Happy New Year, PEF members! I hope you all enjoyed quality time with loved ones over the holidays and have returned to your jobs with renewed spirts and the same commitment to public service that has always defined PEF members.
You are reading our combined December/January issue of The Communicator, which means the big story is a look back on all we accomplished in 2024. Reading it, I’m amazed again at everything we did together – from saving SUNY Downstate, to further reforming Tier 6, to leading the way on calling out toxic workplaces and advocating for transparency and regulation regarding the State’s use of Artificial Intelligence.
In addition, in case you missed it, I was joined by my fellow Statewide Officers for an all-member Telephone Town Hall on Dec. 19, and a recording is available. We spent some time reviewing union accomplishments and looking ahead to contractual gains that will pay off in 2025, including a change to the way performance awards are calculated. I will continue holding Town Halls this year, as it has proven to be an effective way to communicate with thousands of you at a time.
We are already more than a week into the new year. There is a “Groundhog Day” element to some of our union work, so with a nod to that Bill Murray classic, I encourage you to tune in to Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address on January 14 at 1 p.m. It will be livestreamed on the Governor’s website. The Executive Budget she releases timed to that speech will be thoroughly analyzed by the PEF Legislative Department and inform our advocacy and campaigns in the year ahead.
I expect PEF members to once again be loud and proud about the things we support and what we think is not in the best interest of public employees. Please keep reading The Communicator, stay plugged in to our website and our social media channels (Facebook, X, and Instagram), and check your personal email for the very latest union news and activities all year long.
Finally, some words that were suggested to me at our last Executive Board by Amy Pacholk, the Division Council leader at SUNY Stony Brook and co-chair of the Statewide Nurses Committee: “The first wealth is health. A healthy tomorrow begins with the steps we take today. Your four-hour cancer screening benefit renewed on January 1. I encourage you to take advantage of this important benefit to prioritize your well-being. Let’s continue to care for ourselves and each other!”