Protectjobs,contract;showstatebettersavings
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By KENNETH BRYNIEN usingthestateworkforceasthe
The2010stateExecutiveBudget scapegoat.Weneedtomakesurethey
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posesmanyofthesamethreatstoour dotherightthing.
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jobsandcontractaslastyear,with AsIhavewrittenbefore,ourabilityto S
literallyhundredsofcutsandaffecting prevailinthesebudgetstruggles
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nearlyeverystateagency. increasessignificantlywhenyouget
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Thegovernor’sproposalwould involved.Weneedyoutohelpdeliver
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reducethestateworkforcebyan ourmessage,tothepublic,tothe
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estimated674positions.Healso media,tothegovernorandtothe
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proposestotakeananotherquarterofa Legislature.
’
billiondollarsfromstateemployees PEF’STAKE–PEFPresidentKen Willyoudothe“writething”by
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through“negotiated”concessionsfrom
Brynienspeakstoareporterafterthe
advocatinginletters,blogs,op-eds,and
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theunions–fundingcutsalready
governor’sStateofthe
assumedintheproposedagency
—
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pting
more?(Seerelatedarticle,page2)Asthe
finalstatebudgetisnegotiated,our
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budgets.
fewmilliondollarsinconsultantsavings
actionsinthesenextseveralmonthswill
Wewillcontinueourfighttoprotect
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identifiedinhisbudget,thegovernor
determineoursuccess.Youcangreatly
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ourmembers’jobsandtheintegrityof
doesn’tgonearlyfarenough.
enhanceourchancestosucceed.
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ourcontract.
Weknowthereisabetterwayto
Aschallengingasourcircumstances
PEFhasidentifiedmorethan$480
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achievesavingsthanbalancingthe
maybe,thepeopleofHaitiarefacinga
millioninannualpotentialsavingsfor
budgetonourbacks.Weknowhowto
truelife-and-deathstruggle.In
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thestatebydecreasingitsuseof
achievetherecurringsavings,while
coordinationwithPEF’sCaribbean-
consultants,andadditionalmillionsof
maintainingtheservicesonwhichso
AmericanCommitteewearedonatingto
savingsbyreducingworkplaceinjuries
manyNewYorkersrely.
theRedCrossReliefFundforHaiti.I
andtheirassociatedcosts.We’vegiven
Ourjobistogetthegovernorandthe
urgeyoutodothesame.Goonlineto
theseproposalstothegovernorandhe
Legislaturetorejectthequickfixesand
www.pef.orgformoreinformationon on
hasincludedsomeoftheminhis
theeasypoliticalpointsthatcomefrom
howyoucanhelptheHaitireliefeffort.
budgetproposal.However,withonlya
Thousandswearstickerstofightprivatization
ByDEBORAHA.MILES M
OnJanuary13,nearlyall5,000PEF
memberswhoworkatthestateOfficeof E
MentalRetardationandDevelopmental
M
Disabilities(OMRDD)woreanti-
privatizationstickerstoworktosenda
messagetoOMRDDCommissionerDiana
JonesRitterandCarlLetson,directorof
theBroomeDevelopmentalDisabilities
ServicesOffice(DDSO).
Membersdecidedtoshow
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IV
AT
IZ
AT
IO
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B
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administratorshowtheycanbandtogether
SOLIDARITY—PEFDivision167membersfromWesternNewYork
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quicklyandinallstatewidelocations,
DDSOandChildren’sPsychiatricCenterwearanti-privatizationstickers
especiallywhenafacilityisthreatenedby
tosupportastatewidemessageaimedatthestateOfficeofMental
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privatization.
RetardationandDevelopmentalDisabilities. — Photo by Dave Chudy I
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PEFleadersdecidedona“StickerDay”
PEFDivision197CouncilLeaderTim Nannerysaid.
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aspartoftheunion’sstrategytocombat
Nannerysaidtheadministratorsof ScottSayward,asocialworkerat
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privatization,accordingtoExecutiveBoard
Margaretvilleconductedstudiestosee SunmountDDSO,saidhecan’tspeakto
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memberJimMoffit.
wherespendingcouldbecut. thespecificchangesoccurringat
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BoardmemberEdSnow,PEF’slabor-
“Willthiskindofstudygobeyond Margaretville,butheisconcernedabout
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managementchairforOMRDD,said,“We
Margaretville?”Nanneryasked.“PEFis privatizationingeneral.
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wantedtoactasonegroupofpeopleand
lookingatthebiggerpicture.Wewantto “Theconceptofchoiceispresentinall
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makeitknownweareagainstprivatization
takealookatformula,mentalityandwhy ofOMRDD’sbasicservices,”Saywardsaid.
ofagrouphome.Webelieveourmessage
thishascomeabout.” ”State-runhomesareanoptionpeople
washeardbylocalmanagementpeople,
ThejobsofPEFmemberswhoworkat consider.Thealternativesarehomesthat
andtalkedaboutinAlbany.Thesolidarity
Margaretvillearesafefornow,but areprivatelyownedandoperated.Many
of5,000peopleshouldbeasignalwehave
approximatelyadozenCivilService times,whenaconsumer’slivingsituation
theabilitytomobilizetheworkforce
EmployeesAssociation(CSEA)members isnotworkingoutinaprivateagency,
aroundanissue.”
havebeentransferredtootherfacilities. state-operatedIRA’sprovideanappropriate
Theissueisthepossibleprivatizationof
“ItmayseemsurprisingPEFtookthis andviablealternative.Privatizationof
theMargaretvilleIndividualizedResidential
standwithStickerDaywhenourmembers thesefacilitieswouldbeamistake.”
Alternative(IRA),apartoftheBroome
aren’tbeingaffected.However,inthelong
DDSO.
www.pef.org
run,privatizationaffectsallofus,”
TheCommunicatorFebruary2010—Page7
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