December 12, 2024 — The PEF Executive Board held its final meeting of 2024 on December 5 and 6 in Albany, welcoming the New York State Department of Civil Service director to discuss the new Anthem dental plan, hearing a presentation on privatization of mental health services from Cornell, and conducting other business of the union.
PEF finances
The Bonadio Group found no concerns during its audit of the union’s March 31, 2024, financial statements.
“Everything went as planned and smoothly,” said Thomas Gianatasio, Bonadio’s regional managing partner for the Capital Region. “If we were making any substantial audit adjustments, we would need to disclose that. We did not propose any. Your financial numbers given to us were in compliance.”
Gianatasio said there were no concerns with PEF’s fair market value of investments, or its calculation of post-retirement health care costs, and the union’s asset balances are healthy.
Secretary-Treasurer Joe Donahue said: “PEF continues to be in a strong financial position. We are up almost 2,700 members and that’s an unbelievable accomplishment and a testament to all who are working on this.”
Net cash investments as of Sept. 20, 2024, totaled approximately $26 million; investment balances have increased; and dues income was $717,542 over budget as the union surpassed 53,000 paying members.
The Executive Board passed budget amendments reflecting actual expenditures and resulting in a zero net change to the overall budget, including union leave expenses, temporary hire expenses, and contributions.
COPE successes
PEF President Wayne Spence reported the union is the closest it has ever come to meeting its Committee on Political Education (COPE) contribution obligations, which are set by parent union SEIU for each of its locals. COPE funds help PEF advocate for federal legislation, funding and policies that support union priorities. He credited COPE Coordinator Don Morganstern’s tenacity for the success.
Morganstern said COPE contributions as of Oct. 31, 2024, are up 16.4% and the number of contributors has increased by more than 10%.
“We have done pretty good this year,” he said. “Retirees have been amazing; contributions are up significantly.” He reported a total of $234,700 as of Oct. 31, 2024, up from $201,559 the same time last year.
Dental discussion
As concerns about new State dental provider Anthem mount, the Executive Board invited state Civil Service Commissioner Timothy Hogues to discuss what the union is hearing from its members across the state.
“Anthem won and they made a lot of promises,” President Spence said. “It does not seem that they are living up to these promises.”
President Spence said it’s been a mixed bag: Some dentists report higher reimbursements and others are receiving lower; many providers listed on Anthem’s website as in-network, either don’t know they are or no longer are in network; and there remain dental provider shortages, especially in the North Country, Western New York, and among specialists.
PEF is soliciting feedback from members at and has been working to address issues as they are reported. The union will send out a survey in the new year, but until then, members may continue to email Communicator@pef.org. Please include the name of the dentist you’re writing about, as well as personal contact information (phone or email address) so that a PEF staff member can get back to you if necessary. The union will also use this information in discussions with the New York State Department of Civil Service and the Office of Employee Relations.
Daniel Yanulavich, the director of the Employee Benefits Division at the Department of Civil Service, said there have been issues with the transition, but there is now a finite contract.
“We do think this is a bigger network, but it’s not perfect,” he said. “We have been working with PEF staff on a daily basis, particularly around the provider network directory and key areas where it is lacking. The good news is that we have a contract that contains performance guarantees, and if they do not meet those guarantees we will hold them to those. Right now, they are meeting those.
“We are doing independent research on providers to make sure their network is accurate, but it takes time,” Yanulavich said. “We have to fully vet these things, and we need to address them with Anthem.”
He acknowledged the provider directory on the Anthem website needs to be fixed and encouraged members to continue to reach out to the union with concerns and feedback on their experiences.
“You have a collective voice,” Hogues said. “If you are not receiving what you should be, let your voice be heard.”
Membership update
PEF Director of Organizing Scott Harms said membership jumped dramatically, with an increase of 611 members since August 2024, and an increase of more than 2,000 since the beginning of the year, bringing PEF to a total of 53,738 dues-paying members. Of the more than 58,000 State employees in the Professional, Scientific and Technical bargaining unit, 93% have joined the union and are paying dues.
“Our goal was 1,500 new members in 2024, and we have already far exceeded that,” Harms said.
That said, total nonmembers in the unit are also starting to increase as hiring increases.
“Reaching all members has become more challenging and additional efforts are needed from everyone in the union,” said Harms.
Harms has implemented robust non-member look-backs and opt-out prevention procedures.
“There remains a lot of concern over various groups who are actively trying to get members to drop the union,” he said. “We have done a tremendous job in preventing these efforts.”
PEF has a robust drop protocol policy. Any member thinking about leaving PEF should be encouraged to call the Organizing Department at (518) 785-1900.
Election 2024
PEF-endorsed candidates fared well during the November 2024 election. The overwhelming majority of PEF-endorsed candidates at every level – U.S. Senate, U.S. House, NYS Senate, and NYS Assembly – won re-election. The union endorses candidates who support the labor movement and PEF’s priorities.
“We did really well on a state level,” reported PEF Legislative Director Pat Lyons. “Now we have a new (federal) administration coming in and we are hoping for the best so that New York continues to get the support it needs to maintain programs and services.”
New York currently receives around $90 billion in federal funding for various programs, including significant monies related to Medicaid, and various services offered by DOCCS, State Education, the Department of Health, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Transportation.
“We are planning to reach out to other unions to remind congressional delegates that we still need to get what we need, and we can’t accept cuts,” concluded Lyons.
Studying privatization
As part of the union’s Fund Our Future campaign, PEF partnered with researchers at the Worker Institute and the Buffalo Co-Lab at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) to conduct a study on the impact of austerity and privatization on wages and employment in the mental health care sector.
Anne Marie Brady, the Senior Extension Associate – Research Director of Worker Rights and Equity at the ILR, presented some of the organization’s findings to the board, exploring the implications for workers’ terms of employment and wages, the quality of care provided, and the composition of the workforce since 2000.
“The bottom line, trends toward privatization and state government austerity in the New York state mental health workforce are costing New Yorkers good paying union jobs, and the good jobs being lost have been disproportionately held by women and African Americans,” Brady said. “Our research demonstrates what happens when this essential pathway for African American economic and social mobility runs up against austerity and the privatization of public sector jobs.”
(The Communicator will feature a complete story on the ILR report in the December/January issue.)
Division changes
The Executive Board approved two Division changes recommended by the Divisions Committee – one creating a new division and another combining members into a single Division.
Region 3 members in Division 325, the NYS Division of Veterans Affairs, will now be part of Division 278, the Rochester Regional Department of Labor. Members at the Office of Children and Family Services Industry Residential/Industry Secure Center were approved to secede from Division 216 and create their own division, Division 414.
The next Executive Board meeting will take place March 27-28, 2025, in Albany.