September 24, 2026 — The PEF Executive Board met for its third quarterly meeting of 2026 on September 17 and 18 in Albany. As members gear up for Convention this October and come off a busy, action-filled Summer, the meeting recapped PEF’s activities over the past three months, set legislative priorities, finalized General Election endorsements, and prepared members for upcoming elections.
President’s Report
President Spence began his report by showing several videos depicting various union priorities from over the summer and throughout the year. A contract video summarized efforts by the PEF Contract Team to educate members and push for the now-ratified five-year agreement. A recap of the Sept. 8 rally held outside 1 State Street in New York City to fight back against bullying at the Department of Financial Services was also shown. And a 9/11 video let members see part of the somber event that took place on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Forty employees at the New York City office for the Department of Tax and Finance in the World Trade Center – including 34 PEF members — lost their lives in the tragedy. PEF took the initiative and created framed certificates of remembrance for the families who were in attendance.
President Spence also revealed a rendering that names the union’s headquarters in Latham, N.Y. the Roger E. Benson PEF Headquarters. The board voted during their June 2026 meeting to do that in honor of the late PEF President, who passed away in April.
The President then detailed ongoing efforts by PEF to combat unsafe working conditions at various worksites. He spoke about efforts at the Office of General Services, the State Education Department, DOCCS, and even the Civil Service Department to update HVAC systems, create solutions for safety and security, and stop the bullying of members.
As part of those efforts, PEF will host a DOCCS Labor-Management Conference in Albany on September 23-25.
“We will have about 155 attendees from across the state, including about 25 DOCCS executives and Commissioners,” said President Spence. “And I am proud to announce that this is the first time that OMH will also be in attendance.” OMH employees assigned to Corrections-Based Operations often work under the same stressful conditions as their DOCCS counterparts behind the walls.
COPE and Organizing
The Organizing report presented by Director of Organizing Scott Harms showed upward trends. In late 2025, PEF recorded 55,708 members. As of September 8, 2026, membership had increased to 56,996. Those numbers are good, said Harms, but there are still about 5,440 non-members in PEF bargaining units.
“I have asked our organizers to reach out to locations where non-members are the highest and work with organizers, coordinators and council leaders to reduce those numbers,” he said.
Thanks to the efforts of the Organizing Department and the state’s steady hiring of new employees, COPE – the Committee on Political Education that raises money for federal political lobbying — has also seen a significant increase in contributions.
“Our SEIU COPE obligation increased from about $156,000 last year to about $163,000 this year,” said PEF COPE Coordinator Don Morgenstern. “We will exceed the contribution rates expected from us by SEIU by about $30,000 by next month.” SEIU administers half of the PEF COPE money members contribute, while AFT administers the other half.
The union signed up 805 new COPE contributors as of September 1, which surpassed Morgenstern’s goal this year. COPE membership is up among the members 34.5% and among retirees 4.6%
Contract Update
Director of Contract Administration Ben Traslaviña shared with the Executive Board two important dates.
“For the Administrative Payroll, retro pay will be in the September 23 paycheck. For the Institutional Payroll, retro pay will be in the October 1 paycheck,” said Traslaviña. “Additionally, retro pay increases for locational pay – now including Ulster County members — will be made available on those same days for each payroll.”
President Spence shared that meetings with the PEF Membership Benefits Program are going well regarding setting up a PEF Employee Benefit Fund to administer dental and vision benefits. This was a long-sought goal of the president since he was first elected in 2015 that was secured in the latest contract negotiation. The union is investigating options. The President noted that the State’s two other major public employee unions approach their funds differently — CSEA hired staff to administer their plan, whereas UUP contracts plan administration out to insurance companies.
“The best news I have to share is that the initial deposit from the State to start the benefit fund is on the way,” said President Spence. “We are expecting to receive $7 million from the state very soon.”
Financial Strength of the Union
Secretary-Treasurer Joe Donahue is retiring from his position effective Sept. 30. In the interim, PEF Vice President Randi DiAntonio is overseeing the Office of the Secretary Treasurer. She detailed the union’s finances and noted a monthly dues and fees increase totaling about $350,000 thanks to increased hiring by the State and PEF’s ability to get those employees to join the union.
There have also been increases to liabilities since June 2025, primarily, said Vice President DiAntonio, due to post retirement liability claims, medical claims and changes in premiums. A few PEF regional offices also relocated, requiring new leases.
Politics and Legislative Agendas
The PEF Executive Board approved both the State and Federal Legislative agendas. These agendas set the priorities for the union and help determine where support from elected officials is needed. They will be finalized by Convention delegates in October.
Language about Artificial Intelligence, pension reform, and support for infraction of traffic penalties in work zones was added to the State agenda. In the Federal agenda, language was added to support the 32-hour work week act, which is already supported by other unions across the country.
Vice President DiAntonio, who chairs the Statewide Political Action Committee (PAC) urged members to get involved in the union’s legislative advocacy.
“It’s as easy as visiting PEF’s Legislative Action Center on the website or app to send letters to lawmakers and the governor supporting PEF’s priorities,” she said.
With the General Election approaching on Nov. 3, the board also debated and voted on federal and statewide endorsements, as recommended by the Statewide PAC and PEF’s 12 regional PACs. Endorsements are based not on political party, but on interviews with candidates, their voting records, policy decisions, and support for union priorities. Governor Kathy Hochul was endorsed, along with more than a hundred other candidates from both political parties. (Click the PEF Endorsements tab on this page for the full list.)
“These are endorsements that make sense for the union’s policies and are meant to strengthen relationships for the union as a whole and strengthen our rights,” said Vice President DiAntonio. “These are not based on personal politics.”
The PEF Executive Board will hold its final meeting of the year Dec. 3 and 4 in Albany.