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August 7, 2024 | Volume 42. No. 6

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Grateful and ready to keep working for you

This is my first President’s Message since PEF members overwhelmingly re-elected me to a fourth term. I am humbled by your support and more committed than ever to protecting your rights and safety on the job. Thank you.

I and all the Statewide Officers enjoyed a fantastic Inauguration on Aug. 3 in Albany. It was a sign of PEF’s political strength that Gov. Kathy Hochul, NYS Attorney General Letitia James, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, and NYS AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento all came out to wish PEF leadership continued success.

Inauguration came after the first PEF Executive Board meeting of the new three-year term. Congratulations to the 23 new members who won seats on the board and are ready to work on behalf of their constituents.

Spectrum News, the statewide cable news network, talked to me earlier this week about priorities for my fourth term. They couldn’t fit everything we spoke about in their story, of course. I shared with the reporter my commitment to cleaning up New York agencies with toxic workplaces by exposing bullying managers, pushing the State to conduct their statewide salary review for all public employees (PEF believes all titles should receive a two-salary grade increase), and holding their feet to the fire when it comes to the new Anthem dental plan.

In other words, there’s a lot of work to be done and I am energized to do it – together. Please enjoy this double issue of The Communicator as the union gets ready for the annual Convention, coming up Sept. 15-18 in Syracuse.

Don’t miss the selfless work that was done in Region 6 in the wake of last month’s tornado, and a tip of my PEF hat to Council Leader Carrie Saunders at the DDSO on Vandalia Street in Brooklyn, who doesn’t want to be called a hero, but sure acted like one when a fire broke out at the office.

In Unity,
Wayne Spence