Governor Hochul’s executive budget was released on Jan. 18 and hearings before legislative committees started today. First up is a joint Senate and Assembly hearing on Public Protection — PEF submitted written testimony from President Wayne Spence highlighting our concerns surrounding budget proposals impacting DOCCS and the Office of Information Technology Services.
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Albany, N.Y. – The New York State Public Employees Federation endorsed the reelection campaigns of Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli on Dec. 10 at their Executive Board meeting. The PEF Executive Board voted overwhelmingly to accept the recommendations of the union’s Statewide Political Action Committee. “Majority Leader Schumer...
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — PEF parole officers and victims’ advocates rallied outside the Hall of Justice in Rochester November 22 to denounce the “Less is More” parole reform law and call out its serious repercussions for community safety, parole supervision and crime victims. “Less is More requires that we turn our eyes away from those who are still serving their court-imposed sentences, who continue to demonstrate behaviors that negatively impact...
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New York state must hire more mental health nurses and other professionals to meet the mounting demands of New Yorkers throughout the state. But the state can’t recruit and retain enough staff to meet the challenge until it greatly improves pay and benefits enough to compete in a marketplace where demand for services far exceeds...
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QUEENS, N.Y. — New York State parole officers rallied outside Rikers Island on Oct. 7, 2021, to denounce the recently signed “Less is More” parole reform law and call out the serious repercussions for community safety, parole supervision and crime victims. “Bottom line – the “Less” in this law is public safety; the “More” is...
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On Sept. 17, PEF filed a declaration of impasse with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) requesting a mediator be assigned to facilitate impact bargaining with the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) over the Sept. 27 vaccine mandate imposed by the New York State Department of Health on patient-facing healthcare workers. The declaration was...
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PEF members, retirees and other disabilities services organizations joined State Sen. John Mannion (D-50th District) on September 14 outside the State Capitol for a rally to spotlight the lack of adequate funding, services and staff at the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). A 25-year veteran of OPWDD, PEF Vice President Randi DiAntonio spoke for...
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ALBANY, N.Y. – PEF President Wayne Spence issued the following statement in response to Gov. Hochul’s suspension of the statewide hiring freeze on Sept. 16: “PEF applauds Gov. Hochul’s decision to suspend the hiring freeze that has contributed to critical staffing shortages throughout the state workforce. Now it’s time to fill the more than 5,000...
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PEF President Wayne Spence issued the following statement after Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in on Aug. 24, 2021, as the 57th governor of New York: (Hans Pennink/AP Photo) “PEF looks forward to working with Gov. Kathy Hochul and her leadership team as our members continue to deliver the essential services that keep the state running....
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