Nominate a member for the fight-back award Fight against privatization never ends


By DEBORAH A. MILES Among the many battles facing PEF, the


fight against privatization and the overuse of consultants remains a challenge. PEF Vice President Pat Baker, chair of


the Employment Security Committee, said the governor’s proposal to consolidate state agencies should alert all members to make sure jobs remain with state employees. “Every year, we encourage our members


to be observant and report any unusual or suspicious conduct in agencies, where work usually done by state employees is being contracted out,” Baker said. “Throughout the decades, our members have been instrumental in turning the tables against privatization.” Last year, for example, Carolyn Cole, a


nurse at Broome Developmental Disabilities Services Office (DDSO) was honored with PEF’s Fight-Back Against Privatization Award at the PEF convention. As a PEF Division 197 steward, Cole


saw a privatization threat at the Broome DDSO when the state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) planned to turn over a state-operated residence, Margaretville, to a private agency. “The loss of PEF jobs would only have


been one and 13 Civil Service Employee Association positions,” said Mary Lou Vasilev, co-chair of the Fight-Back Against Privatization Award Committee. “Carolyn saw the bigger threat. If the


state was successful in this effort, it may have tried to privatize other OPWDD facilities,” Vasilev said. After many


discussions with the Broome DDSO and OPWDD, PEF leaders were told the plan was moving forward to privatize Margaretville. After Cole helped mobilize members to wear “no privatization” stickers at Broome DDSO, followed by nearly 5,000 members wearing stickers at all OPWDD facilities, the state changed its plan. Baker said this effort was just one


example of how member alertness and solidarity can make a difference in every agency. The Fight-Back Against Privatization


Award dates back to 1998 when a PEF Region 1 council leader, Tom Grace, alerted the union to dangers posed by State Employees Federated Appeal (SEFA) charities that competed with PEF members for state work. Grace discovered a private non-profit


agency in the Buffalo area, People Inc. was providing clinical services to clients at the western New York DDSO’s intermediate-


You can fill out this form online at http://www.nyspef.org/privatization_fightback_form.htm


_________________________________________________________ Name(s) of nominee(s)


_________________________________________________________ Job Title(s)


_________________________________________________________ Location


(_____) _____________________ (_____) _____________________ Work Phone


Home Phone


_________________________________________________________ Nominator's Name


(_____) _____________________ (_____) _____________________ Work Phone


Home Phone


_________________________________________________________ Names of the agencies being impacted


_________________________________________________________


_________________________________________________________ Explain the privatization threat


www.pef.org


_________________________________________________________ Highlight the strategies the nominee(s) are using to wage a fight-back effort


_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________


_________________________________________________________ Tell us about the nominee(s) proudest fight-back effort during 2009-2010


Must be received by June 1, 2011, to be eligible.


For more information call: Mary Lou Vasilev at 315-468-0809


Mail To: NYS Public Employees Federation Attn: Mary Lou Vasilev P.O. Box 12414 Albany, NY 12212-2414


The Communicator April 2011—Page 13 20 11


care facilities. These jobs should have gone to PEF Division 167 members but, instead, half of the division’s membership was lost through layoffs and the hiring freeze. Grace’s warning resulted in the


passage of a PEF convention resolution to ask members to direct SEFA


contributions to charities that do not


compete with public employees for work. “What PEF has learned throughout the


decades is how OPWDD and other agencies continue to attempt to privatize services. The push by the state to place and move clients into group homes operated by private agencies has taken jobs from PEF members. We can’t let this happen anymore,” Baker said. The committee would like to honor


someone in 2011. If you want to nominate a member, complete and send in the form below, or visit the PEF website, pef.org, to submit the form online. Baker also wanted to leave


members with a word of advice to


help fight contracting out. “The first step is to take immediate


action, because the opposition has had time to organize and strategize. Your next step is to enlist help and mobilize members. Finally, seek bi-partisan political support for your position,” Baker said.


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