We’remakingheadwayonbudget;keepitup
ByKENNETHBRYNIEN
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Since December when the governor
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introduced his Executive Budget, PEF has E
mounted a fight-back effort to defeat S
proposals that unfairly target our I
members, and cut our wages, health
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benefits, and retirement and pension
E
benefits. N
The governor’s proposals and our
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response have unified our members with
’
one goal: to preserve our members’ job
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security, the gains we have achieved as a
union in wages and benefits, and our
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rights as a union regarding collective
bargaining.
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We have used mobilization, public
S
relations, political action and legal action,
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all in an effort to thwart the governor’s
A
proposals. However, the best and most
G
powerful weapons we have in this fight E
are you, our members. PEF is fortunate to
RAISINGAWARENESS—PEFPresidentKenBrynienisinterviewedinBuffalo
represent the most educated and
outsideRoswellParkCancerInstituteasDivision196CouncilLeaderAdamSumlin
informed employees in the state
andDivision180CouncilLeaderBarbaraRocklookon.Membersheldapress
workforce, and because of this and your
conferenceatRoswellParktoprotestlayoffsatthefacility.
activism, you are our best advocates. The
— Photo by Peter Yurkewicz
most effective action we can take is on
letters are the most they have ever mailed your letters yet and the budget is
our own behalf.
received on a single issue. I am confident not already adopted when you read this,
As you may be aware, as part of our
they recognize the strength behind those please make your voice heard.
fight-back efforts, I have enlisted your
letters and understand the importance of While I cannot guarantee success, I
help in writing to our legislators to let
acting to address the unfairness of the can guarantee PEF will use all of the
them know we will not let the governor
governor’s proposals. resources at its disposal to fight the
balance the budget on our backs. By all
I want to thank everyone who has done governor’s givebacks and, with your
accounts, these efforts have begun to pay
their part and sent letters or contacted support putting muscle behind our
off; many lawmakers have told us your
their legislators. And if you have not efforts, there is no doubt we will be heard.
Make it Personal
ByDARCYWELLS “We wrote to every member asking face, stressing the
PEF members got an unusual phone them to visit, write and call their state importance of taking
call in late February from PEF President legislators immediately to oppose these action.
Ken Brynien. changes. “The message is so much more
In a pre-taped message, Brynien “It is unconscionable the powerful in person, and that
warned members the governor’s budget governor wants to reopen our applies to members as well. We
proposals unfairly target state workers contract and wants us to make encourage them to walk into
and retirees and he asked for their help to concessions on negotiated the office of their state
stop it. items we worked so hard to legislators and go on record
“This is an unprecedented mobilization get, while he gives raises and against the givebacks,” she
effort to stave off givebacks that are promotions to his top staff,” added.
extraordinarily dangerous for our Brynien said. Members who wrote
membership,” Brynien said. Executive Board members letters, sent e-mails or visited
The governor wants to eliminate the 3 and division leaders involved their legislators, wore stickers
percent raise due in April, hold back a stewards and mobilizers, who proclaiming their activism.
week’s pay, make retirees pay a bigger reached out to division members “It’s another tool to motivate
share of their health insurance, require desk-by-desk to spread the word. people,” Messer said.
state employees and retirees to contribute “This is a real grassroots effort,” said “Ad campaigns, rallies and lobbying
to Medicare part B premiums, and create Margaret Messer, PEF director of can be powerful tools, but we are always
a new Tier 5 with reduced pension mobilization. more effective when our members
benefits making it difficult to recruit new “We’ve held meetings in various parts of reinforce the message,” Brynien said.
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TheCommunicatorApril2009—Page7
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