PEF President Wayne Spence issued the following statement on Feb. 9, 2024:
“It has now been more than four months since the horrific acts of terror committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis and others. In that time, tens of thousands more Israelis and Palestinians have died, been injured, or been displaced. PEF joined our international parent unions, AFT and SEIU, to condemn the violence in October, and we echo them now in calling for a negotiated ceasefire in Gaza, which must include the release of hostages and delivery of life-saving aid to those in need while a peaceful solution is sought.”
PEF, UUP and other unions call out SUNY Downstate closure plans
A crowd of UUP, PEF, SEIU and other union members line the Million Dollar Staircase in protest of the plan to close SUNY Downstate.
Albany, Feb. 6, 2024 — PEF President Wayne Spence joined hundreds of UUP and PEF members, along with leaders from AFT, the New York State AFL-CIO, NYSUT and several legislators at the New York State Capitol on Feb. 6 to call on the state to stop the closure of SUNY Downstate Hospital. The rally is in response to a “Transformation Plan” for the hospital that was made public as part of the budget negotiation process.
PEF President Wayne Spence takes the podium at the rally.
The decision came as a surprise, even for many members of the State Legislature.
At the height of the pandemic, SUNY Downstate was designated a “COVID-only” hospital and cared for thousands of patients in 2020 and 2021. Members expressed their disappointment with the decision after they were so loudly hailed as heroes during the pandemic.
“Our community walked past refrigerator trucks full of dead people during COVID. SUNY Downstate was the only COVID hospital and our nurses and doctors got sick,” said New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie. “How dare the state have the temerity to close SUNY Downstate!”
President Spence said that this isn’t the first time unions have had to have this fight. In 2012, then-Governor Cuomo initiated a similar plan to close the hospital citing similar budget concerns. PEF and other unions, alongside many legislators, fought back against the closure of the hospital and won. Now, President Spence says, history is repeating itself.
“Staff at SUNY Downstate worked hard after being designated a COVID-only hospital. But that may not have been possible if we didn’t fight to keep it open in 2012,” Spence said in his remarks. “How many people would’ve died without SUNY Downstate? Thank God, we got it right. So why are we here again to fight for this hospital and this community? Shame!”
SUNY Downstate is the only state-run hospital in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn. It is also a public teaching hospital that treats all patients, especially those who are on Medicaid, are underinsured or uninsured. The hospital trains the highest number of Black and minority healthcare professionals in the country. Additionally, SUNY Downstate provides specialized care that other area hospitals do not — such as Brooklyn’s only kidney transplant program.
President Spence said that he’s received assurances no PEF members will lose their jobs if the plan is carried out, but UUP members could see their staffing cut by as much as 20 percent. In addition to potential job losses, a transitioning of services to other area hospitals would put many patients at risk of having their treatment disrupted or terminated.
Spence joined his fellow union leaders and lawmakers and demanded a “voice at the table” before any final plan is created. Neither the unions that represent staff at the hospital nor members of the community were consulted about the “transition plan,” and there still is nothing in writing outlining exactly what will be done and when.
Spence pledged PEF’s support as the campaign continues to save the healthcare heart of Brooklyn.
“We have stood together to save SUNY Downstate before,” he said. “We will do it again!”
Watch all of PEF President Wayne Spence’s speech at the rally.
PEF contract provides grant program to improve work life
February 20, 2024 — Through Article 14 of the PS&T contract, PEF divisions can apply for a grant of up to $1,250 per year for certain kitchen appliances to improve breakroom/lunch areas at facilities that do not have them or where they aren’t in good working order.
The Quality of Work Life (QWL) Grants Pilot Program is a reimbursement program that can be used to pay for coffeemakers, microwaves, or refrigerators; the size, type, and quantity is determined by the number of employees the area serves.
From January to April last year, 23 PEF Divisions took advantage of the grant program, which was inactive until now while the contract was negotiated and ratified, and the application process was finalized. In 2022, 28 PEF Divisions participated.
Division 167 Council Leader Patricia Moran said these grants improve morale for members.
“We serve members from two important state agencies – the Office of Mental Health and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities,” she said. “This grant has provided needed items to enhance the lives of dedicated PEF members, including a small refrigerator where our EAP coordinator keeps bottles of water when she meets with staff in crisis, a microwave for a new breakroom in one of our Day Habs, and a Keurig we utilize while meeting with members,” she said.
More Divisions should be taking advantage of this program. It’s a way to provide for members without using Division funds.
“In the future, we are hoping that Divisions like ours, where we serve so many members in two different agencies, can qualify for a larger grant amount,” Moran said.
Anyone can inquire about the grant, not just Council Leaders. In Divisions without one, Executive Board members can sign applications. You can contact Member Engagement Administrative Assistant Patricia Richardson at Patricia.Richardson@pef.orgfor more information.
The following statement was released by PEF President Wayne Spence on Jan. 19, 2024:
“After serving the residents of Brooklyn for more than 100 years with distinction, SUNY Downstate is once again facing a financial crisis. I heard the news from SUNY Chancellor John King on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. He advised me that this “transformation” plan would result in all the PEF members who work at Downstate – about 400 nurses and other healthcare professionals – working at a new “public” wing of the Kings County Medical Center across the street.
Downstate has been underfunded for years even though it serves a vulnerable community in Brooklyn. Despite ongoing advocacy for more funding, the hospital was never prioritized in past budgets even as private hospitals secured billions in tax dollars to meet their shortfalls. The hospital is connected to the only state medical school educating doctors and nurses of color, yet it was starved of resources. The institution’s current financial woes and infrastructure problems are a direct result of more than a decade of neglect by the previous governor.
This so-called “transformation” proposal is not currently in writing for review by stakeholders. Unions like PEF, the staff who work at Downstate, or the community the hospital serves were not asked for their input. But PEF will not stand by and allow this important public decision to be made without PEF weighing in. Our members are public servants dedicated to delivering services to their communities, and they deserve better. If the state is serious about “transforming” Downstate and creating a plan with long-term viability, it should start by engaging all stakeholders and asking the Department of Health to release its feasibility study on healthcare disparities and access in Brooklyn. A real dialogue about the future of Downstate should start now! As information becomes available, I will be in direct contact with PEF members at SUNY Downstate.”
Following Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address on Jan. 9, 2024, PEF President Wayne Spence issued the following statement:
“After a decade of neglect, Governor Kathy Hochul has made rebuilding the state workforce a priority. She embraced the tenets of PEF’s “Fund Our Future” initiative by negotiating union contracts that support the workforce, establishing a paid parental leave program for our members, adding additional beds to provide state-supported mental health services, and enacting significant civil service reforms designed to rebuild state services and the workforce. PEF supports the vision expressed in today’s State of the State address, and hopes the governor continues to improve Tier 6 of the State pension plan to attract and retain the skilled professionals needed to deliver quality services. We look forward to seeing the Governor’s Executive Budget proposal and working with her and our partners in the Senate and Assembly to enact a budget that meets the financial needs of the state and provides the services New Yorkers want and deserve.”
My best wishes to all PEF members as they celebrate the holidays with loved ones and friends. Thank you for everything you did for your fellow New Yorkers in 2023 and I hope that the New Year brings you all health and happiness. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out our year-ending double issue of The Communicator for a recap of all that we achieved together this year.
