December 12, 2025 — At its meeting on Dec. 4, 2025, the PEF Executive Board moved to advance a one-year tentative agreement — featuring a 2% salary increase and improved personal leave — for Albany Housing Authority members (Division 503) to a ratification vote.
“This is a one-year extender agreement to make sure we got money into our members’ pockets now,” said Field Representative Caitlin Janiszewski, who led seven months of negotiations with the federally funded Authority, which has and continues to face threats to its funding. The team was comprised of long-time union leader Michael Rimmer, as well as some newly involved members, Tom Weinheimer, Peter Chiarella, along with PEF Contract Administration Associate Counsel Ben Traslavina.
In addition to the 2% retroactive salary increase, the agreement contains a change to the method by which personal leave is granted. Previously, employees were permitted to use five personal days per year, but the fourth and fifth day had to be drawn from sick leave, which in effect meant they only had three purely personal days of leave. The agreement eliminates the requirement to use sick leave.
If ratified, asset managers still serving as Grade 12 would be upgraded to Grade 14, without having to complete five years of service as previously required, and new hires would start at Grade 14.
There were some minor givebacks on leave without pay provisions and education benefits.
Albany Housing Authority is one of several smaller units represented by PEF. This tentative agreement would run from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.