An impressive 20 percent of the PEF membership responded to the recent contract survey, sharing their top concerns and priorities for negotiations. “We usually expect 10 to 15 percent of members to respond,” said Contract Team Chair and PEF Vice President Darlene Williams. “We were extremely pleased to have 20 percent, that’s 9,604 members, respond....
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Persistence is paying off for PEF members who work at 55 Hanson Place in Brooklyn, where renovations to the state office building have forced staff to work in cold, noise, dust, and disarray, and where fire safety plan deficiencies prompted members to call for change. PEF members Vivian Falto, Angelina Rodriguez-Billingsley, George Howard, and Michael...
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It’s hard to believe, but 2022 is almost over. It’s been a year of great accomplishments for PEF, but I’ll spare you the full litany of the union’s accomplishments until our year-end issue later this month. The theme of this issue is pretty clear from the cover – our strong union deserves a strong contract! ...
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In November 2020, after 66 years, toll collectors along the New York State Thruway signed off for the last time. All 1,100 of them — 200 full-time, 900 part-time — either retired or moved on to other state or private employment when their jobs were eliminated. Why where they eliminated? Technology. The $355 million conversion...
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This is the first in a series of Q&As with Union leaders across the state. If you have a suggestion for a profile, please email communicator@pef.org. How long have you been a PEF member? I’ve been a PEF member since May 1, 2008 (May Day), when I started with the New York State Department...
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Among the tens of thousands of PEF members, nurses represent the largest title group. They work in very diverse settings across the state, like Hutchings Psychiatric Center. That’s where Margaret Dobbins performs her job as a nurse 3, psychiatric. She is a member of the PEF Executive Board and council leader of PEF Division 301. ...
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Questions timing of negotiations To the Editor: Contract negotiations in November, right after an election, is worthless. I’ve been asking for months to begin in the summer, when CSEA negotiated. Immediately after an election is the WORST possible time to negotiate. There’s no incentive for Gov. Hochul to make concessions as there’s a long time...
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I recently came across a report from The National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS), which finds that state and local government retirement systems on the whole successfully navigated the 2007 to 2009 global financial crisis. Moreover, it found public retirement systems across the nation have adapted in the years since the recession by taking actions...
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PEF’s 44th Annual Convention was held October 23-26 in Niagara Falls. The weather was sunny and warm, and the delegates sailed through all their work. PEF President Wayne Spence, speaking from the podium at the Convention’s final plenary session, said he was impressed that the delegates managed to finish their work with half an...
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PEF President Wayne Spence told delegates at the union’s 44th Annual Convention that the state of the union is strong. “Let me tell you, I have never felt better about where we are and where we are going,” Spence said. “This year’s convention theme is ‘Reclaim Our Future’ because we are focusing on the fact...
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