5.29.2007

PEF, GOER discuss early bargaining proposals

PEF’s PS&T contract team met with negotiators from the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) and spent last Wednesday discussing their respective health insurance proposals. PEF’s proposals are quite detailed. The state's, on the other hand, is quite vague and in line with its "conceptual" nature at this early stage of bargaining. Not surprisingly, and like all previous employer teams, a goal is to achieve cost controls and savings. The state's and union's conceptual proposals are posted at the PEF Web site.

Negotiators opened up bargaining talks for the Schools for The Deaf and Blind. Resolution of the schools’ negotiations is necessary for the parties to reach a final contract agreement.

Before a crowded room, PEF's Director of Contract Administration conducted a power point presentation explaining both the difficulties faced by employees who work and live in high-cost areas of the state and the union's proposal to respond to the real problems.

The union also led a discussion regarding the needs of approximately 1,500 PEF-represented peace officers.

“What we accomplished was a closer in-depth look at those proposals discussed,” said PEF Vice President and Contract Chair Lou Matrazzo. "This understanding of each other's proposals is critical to our success in a future stage of actually agreeing to contract changes."

GOER and PEF teams will next meet Wednesday, May 30 and Thursday, May 31. Issues to be discussed include travel and family benefits. Meetings are also scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week.