Christopher Buman is a true union man who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk in several ways to benefit the PEF membership.
Buman is a newly appointed PEF trustee, and was also appointed to the PEF PS&T negotiating team. He played an integral role during the last round of negotiations with the state.
“There are a lot of things members deserve, and hopefully, we can accomplish more in the upcoming talks. One matter near and dear to me involves the issues experienced by non-permanent employees, and we should be looking into the contract’s travel article. I don’t want to pigeonhole myself with a couple of issues, because there are a lot of important issues. Often, it comes down to the priorities of the group.
“Negotiating takes a team effort, and there is good unity within this team, as there was in the last team. For that reason, I believe we will be successful in negotiating an agreement members will overwhelmingly ratify.”
Buman works as a real property analyst at the state Department Taxation and Finance. Prior, he was a disabled veteran’s outreach program specialist at the state Department of Labor. He started as an hourly temporary employee, became a PEF steward, and was later elected as PEF Division 221 council leader.
He has served on the Veterans’ Committee and the Non-permanent Employees Committee.
“Being a voice for our members is important to me. But the only way the team will succeed is if members take an active role in the negotiations process. Taking the online survey is a great first step.
“Only through our collective voice do we have a chance to maintain and improve our working conditions,” Buman said. “The union is here to fight discrimination and other injustices. It’s unrealistic for one person to go against the state. As a collective bargaining group, we can take on those issues and others. For that reason alone, you should want to be a union member. There is no other mechanism to fight for worker justice.”