labor’s historic struggle, values
drew his own line in the sand which he vowed not to cross. “I take offense,” DiNapoli said, “when New Yorkers read about what’s happened in other states and use it as an excuse to attack our public employee pensions. Last year, we had a 5.6 percent return on our pension fund investments. Our fund is now up to $150 billion, which is almost at the $155 billion level it was at before the recession. Contrary to what too many people say, our fund is strong and our fund is sustainable. Switching from a defined benefit to a defined contribution system should not even be an option. No way, a 401k!”
DiNapoli said 80 percent of New York’s
retired public employees continue to live in the state, and use their pensions to infuse $7.4 billion into the economy annually. “They support 63,000 jobs in our state,” DiNapoli said. “Those pensions are a stabilizing effect on our economy. It’s good
for all of New York to have a strong public pension system. Dismantle our defined- benefit pensions? Not on my watch!” The comptroller
quoted President Barack Obama in saying, “The cornerstones of our economy all bear the union label.”
Down to nuts ’n bolts Not all of the convention was devoted to
reports and speeches. The delegates debated and adopted their federal and state legislative agendas for 2013, dealt with two proposed amendments to the PEF constitution and tackled 15 resolutions that members had submitted before the convention.
Political phone banking, workshops, departmental caucuses, committee meetings, a cultural awareness event focused on international labor-history issues and charitable fundraising, all made for an intense three days for the delegates. After some debate, the delegates
decided to table the two proposed amendments to the PEF constitution, which would have created separate Executive Board constituencies for members at the state Workers’ Compensation Board and at the state Insurance Fund. The proposals were sent back to PEF’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee in hopes it would come up with recommendations as to a specific mechanism to consistently deal with board constituencies fragmented or otherwise affected by state agency consolidations and reorganizations. These recommendations would be
presented to the PEF Executive Board for consideration and appropriate action. PEF Region 2 member Kathy Button was honored as the 2012 recipient of the union’s Jean DeBow Women in PEF Scholarship. A civil engineer 1 for the state Transportation Department in PEF Region 2, Button thanked PEF and said the aid will be a welcome help in paying for her post-graduate studies as she pursues a master’s degree in occupational safety and health.
“I have a good job and a great union,” Button told the delegates.
i ll change; You must be part of it
unionism” at state worksites through both internal and external organizing, the president said.
“The attacks on our pensions and health care are a wake-up call. We must become a union that embraces health care for all as a human right. We must become visible in the community, and become known as a union that is working to lift people up. We must all become activists in telling our story,” Kent said. The president also insisted PEF members commit themselves to “holding elected officials accountable and to only endorsing candidates who earn our endorsement.”
She pledged to ensure the dues PEF pays to its two parent unions “will be used to protect our job security.”
Kent said the job security of many PEF members is already threatened at Kingsboro Psychiatric Center and Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, and at the state Office of Children and Family Services. In addition, transfers and
layoffs have occurred at Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center. Issues of concern to watch include
threats to members’ job security at: the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and the services they provide, especially at the Taconic and Fingerlakes Developmental Disabilities Services Officers; the consolidation of information technology job titles into the Office of Information Technology Services; the consolidation of Business Services Center job titles into the state Office of General Services, as well as the state plan to create a new justice center where the likely effect on workers remains unknown. Kent promised not to withhold important information from members. “If the news is good, you will hear it. If the news is bad you will hear it,” she said. “You will always know what is going on in our union.”
The union must change to meet the challenges of the present and to protect members’ futures, Kent said.
“We cannot continue to do the same things over and over again. To move forward, we must change. We cannot cling to the status quo,” Kent urged.
Quoting historic labor leader John L. Lewis, Kent said, “‘The future of labor is the future of America. The time is now.’ Let’s put those words into action.” A delegate asked Kent, “How can we help you?”
“Get involved,” Kent told him. “Your involvement is important. Keep in touch with your local PEF representatives and watch our website for news.”
YASUS
Delegate Al Yasus asked how PEF can get more members to participate actively in the union. “We will revise the
Continued on next page
www.pef.org
The Communicator November 2012 — Page 5
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