June 20, 2025 — The PEF Executive Board held its quarterly meeting June 12 and 13 in Albany, where members heard from Office of Mental Health Commissioner Ann Sullivan and subsequently tabled the no-confidence vote on her leadership; discussed the possible impacts of federal funding cuts on New York; and received updates on membership numbers and the union’s finances.
Commissioner Q&A
In the days after the board announced at its March meeting a possible vote of no confidence, Commissioner Sullivan reached out to the union to meet – and has continued to meet with union representatives every week since then. Following a question-and-answer session with Sullivan and top staffers, the Executive Board voted to table any no-confidence action.
Related Story: OMH Commissioner Sullivan addresses Executive Board
Comptroller spokesperson
Also in attendance at the June meeting of the board was Assistant Deputy Commissioner Matt Golden from the Office of the New York State Comptroller. He came armed with information and statistics that paint a bleak picture when it comes to federal budget cuts. (Federal Funding and New York, OSC)
This year’s $254 billion state budget includes monies to address affordability, fund education, and invest in Medicaid, he said, but this doesn’t include federal budget cuts and the rainy day “reserve” funds, which assuming all deposits are made in the future, will total more than $11.5 billion by the State’s Fiscal Year 2027-28.
“It’s an uncertain future for New York State,” Golden said. New York’s budget consists of 35 to 40% federal aid, with a large portion going to support health care, social services, and education, as well as 9,000 positions in the state workforce – 7% of the total, excluding SUNY and CUNY. “We should all know these proposals will impact us in some way, across all unions and industries.”
Golden said the potential impact of cuts on the people of New York could be devastating. With 44% of New Yorkers on Medicaid or the Essential Plan, especially vital in rural and urban health care, proposed changes to work requirements and how immigrant populations are supported could force 500,000 New Yorkers to lose Medicaid in the Essential Plan and leave 1.5 million newly uninsured. Potential cuts could slash Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for some 300,000 people at a time when 1 in 8 New York families already face food insecurity. Education and research funding also face cuts – including billions culled from K-12 public programs.
“These proposals will affect all New Yorkers across industries and regions,” Golden said. “Market volatility impacts pensions. Less federal aid will result in job losses for some state employees and tough decisions may need to be made. Unity across all the unions is essential. Union leaders need to amplify this message to keep members engaged and call reps to protect funding against union busting. When we stand together, no one can diminish the power of the labor movement.”
Union finances
Secretary-Treasurer Joe Donahue reports PEF is in good financial shape heading into the second half of the year.
“We continue to be in a strong financial position,” he told the board. “Our cash balances as of March 31, 2025, were almost $28 million in net cash and investments, with our investment balance income increasing approximately $13,000. For the 12 months ending March 31, our dues income was $1,140,000 over budget as PEF moved past 51,000 members in the budget to now almost 54,300.”
There were some expense lines over budget, including employee benefits, due to a large actuarial post-retirement liability adjustment from higher than anticipated claims and increased staffing, and higher expenditures on staff travel due to more in-person meetings requiring staff attendance. The increase in dues helped offset those costs, and some funding was moved from the advertising and promotion budget, resulting in a net zero change to the overall budget.
“PEF ended the period with net income over $1.1 million, which allows the union to continue to grow in strength and continue to protect our services from outside threats,” Donahue said.
Organizing update
PEF’s membership continues to trend upward.
“Our total membership in 2024 was 53,976, with a density of 92%,” said Director of Organizing Scott Harms. “Based on these numbers, we formulated our 2025 goals of 5,500 new membership cards and 95% density. Halfway through the year, our membership is up to 55,221 (as of June 9, 2025), an increase of 1,245 members since last year.”
There has been concern over the efforts of organizations like the Freedom Foundation to get members to drop their union by targeting them with deceptive marketing campaigns, but Harms said PEF has worked to mitigate those.
“We have done a tremendous job in preventing these efforts,” he said. “We average about eight drops monthly. PEF has a robust policy in place. We also target Divisions with the most drops and offer them help.”
Organizing also created a new membership application that combines PEF enrollment with voluntary COPE contributions, facilitating easier enrollment in both the union and the union’s federal lobbying arm.
Other business
The president swore in two new board members – Carrie Hoopes from Allegany County and Joe Moynihan from the Department of Veterans Services – and swore in new Region 1 Coordinator Vincent Cicatello. They also voted to accept the Annexation/Secession petition of employees in Region 2, who sought to succeed from Division 359 and form Division 325, NYS Department of Veterans Services.
The PEF Executive Board’s next meeting will be Sept. 18-19, 2025, in Albany.