State budget hammers PEF members
BySHERRYHALBROOK
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Thosesacrificesstartwith521layoffs, missanannualraise,thatbaseis PartBpremiumsforindividualcoverage.
whichPEFexpectstoaffectabout250of permanentlydiminished,”Bryniensaid. Thatadditionalannualcostwouldbe$80
itsmembers.(See related story this page.) “Itwon’tendwhentheyretire.Their forfamilycoverage.
Thegovernorwouldwithholdfivedays pensionsarebasedontheir‘finalaverage Anynewhireswouldsufferallofthe
ofemployees’pay.Theywouldgetitback salary(FAS)’atthetimetheyretire. above,andmore.Thegovernorwouldput
whentheyleavestateserviceatwhatever Missingtheir2009raisewouldlowerthat theminanewpensionTier5,wherethey
theirlevelofpayisthen.Orthestate FAS,sotheirpensionswillbediminished.” wouldbepermanentlyrequiredto
coulddecidetogiveitbackin2011,ifthe contribute3percentoftheirpaytotheir
economyandstaterevenuesrally Retirement no escape pensionsandtherulesfortheirretirement
sufficiently. Ifyou’vebeenholdingoffretiringin woulddropallthewaybacktotheoriginal
hopesofgettinganearlyretirement 1983rulesandpenaltiesforTier4.
Giving back forever incentive(ERI),youmaywishyouhadleft
Stateemployeeswouldlosetheir3 sooner.Thegovernorhasnotproposedan Fairness? What fairness?
percentcontractualraisefor2009,which ERI.Andifyouretirefromstateservice “Tomakethehypocrisyoftheclaimof
issupposedtokickinApril1. afterthisbudgettakeseffect,youmaybe ‘equalpain’evenmorebitter,”Brynien
“Theburdenthisbudgetwouldplace forcedtopayabiggershareofyourhealth said,“thegovernorignoredour
onourmembersisstaggering,”saidPEF carepremiums.(See chart above.) recommendationstoraisethetaxrateon
PresidentKenBrynien.“Notonlywould Youwouldenduppaying50percentfor NewYorkerswithpersonalincomesof
theyendurethesameaddedtaxesand yourownhealthcoverageand65percent morethan$250,000tomakethempay
feesthatwouldbeimposedonallNew foradependent’scoverageifyouretired theirfairshare.
Yorkers,theyarebeingtoldtheymust afterjust10yearsofstateservice.Your “Hehasfailedtohaltout-of-control
makeadditionalsacrificesfortherestof percentagewoulddropby2percentfor spendingforprivateconsultants.We
theiryearsofstateserviceandeven everyadditionalyearofserviceforupto estimatejustdoingthatcouldsavethe
throughouttheirretirements. 20moreyears.Youwouldpayatleast10 state$730millionoverthreeyears,and
“Bytakingawaythe3percentraiseon percentforyourowncoverageand25 makingtherichestNewYorkersandbig
theirbasepaypromisedtothembythe percentforadependent’scoverageunder corporationspaytheirfairsharewould
stateintheircontract,thestatewill thisproposal–thelevelscurrentlypaidby bringinanother$6.3billion.”
ensurethateveryfutureraiseitevergives retiredstateemployees. AccordingtoGov.DavidPaterson,his
themwillbeworththatmuchless.That’s Bothstateemployeesandretiredstate budgetisdesignedtoplugadeficitof
becauseeachraiseiscalculatedasa employeeswouldstartpaying $13.7billionfor2009-10.
percentageoftheirbasepay.Oncethey approximately$20annuallyforMedicare
2009-10 Budget’s biggest hits
BySHERRYHALBROOK forseveralprisonannexestobeclosed.
Thestatebudget
Correctional
TheDepartmentofCorrectional
projectsanetlossof3,108
The middle class
is being squeezed again.
services
Serviceswouldseethegreatestnetjob
statepositionsbyMarch
Theproposaltoclose
lossofanystateagency:1,342.Thegood
31,2010.
It’s time for a fair solution to the budget crisis.
The governor’s budget proposal is an attack on the middle class. fourstateprisoncamps–
news:It’sallattrition.Nolayoffsare
PEFDirectorofCivil
The proposed spending plan will cost the average family of four more
than $3,800 per year in new taxes and fees.
PharsaliainChenango
planned.However,somemembersat
The news gets worse if you’re a state employee —
ServiceEnforcementTom
You get squeezed even more.
In addition to the taxes and fees imposed on the County,Gabrielsin closedfacilitiesmighthavetorelocateor
average working family, the governor also wants to
Cetrinosaidstatebudget
take away collectively bargained pay raises and strip
away one week’s pay (lag pay).
FranklinCounty,
acceptademotioniftheywanttostayin
The new taxes and fees combined with the loss
officialstoldhimthey
of salary means the budget will cost the average
state employee more than $6,800 in the first year!
GeorgetowninMadison
stateservice.
intendtoabolish521
The New York State Public Employees
Federation (PEF) recognizes the state’s dire fiscal
situation — but the burden of fixing this crisis CountyandMt.
must be shared.
positions(layoffthe
We have solutions. Here are
just a few: McGregorinSaratoga
Youth services
employees)evenifmore
• Cut wasteful spending on
pricey consultants and
contractors ($730 million over County–hasbeen
Thisbudgetagainthreatens
positionsthanthose
three years).
• Reduce employee overtime
costs ($160 million). repeatedlyrejected.
servicestotroubledyouths.Six
projectedarevacatedby
• Increase the income tax
on wealthy New Yorkers
Thisbudgetalsocalls
facilitieswouldbeclosed–
($2-$7 billion).
attrition.
New York’s middle
class, those who rely on AdirondackResidentialCenterin
essential state services,
Manyofthegovernor’s
and the workers who
provide them shouldn’t SPREADINGTHE
bear the brunt of the
ClintonCounty,CattaraugusResidential
proposalsforclosing
state’s fiscal burden.
We’re calling on the governor MESSAGE—Thisad
and Legislature to consider our
Center(RC)andGreatValleyRCin
facilitiesandmergingstate
proposals before further
tightening the squeeze on the
designedbyPEF’sPR
middle class and most vulnerable.
CattaraugusCounty,PyramidReception
servicesareretreadsfrom
There is a better way.
d
CenterintheBronx,Rochester
New York State
previousbudgetsthatwere
Public
Le
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g
p
i
a
s
r
la
tm
tiv
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e
nt
G
,
a
r
z
a
e
n
tt
in
e
the
the
President
Representi
Kenneth Brynien,
ng 59,000
Emplo
professional,
yees
scientific,
Feder
and technical
ation, AFL- CIO
Secretary-T
employees
Arlea Igoe,
rejectedbytheLegislature.
www.pef.org
reasurer
Page6—TheCommunicatorFebruary2009
weekofJanuary7.
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