health insurance issues will be tackled.    

As in the past, PEF negotiators advanced proposals that address the many diverse needs or ours, the largest and most complex of the 14 bargaining units of NYS executive branch employees. Fair across the board raises is the one issue which ties us all together. Other top issues include defending against concessions, assuring the continuation of affordable quality health insurance, achieving mandatory overtime restrictions, improving the dental program, expanding on the salary grade parity we achieved in the last round of negotiations and fighting to achieve a COLA for high cost of living areas around the state.

HIGH COST OF LIVING AREAS
10,000 NYS employees represented by several unions have sent letters to the governor petitioning for his assistance in dealing with the high cost of living in many counties of this state. This activity supports your negotiators! If you haven't sent a letter yet visit the Coalition for Location Pay website where you can send one electronically - http://www.coalitionforlocationpay.com/letterform.asp