• Women leading the way: committee growth, pay equity, labor history, and social justice

    Women leading the way: committee growth, pay equity, labor history, and social justice

    April 28, 2026 — In the words of the great John “Hannibal” Smith, the leader of the fictional A-Team, “I love it when a plan comes together!” I trust that...

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  • SUNY Downstate fight the subject of AFT Health Care Q&A with union leaders

    SUNY Downstate fight the subject of AFT Health Care Q&A with union leaders

    April 28, 2026 — PEF President Wayne Spence and interim Downstate Regional Field Services Director Deb Egel participated in a question-and-answer feature in the AFT Health Care publication’s Spring 2026...

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  • Remembering PEF President Roger Benson

    Remembering PEF President Roger Benson

    I worked with Roger Benson at PEF from 1986 through his nine years as president. It has been more than 20 years since his leadership, but we remained friends and...

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  • Somos Albany: Building coalitions with union leaders, elected officials, and community advocates

    Somos Albany: Building coalitions with union leaders, elected officials, and community advocates

    April 25, 2026 — Union activists descended on Albany from April 17 to 19 for the Somos New York 2026 Conference, attending legislative workshops, touring expo booths, and taking part...

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  • Public safety requires rigorous training. So why is ICE cutting back?

    Public safety requires rigorous training. So why is ICE cutting back?

    April 21, 2026 — Editor’s note: PEF is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and this article originally appeared in the AFT Voices blog. I am...

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  • Scholarship, incentive program for STEM

    Scholarship, incentive program for STEM

    Applications for the 2026–27 NYS Masters in Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship and the NYS Math and Science Teaching Incentive Program are now open, aimed at supporting aspiring educators—especially math and science teachers—who are...

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  • Warnings Ignored: The Crisis Inside New York’s Correctional Facilities

    Warnings Ignored: The Crisis Inside New York’s Correctional Facilities

    April 16, 2026 — Read her letter. Slowly. The way her husband must have read it — the man who ran toward the ambulance with tears in his eyes...

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  • Key PEF-supported bill for body scanners at OCFS now heads to the Governor

    Key PEF-supported bill for body scanners at OCFS now heads to the Governor

    April 16, 2026 — While the deadline for the New York State budget has passed, PEF still has a reason to celebrate. Legislation supported by the union to authorize the...

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  • PEF Telephone Town Hall delivers Contract, Budget updates

    PEF Telephone Town Hall delivers Contract, Budget updates

    April 14, 2026 — The following is a rough timecoded summary of the PEF Telephone Town Hall that was held on April 9, 2026. Members may listen to the entire...

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