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! The PEF Contract Team, some of whom we introduce in these pages, has already had an introductory meeting with the State and scheduled two more meetings this month. You responded in force to our contract survey and the team will advocate for the priorities that members told them mattered most: Fair and increased compensation, an improved dental benefit, and telecommuting and alternative work schedules, to name just a few.
A couple stories worth highlighting in this Communicator update: PEF resumed its participation in the First Book initiative just after Thanksgiving, when I joined an AFT vice president, the OMH commissioner and the executive director of the Justice Center at Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center on Long Island. It was amazing to see the smiles on kids’ faces as they picked out books. We’re looking forward to ramping up First Book across the state in 2023.
I also want to point out the fine progress of leaders across the state, joined by our organizing department, in shattering our 2022 new member goals. PEF topped the list of public-sector unions signing up new members as part of SEIU’s “Together We Rise” initiative, bringing in nearly double our target by November! We are also making strides increasing member and retiree participation in COPE, the Committee on Political Education, which is how we as a union contribute money to lobbying efforts at the federal level. Thank you to everyone who answered the call and began or increased their contribution.
I hope everyone is enjoying the final month of this year. We’ll be back with our combined December/January issue just before the Christmas holiday. Until then, I wish every PEF member continued good health and happiness.
In Unity,
Wayne Spence