August 21, 2026 — I want to take a moment to speak directly to every member who took the time to vote on this contract.
Whether you voted yes or no, thank you. You participated. You made a decision. Most importantly, you made your voice heard. That is what being part of a union is about.
This will be the last contract I negotiate as Chair of the Contract Team. Some of you may cheer when you read that, and some of you may be sad. Either way, I respect how you feel. Leadership is not about expecting everyone to agree with you. It is about being willing to listen, to stand up, to make difficult decisions, and to keep showing up for the members you represent.
I hope that regardless of how you voted or how you feel about this contract, you will remain involved in your union. Involvement does not always mean attending a rally or becoming a steward. Take PEF surveys. Send a letter from home. Submit your concerns anonymously when that option is available. Talk to your union representatives. Vote. Participate however you can.
I understand that some of you are afraid of retaliation for being too involved with your union. And I know many of you are busy raising children or caring for family members. Some are working overtime and just trying to make ends meet, while others are simply holding on and doing everything they can to take care of themselves. There is still a place for your voice here at PEF.
Do not give up your voice.
This contract will govern the terms and conditions of employment for members in PEF’s Professional, Scientific, and Technical unit through April 1, 2031. During those years, we need to prepare the next generation of members and leaders who will sit at that negotiating table. They need to know the pulse of this membership. They need to understand what you are experiencing in your workplaces, what you need to support your families, what you are willing to fight for, and what you expect from your union.
While that is happening, your elected union leaders will engage in frank conversations about how the decisions made at one bargaining table can affect workers sitting at another. Solidarity must work from the bottom up and the top down. What happens to one of us ultimately affects all of us.
To the members who chose not to vote this time, I have a message for you as well. You have five years before we do this again. Five years to decide what role you want to play. This is your union, the Public Employees Federation. You can become involved, you can make your voice heard, or you can remain silent. That choice belongs to you. But please understand that when we negotiate the next contract, the decisions made at that table will affect you and your family whether you participated or not.
I also cannot close this chapter without thanking the members of our PS&T Contract Team. Scarlett Ahmed, Vincent Cicatello, Conrad Davis, Christopher Ford, Tanya Oliver, Christopher Jordan, Maureen Kozakiewicz, and Cynthia Walker – THANK YOU!
These members took time away from their families. They carried their own personal responsibilities and challenges while continuing to come back to the table and do the work. They listened to the membership, debated difficult issues, worked through disagreements, and remained committed to the responsibility they had accepted. Whether you voted yes or no on this agreement, when you see a member of this Contract Team, please remember that they gave their time and their energy in service to this membership. I am deeply grateful to each of them.
And finally, I want to thank President Wayne Spence. President Spence believed in me and gave me the opportunity to chair this team. Without that trust, I would never have had the privilege of serving you in this capacity. Thank you, President Spence, for believing that I could do this work.
To the entire PEF membership, it has truly been an honor to serve as your Contract Chair. I do not take that honor lightly.
Now, we can enjoy this moment. We can look forward to when the money will begin reaching our members and their families. But our work cannot end with a ratified contract or a bigger paycheck.
We must continue to organize. We must continue to speak up. We must continue to demand change. And above all, we must continue to stand together.
Our union is strongest when we understand one simple truth: Whatever happens to one of us matters to all of us.
Thank you for allowing me to serve. And thank you for believing that together, we can always fight for something better.