The July/August issue of The Communicator features the results of the PS&T contract vote and photos from the Statewide Officers Tour, along with all the latest union news. Click here to read.
Letters sent to PEF members about potential COVID overtime earnings adjustment
Please keep an eye on your home mailboxes for an urgent letter from PEF! Approximately two thousand current and former New York State employees in PEF’s PS&T Unit will receive this urgent letter. This letter advises eligible members about their potential entitlement to adjusted overtime earnings for certain specific types of COVID overtime work they performed during the COVID pandemic.
If you receive this letter, it means that PEF and the State have identified you as being underpaid for this work on COVID-19 preparedness and response projects between March 2020 and July 2022.
The projects include, but are not limited to, assisting the Department of Labor with the massive increase in claims for unemployment insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, as well as assisting the Department of Health with the COVID-19 Hotline.
If you receive this letter from us, your immediate response is required! The letter includes data that is specific to you and your potential entitlement to overtime wages, and we need your input about the accuracy of that data.
The letter will include the phone number for your local PEF office and an email address where you can submit information. The subject line is: Spence, et al. v. State of New York, et al., Index No. 904611-20 (Supreme Court Albany County, July 20, 2022).
Listen: June 28 Telephone Town Hall about Tentative Agreement
PEF President Wayne Spence hosted a Telephone Town Hall for all members on June 28 about the 2023-2026 PEF/State Tentative Agreement that is being sent to the membership for ratification. If you missed the Town Hall, you can listen to it below.
Physical copies of the agreement have been mailed to all members for review. You can also find all the materials on our Contract page.
The ratification vote will take place in July. The lemon yellow-colored ballot on the right will be mailed to all members on July 5. Return the ballot inside to the American Arbitration Association promptly so that it is received by 5 p.m. on July 27. Votes will be counted in New York City on July 28.
Juneteenth
PEF recognizes Juneteenth as a day of celebration as well as a day of reflection. We celebrate this day while remaining committed to the pursuit of racial justice and equity.
The latest issue of The Communicator is now available!
Highlights of the June issue of The Communicator include the PS&T contract passing for member ratification, legislative wins in the Senate and Assembly, updates on anti-union attacks, vaccine mandate uncertainties, and an environmental educator and PEF member featured in a PBS docuseries.
PEF, Hochul and other unions celebrate Paid Parental Leave
June 13, 2023 — Governor Kathy Hochul invited members of PEF, UUP and CSEA to an event at the Albany Labor Temple to celebrate the expansion of Paid Parental Leave to public sector workers.
The 2023-2026 PS&T Tentative Agreement with New York State contains 12 weeks of leave for new parents who have a baby, adopt or foster a child.
At the event, PEF Region 8 Coordinator Danielle Bridger spoke about the importance of the benefit.
“We just voted to send our contract, 93-1, at Executive Board, out to our membership for ratification,” Bridger said. “Once this gets ratified, our members are going to get 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave and they don’t have to pay for it.”
Bridger put Paid Parental Leave in historical context as one more way in which New York State respects and honors women – from holding the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls in 1848, to electing Gov. Hochul as the first female governor in State history.
“I really do appreciate everything that Governor Hochul has done and on behalf of the 50,000 members of the Public Employees Federation and the 18,000 members that I represent here in the capital district, we thank you,” Bridger said.
Governor Hochul told supporters that the 12 weeks of leave is as much for new mothers as it is for new fathers.
“This leave covers fathers and mothers, and we want to make sure that we break down the stigma or any barriers to men feeling that they cannot take the time to be with their child, because they will never regret a moment of it,” Governor Hochul said.
To highlight the importance of fathers getting the support they need, and to bring awareness to Paid Family Leave for state employees, the Department of Labor is launching a Paternity Leave Awareness Campaign.
A video shown to the members of the audience referenced statistics that showed that 72% of fathers take two weeks or fewer of parental leave, highlighting the need for fathers to have more time with their children to bond and help their partner.
The 2023-2026 PEF Tentative Agreement, including Paid Parental Leave, will be considered and voted on by PEF members next month. Ballots will be mailed July 5.
