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December 21, 2023 | Volume 41. No. 10

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A toast to 2023 and cheers for 2024!

Happy Holidays to the proud public employees of PEF! I cannot believe it has been a year already, but what a year it has been! This is our annual double-issue to say goodbye to 2023 and ring in 2024 and it is jam packed with stories.

First, we have a look back on the major union achievements this year, from the overwhelming ratification of the 2023-2026 PS&T Contract, to legislative and organizing victories. We also have a couple of recent successes to celebrate. After almost three years of hard work by a lot of people, members and staff alike, PEF and New York agreed on a plan to compensate civil servants who worked overtime during COVID that was underpaid. This was a victory for civil servants across the State, but make no mistake, PEF led the way. It was PEF that filed the lawsuit that led to this settlement, and it was PEF who kept the pressure on the State to come up with a fair calculation that rewards members for the sacrifices they made to keep New York running when a lot of workers were quarantining at home. I congratulate everyone involved. Wins like this truly show the value of our union.

We also have extensive coverage of the first PEF/State Joint Health & Safety Conference since 2018 in this issue. More than 200 PEF leaders and members along with scores of State managers gathered in Saratoga Springs from Dec. 11-13 to share best practices and attend workshops with one goal in mind – revitalizing Health & Safety committees at all levels in order to make New York State workplaces the safest they can be. I was able to attend a portion of the conference and it was wonderful to see PEF members and managers interacting and getting to know one another outside of work. As I said in my speech, health and safety concerns do not discriminate, so it’s vital that labor and management work together so that everyone in a workplace is protected.

2024 marks the Centennial Celebration for one of New York’s most treasured resources – its state parks and historic sites. We look ahead at what’s planned and back at the labor history that’s inspired some of our national parks.

Finally, a tip of my PEF cap to my executive assistant, Susan Marr. When the Capital District Area Labor Federation reached out to see if PEF wanted to participate in their effort to fill a Teamster’s truck with food donations, she jumped on the chance to set up a collection bin at union headquarters and PEF ended up donating six boxes worth of canned and dry goods to feed the hungry. Thank you, Sue!

And thank you, PEF members, for all that you do for this State and this union. It was another amazing year and I’m already looking forward to what we’ll do together next year. I wish you all a restful and healthy holiday season.

In Unity,
Wayne Spence