![\"Wayne](\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/State-Header.jpg\")
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October 24, 2023 —<\/em> The theme of the 45<\/span>th<\/span> Annual PEF Convention was \u201cBetter Together.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSomeone at our last Executive Board meeting brought up the bundle of pencils metaphor,\u201d he said. \u201cHold one pencil in your hand and you can snap it; hold a dozen, good luck. It\u2019s not going to break. PEF is more than 50,000 strong and we are still growing.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Building our Strength<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Spence recognized the Organizing Department for a stellar job in 2023, traveling the state to meet with members and energize them to be part of PEF. Those efforts brought in more than 5,000 new members.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI can remember standing here in 2018 and 2019, after the <\/span>Janus<\/span><\/i> decision, talking about emergency plans to keep this union intact if members quit in droves like the Supreme Court gave them the opportunity to do,\u201d he said. \u201cWe welcomed 5,389 new members from January 1 to September 21. In a union of 50,000, that\u2019s 10% growth. Our goal was 2,500 for the whole year: that\u2019s 216% better than our forecast.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To support the effort, Spence said the union hired regional staff and purchased and branded vehicles for easier travel. \u201cI\u2019m happy to report that those investments have paid for themselves already with the dues from the new members,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Bu PEF is not only building strength in numbers: it\u2019s also building political strength.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In April 2023, the union leveraged its membership numbers and gathered more than 10,000 signatures in support of the Fund Our Future for a Thriving New York campaign. The magnitude of that was demonstrated during an event in the Legislative Office Building.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of specific demands on there, about reforming the Civil Service system, more beds and staff at mental health facilities, and ending the waste that happens every time the state contracts out projects,\u201d Spence said. \u201cLet me tell you, turns out 10,000 signatures look mighty impressive when printed on a 42-foot-long, 4-foot-wide banner and rolled down the steps! It was a great visual to show lawmakers that we are united and to push for salary upgrades across all titles.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Contract with No Givebacks<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Among PEF\u2019s accomplishments this past year, the 2023-2026 PS&T Contract tops the list, which delivered 3% annual raises, a $3,000 signing bonus, a $600 Higher Education Differential, a $400 dental stipend, and more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis was the fourth contract I negotiated as president and is the <\/span>best so far<\/span><\/i>,\u201d Spence said. \u201cThis contract contains more than $1 billion in what we call \u2018new money\u2019 \u2013 those are dollars that weren\u2019t in previous contracts and that your Contract Team negotiated on your behalf. A member pulled me aside at a recent event and said this is the best contract she\u2019s had as a state employee \u2013 and she\u2019s been a public servant for 32 years.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Not all the wins were purely economic.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The contract includes 12 weeks of Fully Paid Parental Leave and ends sunsets on several benefits, including the Productivity Enhancement Program and the Article 15 tuition reimbursement benefit.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s clear from this contract that the state finally heard us,\u201d Spence said. \u201cThe state has more than 15,000 vacant jobs and thousands more state employees are retiring every year. New York needs to offer competitive compensation and benefits to retain and attract public servants.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Click here for more information on the 2023-2026 PS&T contract.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/Convention-Web.png\")
During his ninth State of the Union address, President Wayne Spence backed that up with facts from the year since the last Convention, including the negotiation of a strong contract, victories in the legislature, community outreach and union engagement, and PEF\u2019s unwavering push to increase membership.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n