Let post 9/11 spirit fill us with renewed unity, caring M


By KENNETH BRYNIEN


uch of what we have dealt with as a union over the last


several months has centered on our contract negotiations, potential layoffs and what they would mean to our union and our membership. One of the questions driving the


debate surrounding these issues is the concept of sacrificing for the greater good. It is an unfair decision that is being forced on us. Do we sacrifice the careers of


thousands of PEF members to prevent a temporary cut in our wages and a shift in our share of the cost of our health insurance? Or, do we collectively sacrifice hoping to preserve the jobs and careers of


thousands of our members? This is the difficult question we will collectively answer


when we fill out and return our PS&T contract ratification ballots. I believe, under the circumstances we faced in negotiations and in the current economic and political environment, this is the best contract that could be negotiated and I recommend its ratification. Regardless of the outcome of the ratification vote, our struggles will not end: be it to hold the governor to the job-


horrific attacks on our nation that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people, including 32 PEF members. We should take time out of our daily lives to reflect on


the lives that were lost that ghastly day. The events of September 11 for a time unified our country as we mourned those who perished and vowed to move forward and rebuild. Tragically, much of the unity, generosity and good will that was forged in those fires has been lost. As we reflect on the events of that fateful day and the


days that followed, we can honor the memories of all those who lost their lives that day by remembering the sense of common purpose, compassion and cooperation that rose from the attacks and seek to rekindle that spirit and move our union forward for the benefit of all.


security terms provided by the tentative agreement; or to fight layoffs the governor says will be necessary to arrive at the cost savings identified in the state budget if ratification fails. In either case, we, as a union, must be united. We have seen how the economic devastation of the


recession has been exploited to pit non-union workers against union workers, private-sector employees against public-sector employees, and new employees against more senior employees. It’s all meant to drive us into a fratricidal spiral that allows our foes to divide and conquer all of us as working people. This September 11 marks the 10th anniversary of the


Cuomo signs bill extending injunctive-relief The governor has signed this


summer more bills supported by PEF and a couple of bills it opposed. On the plus side, Gov.


Andrew Cuomo signed: • S4131/A5738, which


extends the effective date of provisions in the Civil service Law allowing for injunctive relief in improper practice cases. This law allows PEF to seek


temporary injunctions from the courts when it believes impending actions by the state or other public employer may cause irreparable damage to the union’s members; and • S5651/A7834, which decreases


from 30 to 15 the minimum number of days required before a state


www.pef.org


required the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to report annually on the capacity and staffing of all state correctional facilities. The two bills the governor


signed that PEF opposed are: • S4992-A/A7665-B,


retirement application becomes effective. Another PEF-supported bill,


S2765/A3582 was vetoed by the governor in August. It would have


which eliminates the requirement for prior approval by the state Health Department of certain types of hospital construction and repair projects; and • S5244/A6839, which


changes statutory language regarding hours the state Library is required to be open to the public. —Sherry Halbrook


The Communicator September 2011—Page 7


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE


LEGISLATIVE ACTION


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