{"id":1935,"date":"2022-09-01T10:18:45","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T14:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/?p=1935"},"modified":"2022-09-15T10:30:49","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T14:30:49","slug":"letters-to-the-editor-september-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-40-no-7\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters to the Editor: September 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

When are 2023 scholarship applications due?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/span>To the Editor:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 Just checking on eligibility for a 2023 graduate, when can he apply for scholarship consideration?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

DIANE BAKER<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>East Greenbush<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note:<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0 The Communicator publishes information about union scholarships in its December and January combined issue.\u00a0 Information also is available on the PEF website at <\/span><\/i>https:\/\/www.pef.org\/about\/scholarships\/<\/span><\/i><\/a>.\u00a0 Since some PEF regions and PEF divisions offer scholarships, you may want to contact your division and regional leaders to ask about their deadlines.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Where\u2019s my health care bonus?<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

To the Editor:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 COVID pay for people who worked and were never out (during the COVID lockdown) was promised by Gov. Hochul to state health care workers.\u00a0 I do not see any action on it! \u202f \u202f\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

VIRGINIA ELLER<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Tonawanda<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note:<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0 Since late 2020, PEF was the only prominent New York State union advocating for COVID-19 hazard pay for all essential workers. \u202fWhile the governor chose, instead, to offer a $3,000 \u201cHealthcare Workforce Bonus\u201d in her 2022-23 budget, we were able to expand the program\u2019s eligibility to include members at all agencies who provided front-facing care for patients during the pandemic. \u202f<\/span><\/i>Eligible members will be notified directly by their agencies about when they will receive that bonus<\/span><\/i><\/a>. \u202fPEF will continue pushing for hazard pay for all members who supported the state\u2019s pandemic response.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Inflation crushing retirees\u2019 pensions\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

To the Editor:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 Please try to have our pension increased as the inflation is very high now.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ELSIE GEORGE<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note:<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0 PEF recognizes the pressure that inflation is putting on its retired members surviving on what are essentially fixed incomes.\u00a0 However, state law forbids the union from negotiating on behalf of its retired members.\u00a0 What PEF and PEF Retirees are educating state legislators and leaders about this hardship and encouraging them to find ways to alleviate it.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dentists should receive geographic pay<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

To the Editor:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 Please grant geographic pay to dentists.\u00a0 We feel disrespected and disenfranchised because for years only MDs, RNs, LPNs, NPs and pharmacists have received it.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 We took eight years of schooling, took our board exams, passed and have our degrees.\u00a0 Please give this serious consideration.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. EXCELSA SERABIAN<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Massena<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Raise pension COLAs or strike!<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

To the Editor:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 What can PEF do for NYS retirees?\u202f How about a 50% lump sum payment from NYS to make up for the decades of false COLAs (cost of living adjustments), and then increase this year\u2019s COLA to the real inflation rate? Or go on a statewide strike if the state refuses to do Justice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

MIKE SEGUIN<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note:\u00a0 <\/span><\/i><\/b>Under state law, the union is not allowed to negotiate on behalf of its retired members.\u00a0 State labor law also forbids the union from striking. PEF and PEF Retirees are educating state legislators and leaders about this hardship and encouraging them to find ways to alleviate it.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When are 2023 scholarship applications due?\u00a0 \u00a0To the Editor:\u00a0 Just checking on eligibility for a 2023 graduate, when can he apply for scholarship consideration?\u00a0 DIANE BAKER East Greenbush\u00a0 Editor\u2019s Note:\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"division":[],"allowed_regions":[],"allowed_divisions":[],"class_list":["post-1935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-40-no-7"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLetters to the Editor: September 2022 - PEF Communicator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-40-no-7\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Letters to the Editor: September 2022\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When are 2023 scholarship applications due?\u00a0 \u00a0To the Editor:\u00a0 Just checking on eligibility for a 2023 graduate, when can he apply for scholarship consideration?\u00a0 DIANE BAKER East Greenbush\u00a0 Editor\u2019s Note:\u00a0...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-40-no-7\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PEF Communicator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-09-01T14:18:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-09-15T14:30:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ccanham\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ccanham\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-7\\\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-7\\\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"ccanham\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0677b03b1fcdadfe00f4e905b97b90e4\"},\"headline\":\"Letters to the Editor: September 2022\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-01T14:18:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-09-15T14:30:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-7\\\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":482,\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-7\\\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-7\\\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\\\/\",\"name\":\"Letters to the Editor: September 2022 - PEF Communicator\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-01T14:18:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-09-15T14:30:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0677b03b1fcdadfe00f4e905b97b90e4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-7\\\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-7\\\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-7\\\/letters-to-the-editor-september-2022\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Volume 40. 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