{"id":14077,"date":"2026-04-03T13:24:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:24:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/?p=14077"},"modified":"2026-04-03T13:24:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:24:46","slug":"former-pef-president-roger-benson-1945-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/former-pef-president-roger-benson-1945-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Former PEF President Roger Benson, 1945-2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo
PEF President Wayne Spence and former President Roger Benson at President Spence’s third inauguration in Aug. 2021.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

April 3, 2026 —<\/em> Former PEF President Roger Benson passed away peacefully with his family by his side on April 1, 2026. He was 81 years old.<\/p>\n

Benson served nine years as PEF President from 1997-2006. While working for New York State as a research scientist at the Department of Health\u2019s Wadsworth Laboratory in Albany, Benson became active in PEF, serving in several leadership roles before running for president and winning election in 1997.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoger Benson\u2019s steady leadership, integrity, and unwavering commitment to our union laid a strong foundation for those who followed,\u201d said PEF President Spence, who credits Benson for giving him invaluable advice when he first took office in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018If you don\u2019t have a mission and you don\u2019t have a vision, how do you know where you are going? How do the people around you know where you\u2019re going?\u2019\u201d recalled Spence. \u201cSo, I established a mission and a vision, which we still have today. His legacy endures in the progress we continue to make on behalf of our members.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"In his first term, following the expiration of the 1995-1999 PEF contract,\u00a0after members had spent\u00a0more than a year working\u00a0without a successor agreement, Benson led 20,000 members at a protest in Albany, calling out then-Governor George Pataki. Members were joined in solidarity\u00a0by\u00a0thousands of members from CSEA. In response, the governor mobilized 300 State troopers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur members refused to be intimidated by an army of state and local police who were clearly under orders to try to muzzle us,\u201d said Benson at the time. \u201cOur members came to personally deliver their own message\u00a0to the governor\u00a0\u2014\u00a0\u2018Give us a\u00a0Fair\u00a0Contract\u00a0Now!\u2019\u00a0\u2014 while he was presenting his State of the State address at the Capitol.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Roger Benson, in hat, participates in a “Go Public” rally at the State Capitol to call out the State’s use of private contractors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By standing up to the Governor\u00a0and making their case in the media,\u00a0PEF\u00a0eventually came to terms\u00a0on\u00a0a strong\u00a0retroactive contract for the years 1999-2003, delivering annual raises and a lump-sum payment of $500. \u00a0During his tenure as PEF president, Benson would negotiate another strong contract that ran from 2003-2007 with across-the-board raises for the membership.<\/p>\n

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Benson went to bat for the families of members who were killed when insurance companies were slow to pay benefits. He mobilized staff and the PEF Membership Benefits Program to support those families and later oversaw the dedication of the 9\/11 Memorial at PEF headquarters in Latham\u2014a tribute in granite to those who were lost.<\/p>\n

In his second term, from 2000-2003, Benson led PEF in its fight against Governor George Pataki\u2019s attempts to slash the State budget, ultimately saving 11 facilities and 5,000 member jobs.<\/p>\n

He also created the PEF Nurse Organizer position to mobilize and empower the union\u2019s more than 11,000 nurses.<\/p>\n

After winning an historic third term in 2003, Benson and his PEF team created a \u201cGo Public\u201d campaign, which advocated for a suite of legislation to expose the use of private contractors in State government. Most of the bills were passed into law, leading to far greater transparency regarding the State\u2019s use of consultants and the resulting cost to taxpayers.<\/p>\n

\"Roger
Roger Benson helps lay a wreath at the dedication of the PEF 9\/11 Memorial at union headquarters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe politicians win two ways,\u201d Benson was quoted in the May 2006 issue of the PEF Communicator<\/em>. \u201cThey can tell voters they\u2019ve cut the state workforce, and they can collect big campaign donations from the grateful contractors.\u201d<\/p>\n

After declining to run for a fourth term, Benson retired to spend more time with his loved ones and pursue his passion for restoring classic cars. He is survived by his sister Marta Benson-Pike and his son Alexander Benson.<\/p>\n

Calling hours will be held April 7 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at New Comer Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Rd. in Colonie. A funeral service will take place April 8 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by a burial ceremony in Albany Rural Cemetery, 3 Cemetery Rd. in Albany. A Celebration of Life Luncheon will follow at the Desmond in the Fort Orange Ballroom, located at 660 Albany Shaker Rd. in Albany from 1:00-4:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

April 3, 2026 — Former PEF President Roger Benson passed away peacefully with his family by his side on April 1, 2026. He was 81 years old. 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