April 2, 2026 — Members across Region 9 turned out for Contract Tour meetings at Rockland, Rockland Children’s, and Mid-Hudson psychiatric centers; Helen Hayes Hospital; Montrose Veteran’s Home; the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, and various correctional facilities last month.
Unlike in past years, the PEF contract team presented 24 proposals to the governor’s team during the first meeting on Feb. 2, said Vice President and Contract Team Chair Darlene Williams. The team was ready to put the proposals forward immediately, thanks largely to President Wayne Spence’s decision to keep the same contract team from the 2023-2026 negotiations.
“While I can’t go into specifics on each proposal, one of the biggest things we’re pushing for is an increase in across-the-board raises higher than 3%,” she said to hundreds of members at sometimes standing-room-only locations.
President Spence told members at Montrose Veteran’s Home that since he was first elected union president in 2015, New York State’s minimum wage and State legislator salary increases have far outpaced that of state workers, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo even gave himself and all future governors a raise.
“Everybody got a salary increase except state workers!” he said. “Not just PEF, but overall state workers. We are averaging about 30% (since 2015). That’s nothing compared to what it costs to live in New York. We have affordability problems and 3% per year is not going to do it.”
A member at Rockland Psychiatric Center hopes the contract will address that affordability issue.
“Housing, food, everything went up,” said Martin Tamfu, a licensed clinical social worker. “A fair contract means taking into account all these changes in our cost of living.”
Wages and workplace safety came out as the top concerns at most of the locations.
“The value of a good union to me is somebody that has my back and cares about what is happening to me on the frontlines and protects my interests as a state employee,” said Shari Wall, head recreation therapist at Montrose Veteran’s Home. “We also need the ability to regulate the safety of our employees. We are dealing with so many different kinds of patients.”
Jesse Martin Jr., the head of pastoral services at Montrose, echoed her sentiments.
“I want to see my coworkers being paid wages that represent the work and care that they do here for the veterans,” he said. “In addition to that I want them to be safe and, in an environment where they feel safe.”
Among PEF’s proposals are changes to address bullying, increase the Higher Education Differential and make it permanent, expand time off for bereavement, modify the dental plan, expand hazardous duty pay for titles that work in or around dangerous areas, and more.
For Hector Santiago, a new PEF member and optical laboratory supervisor at Wallkill Correctional Facility, the expansion of hazardous duty pay and other health and safety benefits are top of mind.
“I have two children, and I have a pacemaker, so safety is very important to me,” said Santiago. “I am going 13 years working for DOCCS and I have seen too many things happen that should not happen.”
At Mid-Hudson Psychiatric Center, Jodie Gewing, a pharmacist, said she wants to see the contract team fight for affordable health care and preventative care. “Instead of waiting for us to be reactive, let’s be proactive,” she said.
“I want to see the union advocating for individuals who really do not have the time because they are so involved in their work,” said Lydia Wright, a nurse and staff development coordinator at Montrose. “I hope that in the next few years I will see even more benefits afforded to New York State workers.”
The team is planning to visit PEF Region 1 (Western New York) the last full week of April. Stay tuned to the Contract Tour webpage for details or find them in the PEF app.
