{"id":2192,"date":"2021-02-04T15:31:03","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T20:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/?p=2192"},"modified":"2021-03-08T15:34:23","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T20:34:23","slug":"pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"PEF spotlights state budget concerns at workforce hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"

PEF Vice President Randi DiAntonio testified about the union\u2019s state budget concerns relating to staffing and service reductions at a virtual legislative hearing on the workforce February 2. \u00a0Although witnesses were only given three minutes to present their verbal testimony, she also\u00a0answered legislators\u2019 questions<\/a>\u00a0for 90 minutes along with representatives from CSEA and DC 37, which represents workers in New York City.\u00a0 In addition, PEF submitted more detailed\u00a0written testimony<\/a>\u00a0to the lawmakers.<\/p>\n

Many of the legislators praised the heroic efforts of PEF members during the pandemic and offered their condolences for the loss of those who succumbed to COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really stepped up to the plate and we need your help in making sure this budget is reflective of your real values,\u201d DiAntonio told them.<\/p>\n

While the governor\u2019s proposed budget does not call for outright layoffs, it does call for closing some state facilities and state agency mergers that will be very disruptive for clients and for employees who may be forced to bump into lower paying positions, relocate or make longer commutes in order to remain on the state payroll.\u00a0 The effects will also be a hardship for the New Yorkers receiving the related services.<\/p>\n

The state\u2019s budget deficit is \u201cbeing balanced on the backs of its most needy citizens,\u201d DiAntonio said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t have enough people now to get the job done.\u201d Reducing the state workforce by more than 800 workers will only make that situation worse, she said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re trying to fix the system, by taking away the tools to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the union\u2019s biggest concerns that she expressed were the proposals to privatize, close, or consolidate some state mental health services and facilities, closing and consolidating the state\u2019s specialized facilities for at-risk youths and cutting the earned benefits of state workers and retirees, which only makes it harder to recruit and retain workers..<\/p>\n

The state should learn from the critical shortages and challenges of the pandemic that it needs to enhance and invest in its services and the state\u2019s social safety net, she said.\u00a0 It would be dangerously counter-productive to ignore the staffing issues, the growing need for mental health services and those for at-risk youths.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf mental illness is growing in this state, why are we cutting services?\u201d DiAntonio asked.\u00a0 \u201cThis is not a budget that takes care of the heroes or the people who need the services the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

The proposed closing of Rockland Children\u2019s Psychiatric Center means there will be no state facility for children in crisis between the Bronx and Utica, a distance that will pose a nearly insurmountable obstacle for maintaining essential family support and contact especially now that so many people have lost their jobs and income.\u00a0 Likewise, the proposed changes and reductions in services for youths being detained by the courts runs counter to the growing demand for criminal justice reform.<\/p>\n

DiAntonio also expressed PEF\u2019s strong opposition to extending the \u201cdesign, build\u201d concept, which allows private contractors to take over creating and running state projects with little state oversight, to the Office of Information Technology Services.<\/p>\n

For more information about the testimony follow these links:<\/p>\n

\u2022 DiAnotonio\u2019s three-minute testimony\u00a0here<\/a>; or
\n\u2022 the entire hearing\u00a0here<\/a>. (*DiAntonio begins at about 2:06:30); and
\n\u2022\u00a0PEF\u2019s written testimony<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PEF Vice President Randi DiAntonio testified about the union\u2019s state budget concerns relating to staffing and service reductions at a virtual legislative hearing on the workforce February 2. \u00a0Although witnesses…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2193,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,480],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-nys"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPEF spotlights state budget concerns at workforce hearing - PEF<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PEF spotlights state budget concerns at workforce hearing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PEF Vice President Randi DiAntonio testified about the union\u2019s state budget concerns relating to staffing and service reductions at a virtual legislative hearing on the workforce February 2. \u00a0Although witnesses...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PEF\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-04T20:31:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-03-08T20:34:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/jointhearing-post.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"435\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ccanham\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ccanham\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"ccanham\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/#\/schema\/person\/0677b03b1fcdadfe00f4e905b97b90e4\"},\"headline\":\"PEF spotlights state budget concerns at workforce hearing\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-04T20:31:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-03-08T20:34:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing\/\"},\"wordCount\":552,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/jointhearing-post.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"NYS\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/news\/pef-spotlights-state-budget-concerns-at-workforce-hearing\/\",\"name\":\"PEF spotlights state budget concerns at workforce hearing - 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