PEF board pumps up funding to defend members’ jobs, pay, contract


By SHERRY HALBROOK and MEGHAN ALLEN A wide array of internal financial issues


dominated business at the first quarterly meeting of the PEF Executive Board in 2010, held February 18-19 in Albany. Among the most significant was


assuring sufficient resources to support PEF’s efforts to defend its members jobs and their contract. PEF President Ken Brynien said PEF


and other public-employee unions have been under attack in the media and he intended to meet with the AFL-CIO and the NYC Central Labor Council to work on a unified response. Brynien added PEF was dealing with


the governor’s proposed state budget cuts, facility closings, program reductions and layoffs at the state departments of Correctional Services, Agriculture and Markets, and Transportation, as well as the state university system and the state Office of Children and Family Services. Brynien discussed PEF’s position


regarding the governor’s threat to lay off thousands of state employees if their unions do not agree to negotiate reductions in contractual benefits. The board


approved a motion by Ed Lucas stating PEF will not accept any delay, reduction, or elimination of PS&T raises, nor would the union accept unpaid furloughs or lagged pay while the state has not exhausted better options for savings. Brynien reported


PEF had recently issued a report titled, “Tip of the Iceberg,” that addressed how the state could save even more than the $250 million the governor wants from state employees by initiating or expanding severance and retirement-incentive programs, and by reducing employee injuries, workers’ compensation claims and state agencies’ reliance on expensive private consultants. The PEF report was provided to the press, the Legislature and the governor. At the request of PEF Secretary-


Treasurer Arlea Igoe, the board voted to www.pef.org


restore funding in the 2009-10 PEF budget by $200,000 for legislative efforts and by $200,000 for state budget fight activities. The board also supported Igoe’s motion


to approve using up to $2,000 from the cash fund for disaster relief for flooding in the Buffalo area. Application forms would be mailed to the members in the affected area. Igoe told the board she intends to


propose, at the convention in September, amending PEF’s dues structure by removing the dues cap on PS&T members in salary grade 38, the highest salary grade in the PS&T unit. Because of the $900 cap, grade 38 members may pay less dues than those in lower grades. Igoe said removing the cap also would


provide additional funding to PEF to defend members and state services against budget cuts. Brynien announced PEF had just one


payment left (due in 2011) to settle its multi-million-dollar, long-standing debt to the American Federation of Teachers, one of PEF’s two parent unions. Historically, AFT has forgiven each of these payments when they became due.


Let’s talk The board wanted to find ways


to improve the ability of PEF leaders and members to communicate quickly and effectively at minimal cost. The board approved a motion


by member Don Morgenstern to have PEF set up e-mail accounts for all PEF council leaders who are not members of the Executive Board. Board members already have these accounts.


Igoe said PEF had looked into a


Runoff election to fill vacant PEF Exec Board seat In early June, Sally Weibel won a three-way race at the state Labor Department (DOL)


to fill a mid-term vacancy on the PEF Executive Board. Weibel was elected to Seat 230, representing all PEF members of Regions 5-7 at the


DOL. Two candidates were eliminated in a four-way race for Seat 210, which represents all


PEF members at the state Insurance Fund statewide who work in field services, premium auditing, customer service, underwriting and vocational rehabilitation. A runoff is underway between Carl Franklin and Catherine Kozlowski. Ballots were mailed in mid-June and must be returned to the American Arbitration Association by July 6, for counting July 7 in New York City.


– Sherry Halbrook The Communicator July-August 2010—Page 19


suggestion made at a previous meeting that the union use social networking Web sites to stimulate and facilitate communication among members and to get its views and information to the public. PEF, she said, had decided not to


participate in those networks because of the high demands on staff time that would be required to monitor posted messages and the risks from viruses and other cyber threats. PEF Director of Information Systems Angelo Santabarbara answered several of the board members’ questions about this issue.


Who pays? The board also debated, amended and


passed some revised guidelines for funding attendance of PEF members and leaders at meetings of labor-management and health and safety committees and subcommittees. Another part of the proposed revisions was referred to the PEF Labor-Management Subcommittee for further review. Changes were also adopted to the


guidelines for funding attendance at PEF standing and contract committee meetings. The travel voucher and the stipend for


delegates’ attending the PEF convention in September were discussed, amended and adopted. Brynien announced the electrical


problems that caused damage and forced PEF headquarters to be closed December 29 and 30, 2009, were the fault of National Grid and the utility company will pay for the resulting expense to PEF. Brynien also announced AON Group


was hired to study the PS&T dental and optical plan to identify opportunities for greater efficiencies and cost savings.


T TIPOF


HE ICEBERG


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