10/26/2007
PS&T CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE No. 23
TABLE TALK
PEF's
PS&T contract team continues to meet with a team of negotiators from the
Executive Branch headed by representatives of the Governor's Office of Employee
Relations (GOER).
Negotiators signed off on changes to the Article 34 grievance process which changes include making the current expedited arbitration (‘triage’) process permanent. Discussions regarding both the Schools for the Deaf and Blind and Article 24 (Labor Management) were hopeful. Overall progress at the table can be described as heating up.
The
State has also responded positively to PEF’s earlier request to extend the Basic
Medical Discount Provider Network program that was slated to expire at the end
of the year. We expect to finalize a memorandum of understanding next week that
extends this program for at least another year. This extension is the latest
example of the State’s willingness to extend programs that would otherwise
sunset, and these actions help foster a positive bargaining environment at the
Table.
Bargainers next meet on Wednesday.
COLA JUSTICE RALLY!
The
state unions made contract proposals to address the cost of living crisis faced
by those who live in high cost areas. Join in support of your colleagues at a
rally for
COLA JUSTICE
Tuesday, October 30th,
(Across
from 250 B’way between
Subway
stops: #2,#3 - Park Pl; #4,#5,#6 - Brooklyn Bridge; R,W - City Hall; A,C,E -
Chambers St.
There
will be buses leaving for the rally at
For
More Information:
PEF
Reg. 10 Office at (212) 227-3132
PEF.
Reg. 11 Office at (718) 637-2019
PEF
Reg. 12 Office at (631) 360-4360
SETTLEMENT
CSEA,
representing 4 of the 14 bargaining units dealing with GOER, reached tentative
contract settlements earlier this week. As is normal, information regarding the
specifics of the agreements is kept under wraps until such time as both CSEA and
GOER share the info with their respective leadership structures. CSEA leaders
and negotiators will meet with their stakeholders this coming Monday after which
time we expect the real deal information flow to begin. For those interested in
following these developments the CSEA website address is
www.cseainc.org
THINK TANK’S
The Manhattan Institute is at it again ("Report says Taylor Law drives up tax burden," Oct. 16). It is hard to believe that this organization passes for a "think" tank. It has ideologues who will twist the data until it shows what they want it to show. The interesting thing is that even with their twisting they couldn't get the results they wanted.
For instance, the Manhattan Institute wants to take salaries earned by employees in the finance and insurance industries out of their calculations, because they make too much money and hurt their comparison. They leave in any minimum wage earners though, because they help their numbers. Even with this ruse, the private sector salaries and the public sector salaries are virtually equal.
The Taylor Law has not resulted in the costly raids on public coffers to fund extravagant pay and benefits for public employees that the institute contends. In fact, most members of my union, the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF), make less than their private sector counterparts.
The
members represented by PEF -- publicly employed physicians, nurses, accountants,
lawyers, computer analysts, engineers and hundreds of other job titles -- earn
far less than those working in private industry. And the closer you get to
The Taylor Law has not strengthened labor as the Manhattan Institute contends. It has weakened it by removing the strongest weapon in any union's arsenal to achieve greater wages -- the ability to strike. As a result, the current environment for employee contract negotiation strongly favors management.
The real issue here is not how well public sector employees are paid and what benefits they have. The real issue is how do we get more good paying private sector jobs with benefits back into New York, and how do we organize those nonunion workers who are already here so they too can enjoy a living wage and benefits.
KENNETH BRYNIEN
President, PEF