PEF joins WNYALF marking solemn anniversary of Buffalo massacre
On the first anniversary of the May 14, 2022, massacre in Buffalo, PEF joins in solidarity with the Western New York Area Labor Federation, whose president shared this message with members:
Brothers, Sisters, and Siblings,
On the anniversary of the racist, white supremacist massacre that occurred at Tops on Buffalo’s East Side, I wanted to share a brief message. I was deeply honored to serve as a member of the 5/14 Remembrance Committee and with partners from across the City of Buffalo, the following events are planned today: At 2 p.m., there will a Moment of Remembrance at Tops on Jefferson Avenue, followed by church bells at the time of the attack 2:28 p.m. Later in the evening, all are invited to a Memorial Service for Healing and Hope:
WHERE: Elim Christian Fellowship, 70 Chalmers Ave.
WHEN: 6 p.m.
WHO: The service will be led by Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant from the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
As the President of the WNY Area Labor Federation, I am committed more than ever to making clear that our movement is not neutral in the face of hate and racism. In the same way we are pro-union, we also must be anti-racist, and we will not shy away from hard discussions about the realities our members of color live each day.
In every corner of New York State, and in every state in the country, the AFL-CIO is dedicating itself to the ideals of racial and social justice. We know that solidarity extends far beyond our workplaces—it requires honesty about the issues we face, investment in one another, and the collective action of standing together in the fight for justice everywhere.
Finally, I will say directly to our brothers and sisters who still carry the heavy heartbreak and trauma of May 14, 2022: I see you, the WNY labor movement stands with you, and may we as survivors one day find peace.
In solidarity,
Peter De Jesús Jr.
President, WNY Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
Town Hall provides updates on budget wins, contract negotiations, and anti-union attacks
President Wayne Spence hosted a telephone town hall May 4 to update members on legislative victories in this year’s New York state budget, the underhanded tactics of anti-union groups, and the ongoing contract negotiations.
But first, he shared PEF’s mission statement, something he said should be looked at more frequently. “If we don’t know what our mission and our vision is, then we really don’t know where we are going,” Spence said.
If you haven’t seen the mission statement, it reads:
“PEF exists to promote the welfare of its members with respect to all terms and conditions of employment and will achieve this through:
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- Negotiating a good contract that reflects the higher wages, better working conditions and improved retirement benefits our members deserve.
- A campaign to draw attention to the quality services PEF members provide to the citizens of New York State and to counter costly privatization that often results in diminished and inferior services.
- A member engagement campaign that will reinvigorate the membership in the face of outside threats like the JANUS decision and will be a call to action to address issues like privatization, civil service abuse, staff shortages, hostile work environments and legislative lobbying.
Spence said the union has been hard at work making those goals a reality.
Budget gains
A good working relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul and her administration, and good relationships with the NYS Senate and Assembly, coupled with strong legislative advocacy, gave the union an edge in this budget session.
“Some really good things came out of the budget,” said PEF Legislative Director Pat Lyons.
In this cycle, the focus was on things like workforce issues, including chronic understaffing and shortages; Civil Service reform, to attract and retain staff; funding for SUNY hospitals and state-operated facilities; Tier 6 pension reform; and criminal justice issues.
Among the Civil Service reforms is a waiver on exam fees until 2025.
“Here we are in a staffing shortage, and you have to pay to take an exam to get a job,” Spence said. “I didn’t think they heard us, and I was very happy to see that they actually listened to what we were saying.”
PEF Political Director Leah Gonzalez said the new commissioner at the Department of Civil Service has been a welcome change.
“We have been pretty impressed with him,” she said, about Commissioner Timothy Hogues. “He seems to share our concerns about expanding access to Civil Service testing and addressing problems since COVID. He genuinely seems to want to [make states jobs better] improve the entire civil service system.
“Our relationship with the governor has improved and it has translated into gains for our members,” she said. “One hundred percent: it has translated into results.”
In addition to the $2.5 million to support the waiver, the reforms include continuous recruitment for open competitive positions; $2.2 million to study the state pay grade system; and funding for 12 regional Civil Service centers.
“She didn’t include any closures, program cuts, consolidations, or agency reductions,” Lyons said. “We didn’t get all, but we got a lot of our priorities. Her budget proposal was very solid.”
