October 7, 2025 — The rights of injured PEF members under the Workers’ Compensation Law and the PEF Contract can be confusing for everyone involved, including state agency personnel, so the PEF Health and Safety Department recently held an interactive two-day training conference for both labor and management representatives.
The program offered an in-depth study of the rights and benefits available to members, Civil Service procedures for agency personnel, and methods to improve the ability to quickly return injured employees to work. The program was funded through the NYS/PEF Contract Article 18 Committee, co-chaired by PEF Region 3 Coordinator Leisa Abraham and PEF Region 9 Coordinator Gabriela Franklyn, and Edward Cottrell of the state Office of Employee Relations (OER).
Training topics included how to file for workers’ compensation, contractual benefits, use of accruals, waiting periods, controverted claims, temporary and permanent disability benefits, medical benefits, payment of wages, Civil Service law provisions, return to work and light duty assignments.
Panelists included Geraldine Stella, PEF Director of Health and Safety; Ed Aluck, PEF Contract Administration attorney; Edward Cottrell, Assistant Director of the OER; and workers’ compensation attorneys Alex Dell and Robert Grey. Subject-matter experts from the Department of Civil Service, the New York State Insurance Fund, and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) also participated in the panel.
Cottrell said management shares the same view as PEF, wanting employees to know what their benefits are and getting people back to work as quickly as possible.
“The state values all employees,” he said, adding that PEF members do some of the most physically and emotionally challenging jobs out there. “PEF Health & Safety delivered this program two years ago to state managers and union representatives, and ever since then agency personnel have been asking for more – they loved it.”
Throughout the day, Stella and the attorneys guided attendees through a case study, delving into each step of the process, from injury to return to work.
“This program goes way beyond just the basics of workers’ compensation,” Stella said. “We want to give both labor and agency personnel the best information possible so that our members are getting benefits quicker, services more easily, and have a smoother return to work. We give them a training binder that is a detailed resource guide participants will be using regularly – just about any question they get will be answered in that binder. We’re training both the union reps and state agency personnel – no one else is doing a program like this, and we are really proud of it.”
A union-only pre-conference was held on day one for PEF leaders and staff to prepare them for representing injured workers. Topics included basics of workers’ comp, where PEF members get benefits, working with the PEF H&S Department, strategies for health and safety and labor/management committees, and communicating back to members.
“This was the first time we were able to bring union leaders and staff together before the full training. It was a great way to take a deep dive into the problems and questions PEF leaders and field representatives get from injured members,” said Article 18 Co-Chair Leisa Abraham.
“Leaders and staff came away with concrete tools to help injured PEF members, and to advocate for safety changes,” added Article 18 Co-Chair Gabriela Franklyn.
PEF President Wayne Spence shared his experience with workers’ comp at the pre-conference, telling PEF leaders: “New York State does not notify us when a member is injured on the job or out because of that injury. It is crucial that you keep in touch with that member, and let us know about it. We can fight for better safety on the job when we know what is causing our members to get hurt.”
Stella stressed the importance of passing on that information.
“Get that information to us through your field rep, or email us directly at HealthAndSafety@pef.org,” she said. “We’ll get comp information out to the member quickly and work with them to answer any questions.”
For information about workers’ compensation, PEF has compiled several resources available on the union’s website. Click here and then scroll down and select Workers’ Compensation.
