May 2, 2025 — With federal budget cuts and continuous attacks on unions and collective bargaining, now more than ever, mobilizing and organizing are vital to the survival of unions.
That’s why SEIU invited PEF Director of Organizing Scott Harms to speak at its virtual Public Division Labor Board meeting April 24. PEF has been a leader among public-sector locals across the country who participate in SEIU’s “Together We Rise” initiative, aimed at increasing union membership.
“We are going to continue to push forward, we are resilient and resolved and we are seeing that workers are wanting to fight back,” said Heather Conroy, SEIU’s Executive Vice President, on the call. “They are not just sitting back and accepting what’s happening to them, their families, their loved ones, and people they don’t even know but care about as human beings.”
Harms started out by saying PEF is a diverse union, representing nearly 60,000 State workers across 3,000 job titles, from nurses to engineers to parole officers to scientists.
“Because of this incredible diversity across professions and agencies, our approach to organizing cannot be one-size-fits-all,” he said. “We’ve had to build strategies that are inclusive, adaptable, and responsive to the unique needs of every corner of our membership.”
PEF’s current membership count of 54,807 active members and 4,368 non-members equates to a 93% membership density – and while that’s a percentage to be proud of, the goal is to keep increasing it.
“Like all unions, we are carefully watching the changing political winds in Washington and beyond,” he said. “Anti-labor groups are becoming more sophisticated and more aggressive. That means our organizing efforts must evolve just as quickly – and stay two steps ahead.”
Harms said PEF uses a multi-pronged approach to drive up membership numbers and one of the key factors is access, something labor unions across New York fought to improve through legislation.
“Through those efforts, we secured reforms that significantly improved our access to new hires and improved the flow of information we receive from agencies,” he said. “We also negotiated language into our contract that gives us more direct and timely access to employees entering our unit.”
Prior to these changes, it could take weeks before PEF learned of a new hire. Experience has taught the PEF organizing team that the sooner you make contact and introduce the union and its benefits, the better the outcome, Harms said.
“We want PEF to be the first friend, and the best friend, a new employee has in state service,” he said. “That early relationship is key to long-term engagement and loyalty.”
Tools making a difference
Since Harms joined PEF as organizing director, he has implemented a rolling six-month analysis of non-members who recently joined the bargaining unit, identifying where they are located, which agencies they are in, and what titles they hold. Organizers reach out and coordinate targeted outreach.
“This data-driven approach has produced powerful ripple effects,” he said. “In many cases, we’ve discovered that non-member ‘pockets’ exist simply because a member leader left or because a site has no active leadership presence.”
It’s not necessary to reinvent the organizing wheel, old processes are still effective.
“We also use some tried-and-true organizing tactics that, while old-school, remain incredibly effective,” Harms said. “We launched a monthly direct mail campaign targeting all non-members on our six-month list. Each receives a postcard reminding them about the benefits of membership.”
Results have been eye-opening, with many reaching out to say they thought they were already members or asking how to join. There are occasions when applications are mismatched that can be cleared up.
Retention is also important to union success. PEF receives about eight valid drop requests per month and the Organizing Department has internal protocols to ensure they reach out directly to these individuals.
“We clearly explain everything PEF provides to its members – from contract enforcement and professional development to benefits access and workplace protections,” Harms said. “This effort has helped us save a significant number of memberships and reaffirm our value to members who may be on the fence.”