Contract update
Six months before the contract expired, the PEF contract team began work.
“Our priorities include economic issues, like across-the-board wage increases, improvements to the Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP), longevities, and location pay, as well as noneconomic items, like telecommuting and leave benefits,” Spence said. “We are urging the state through proposals to recognize the unique role of PEF’s highly educated professionals.”
You can read contract news here. The next bargaining sessions are May 16 and 17.
Attack on unions
You may have seen a mailing that looks like a rebate check, promising you money back if you drop out of the union. If you check a box and mail it back, you won’t get a check … but you may have just opted out of being a member of PEF without meaning to, losing rights and protections.
Why would somebody spend thousands for a mailing to your house to get you to drop the union?
“The Freedom Foundation has committed $20 million to weakening the strength of public-sector unions, especially in New York,” said PEF Director of Organizing Dan Carpenter. “They are doing so now because we are in contract negotiations, and they see this as the perfect time to weaken our leverage at the contract table.
“They want to limit the size of government, diminish our pension and health care, and strip back some workplace protections and rights that we have fought so hard to gain and enjoy,” he said. “They have a vested interest in having us drop our union.”
Members have been shocked to learn they inadvertently dropped out of PEF.
“They were terrified: they did not mean to drop the union,” Carpenter said, about members who have called PEF Organizing to rectify the issue. “We want to make sure the membership knows that they are using deceptive tactics to get you to send these in. Once you drop, you’ve lost rights and protections and the opportunity to vote on contracts – you’ve lost your voice.”
RELATED: Click here for what you should know about the Freedom Foundation
Any member who feels they may have been duped into dropping out of PEF should contact Jessica Carpenter in PEF Organizing at Jessica.Carpenter@pef.org.
PEF strongly supports parole officer, demands changes to Less is More
PEF President Wayne Spence and more than a dozen PEF parole officers gathered outside the city court in Cohoes, N.Y., on May 4, 2023. Spence delivered remarks regarding the case of parolee Taquan Hassell, who was charged with Unlawful Imprisonment and Assault in the third degree of a parole officer. The officer is a member of PEF.
“This parolee decided that it was okay for him to prevent an officer who stopped by to perform a routine residence verification and curfew check on April 26,” Spence said during the press conference. “Literally, he physically prevented this New York State parole officer from leaving the residence.”
Hassell appeared in court on May 4. Following the hearing, Spence spoke with parole officers about the incident, the concerns of parole officers and PEF members, and how PEF believes the state should move forward. He praised the officer for not using force to resolve the incident.
“So many things could have gone wrong. But the parole officer kept their composure and was professional,” he said. “The officer was eventually able to leave by talking him down. It is a testament to who we are as New York State Parole Officers.”
Parole officers are typically armed and are a part of the Department of Corrections and Community Service and in addition to firearms training, they receive training on social worker skills.
“We’re hearing about more and more cases of parolees confronting the parole officers in charge of supervising them,” Spence said. “Thanks to Less is More parole reform, parolees have no sense of accountability for bad behavior.”
Spence specifically cited the “30 for 30” clause as one of the crucial issues for parolees feeling emboldened under Less is More. Parolees currently earn 30 days off their sentence for every 30 days of good behavior while on parole. However, any violations they incur while on parole, such as assault charges or skipping curfew or missing mandatory drug treatment programs, do not stop the 30-day clock until they are convicted of a new offense. PEF believes this takes too much power away from parole officers, who can no longer enforce consequences on their parolees.
So although Hassell has been charged and is working through the court system, “30 for 30” still technically applies until a final hearing.
“This person is still earning good time as though this person is a model parolee,” Spence said. “There’s nothing model about this.”
PEF hopes lawmakers amend Less is More, and Spence is looking for the chance to help facilitate that change.
“I welcome an opportunity for the legislators, the governor’s folks, even the advocates to sit and talk to parole officers about what’s going on in the community,” Spence said. “No one talked to us about what’s going on (before Less is More was enacted).”
PEF will continue to advocate on behalf of parole officers to get the support they need to serve their communities.
“This time we were lucky. This time this officer, by the grace of God, came home unscathed,” Spence said. “What will happen the next time?”