Timingpoorforpensionreforms
S
BySHERRYHALBROOK promisedhewouldnotlayoffanyPS&T whosemembersalsowouldbeaffected,
t
AlthoughdelegatestothePEF employeesfortheremainderofhistermof hashelditatbay.
a
conventionheldlastmonthinNiagara officethatendsDecember31,2010. Thedelegatesalsodebatedproposals
Fallsspentagreatdealoftimedebating Whilethedelegateschafedatthe callingforlegislationtoimprovepension
t
resolutionsandamendmentstothe limitation,themajorityacknowledgedthe benefitsormakeupforinequitiesamong
e
union’slistofstatelegislativepriorities agreementnottofightTier5was theexistingfourpensiontiers,butseveral
relatedtopensionandtierreform,the necessarytosavemembers’jobs. PEFleaderswarnedstateandnational
&
discussionswerecircular. DelegateSueKent,urgedthedelegates economicproblemsmakethetimingpoor
Theyendedwithrecognitionthe todisregardtheagreement. forsuchattempts. F
agreemententeredearlierthisyear “Thisiswrong,”Kentsaid.“The “Askingforevenonemonthofservice
e
betweenPEFPresidentKenBrynienand (agreement)shouldhavebeendebatedby credit(forTier3and4employeeswho
Gov.DavidPatersontoavoidstatelayoffs ourExecutiveBoard.” contributedtotheirpensionsformore
d
temporarilyputsalidoneffortstofight DelegateJimClosesaid,“Fiveyears than10yearsbeforethatlimitwasplaced
e
expansionofpensioninequitiesbasedon fromnow,delegateswillprobablyscream onemployeecontributions)maybemore
stateemployees’hiringdates.Andthe bloodymurder.” thanweshouldaskfornow,”saiddelegate
r
pooreconomymakesimprovingpensions “Andwelltheyshould,”repliedPEF JimBlake.“It’sagreatidea,butnotnow.”
a
unlikely. VicePresidentJoeFox,whochairsthe PEFLegislativeDirectorandCounsel
l
BrynienhadagreedPEFwouldnot PEFPoliticalActionCommittee,“butwe’ll BrianCurrantoldthedelegatessuch
L
opposecreationofanewpensiontier5 have20yearstodosomethingaboutit.” correctionsorimprovementstopension
thatwouldrequirenewhiresto Sofar,however,Tier5legislationhas law“arenotimpossible,buttheyare
e
permanentlycontributetotheirpensions notbeenintroducedintheSenateor unlikely”atpresent.Suchmeasureshave
g
andwouldrequiresometoworklonger Assemblyandoppositionfromunions thebestchancewhentheeconomyand
i
beforeretiring.Inexchange,Paterson representingNewYorkCityemployees, thestatepensionfundareflourishing. s
l
a
PEFreaffirmssupportforsingle-payer
t
i
v
BySHERRYHALBROOK
Inmid-September,delegatestothe
e
PEFconventionvotedtocontinue
THERIGHT
supportingHR676,federallegislationto
A
COUNT—Tellers
createasingle,not-for-profit,healthcare
andsergeants g
systemforall,commonlyreferredtoas
preparetocount
“single-payer.”
delegatevoteson
e
“Healthcarereformisthemost
theconvention
n
importantissuefacingournationtoday,”
floor.
saidPEFRegion8delegateHollyClarkof
d
PEFDivision169atthestateDepartment a
ofEnvironmentalConservation,whichled
s
theefforttosupportsingle-payer.“We
needthisreformnow.”
said.“Sometimestheymustsettlefor percentageofincomeandsavingmoney
Beforevotingtoincludesingle-payer
fillingjusthalfofaprescription.When byhelpingpeoplestayhealthy,rather
onPEF’slistoffederalissuesand
theirinsurancedeniedaclaim,they thanwaitinguntiltheyaresosickthey
legislationitwillsupportinthenext12
unsuccessfullyappealedittwiceandthen areintheemergencyroom.
months,delegateshadtheopportunityto
wererequiredtopaya$50feetofilean IfMedicareforallcan’tbewon,
learnabouthealthcarereformata
externalappeal.” Gillibrandsaid,“I’mgoingtofighthard
workshopconductedbyafigureinthe
Hewentontosaywhenhisniecehad forthepublicoption.”
nationaldebate,AndrewCoates,MD,a
anewbabyandcouldn’taffordtopayfor OnthePEFconvention’sfinalday,
PEFdelegateandDivision231steward.
familycoverage,“shehadtogiveupher Sept.16,Dr.CoatesreportedtheAFL-
TheyalsocouldviewMichaelMoore’sfilm
jobsoshecouldqualifyforMedicaidfor CIO,atitsnationalconventionbeingheld
onthesubject,“Sicko.”
thebaby.” thatsameweekinPittsburgh,alsohad
“PEF’spositionforyearshasbeento
DelegateJoeGreenfieldofthe justvotedoverwhelminglytosupport
supportMedicareforall,orsingle-payer,”
DepartmentofCorrectionalServicessaid single-payer.
saiddelegateWayneBayerofDivision
heworriesaboutthecostoftryingto Thatresolutionwassubmittedby
169.“Thetimeisnow.Wemustfightforit
covereveryone. (AFL-CIO)delegateMikeKeenan,aretired
now.It’sthebestwaytoimprovehealth
However,accordingtoDr.Coates, memberofPEFDivision169and
careintheU.S.”
single-payeristhebestwaytodrivedown presidentoftheTroyNYCentralLabor
Onedelegatetoldhowthelackof
healthcarecostsnationally. Council.TheTroyCLChadsentitto
healthinsuranceisforcingpainful
Inheraddresstotheconventiononits otherlaborbodiesthroughoutthe
choicesformembersofhisfamily.
openingday,U.S.Sen.KirstenGillibrand countryandobtainedresolutionsof
“Ihavenumerousfamilymembers
said,“IliketheMedicare-for-all supportfrom70ofthembeforethe
h
w
a
w
v
w
in
.p
g
e
d
f.
i
o
f
r
fi
g
cultyaffordinghealthcare,”he
approach,”basingpremiumsona nat
T
io
h
n
e
a
C
l
o
c
m
on
m
v
u
e
n
n
ic
ti
a
o
t
n
o
.
rOctober2009—Page9
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