A message from PEF Retirees President Steve Muscarella
In defense of public employees’ pensions
As a senior citizen and a retired unionized civil servants health care plans and prescription drugs
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employee of New York state, I take who sacrificed higher comprise a significant part of their
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exception to recently published articles wages during their budgets.
attacking public employee pensions. productive years for The poor economy has shrunk the
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In New York, these pensions are agreed-upon benefits retirement nest eggs and investments
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protected in the state constitution, in retirement. The many seniors count on to sustain them. e
because they were mutually understood, public benefited from Additional loss of income and/or higher
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between the government agency our years of service; prices will only force more seniors into
(employer) and the now retired senior now, we deserve to government-assistance programs.
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(employee), as the just reward for years receive what we were Because our pensions are quickly
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of service.
MUSCARELLA
promised. spent locally for basic goods and n
People take jobs in the public sector In the 1990s, when services, they help to keep our local and
and stay in them through both good the stock market state economies running.
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times and bad, because they know they boomed and sent Most of the criticism of public
can count on a certain level of pension public pension fund assets soaring, state pensions centers on fairness and c
benefits when they retire. and municipal governments were affordability. The basis of fairness is to
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To advocate reneging on those allowed to stop contributing to the live up to agreements. Don’t take from i
benefits strikes to the core of pension funds. Unfortunately, most of the elderly; and don’t channel more of
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government integrity and fair play. them set nothing aside to prepare for the their limited incomes to government
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Should we drag our government hard times now upon us. entities with poor records of fiscal
commitments down to the level of many Many seniors live on the edge of prudence.
private corporations that fail to meet poverty and 10 percent actually fall
their pension obligations to their loyal below the poverty line. We are on fixed
workers? Shouldn’t we raise the bar for incomes, yet shoulder the burden of
all, rather than let everyone sink to the escalating food and energy expenses.
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lowest standard? Those who continued employer health n
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Most of the elderly receiving such coverage in retirement can no longer
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benefits are former working-class, negotiate those benefits, even though
Mohawk Valley PC leads battle against bullying
By DEBORAH A. MILES
high rates of bullying at MVPC,” St. Mary MVPC managers to work with the union
A survey recently conducted among
said. “The results from various facilities and rank-and-file members should be a
15,000 state workers in five agencies
were pretty even across-the-board. The model for other OMH facilities,” Baker
showed bullying and violent conflicts
problem is widespread. The managers at said.
among co-workers, managers and
MVPC were shocked and decided to take PEF health and safety specialist Matt
supervisors is a statewide problem.
steps to find solutions.” London, the project coordinator, said
Co-worker conflict is referred to as
In late January, MVPC managers met research is critically needed to assess the
“Type 3” workplace violence.
with union representatives and employees effect of various prevention efforts on this
According to the National Institute for
to discuss the survey results and examine damaging problem.
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
certain areas with higher percentages of This is a federally funded project with
millions of American workers experience
co-worker bullying. Along with verbal the collaboration of PEF and other
this type of conflict every year.
abuse, some areas indicated physical unions, conducted by the University of
PEF Executive Board Member and PEF
contact among workers. Maryland.
Division 183 Council
Groups are being formed at MVPC to All agree the survey is the launching
Leader Jeanette St.
hone in on solutions. St. Mary said they pad in the battle against bullying and co-
Mary said the
would examine other programs such as worker conflict. And, by law, state
results of the
co-worker mediation to prevent problems agencies must develop prevention
survey taken at
from escalating. plans for all types of workplace
Mohawk Valley
“This survey is a positive first step on violence, including co-worker
Psychiatric
how the union can address this issue,” conflicts.
Center (MVPC)
said PEF Vice President Pat Baker. “It “We have to come up with
shed new light on
brings more awareness to the problem. positive ways to address
bullying and co-
Bullying only creates a toxic and hostile these problems, and make
worker conflicts. It also
environment that distracts members from strides to prevent
alerted managers at
doing their jobs. bullying and violence in
MVPC to a problem they
“Our members’ role is to treat clients, the future. Our goal is to
are willing to resolve.
and our members should not be the have a peaceful place to
www.pef.org
“The survey revealed
objects of conflict. The willingness of work,” St. Mary said.
TheCommunicatorMarch2010—Page9
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