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June 12, 2026 | Volume 44. No. 5

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PEF tentative agreement delivers raises, long-sought dental plan

I want members to know that the 2026-2031 Tentative Agreement for the PS&T Unit that is now up for ratification marks the culmination of a long and difficult road. We knew it would be long and difficult. That’s why we started demanding in August 2025 to sit down with the Governor’s negotiating team and get started on a successor contract. They stalled and stalled and finally came to the table on Feb. 2, 2026, while at the same time opening negotiations with CSEA and UUP.

This insistence on pattern bargaining has always been frustrating. I consider PEF members to be unique State employees. You work professional, scientific, and technical jobs that require advanced training and education. So when New York State tried to force us to take the exact same deal other public sector unions received, we told them that was not acceptable. We went ahead with our rally on June 4 during the Executive Board meeting and I was pleased to see nearly 600 members there demonstrating their desire for a fair contract. That show of force, followed by a personal conversation with Governor Kathy Hochul and an all-night bargaining session after the rally on Thursday in Albany, helped achieve the agreement you will now consider.

And let me be clear – while the across-the-board percentages are the same as what CSEA and UUP got (4.5 in 2026%, 4% in 2027, 3.5% in 2028, 3% in 2029, and 3% in 2030), the Tentative Agreement now before you contains a whole lot more. We achieved something I’ve pursued since 2015: Approval to establish a PEF Employee Benefit Fund to administer our own dental and vision plans. This is something PEF last had back in the late 1980’s, and if you know anyone who was a member back then, ask them how good their dental care was compared to now. The State is seeding the fund with more than $30 million to get it started and I am confident that when it is all set up and delivering care, the PEF Employee Benefit Fund will result in better coverage, more dentists, and a dramatically improved plan to serve PEF members.

The tentative agreement contains many more wins, both economic and non-economic, and you will be sent a summary of the highlights, a look at gains and tradeoffs, and the entire tentative agreement for review in the mail later this month. We will also have digital versions of each document for you to read next week. The exact timeline for the ratification vote is still being determined, but we will communicate that to you via email, social media, the PEF app and the PEF website.

I’d like to thank the entire Contract Team, led by Chair Darlene Williams and Chief Negotiator Mark Richard, as well as PEF Contract Administration Director Ben Traslaviña and Executive Director Deb Greenberg, for their tireless work. It took 129 days from the first meeting to the Executive Board vote, with lots of time spent after hours and on the weekends. We do it because we believe you deserve a contract that rewards and respects the critical work you do. Thank you for your membership and thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration of this tentative agreement.

In Unity,

Wayne Spence
PEF President