{"id":4384,"date":"2024-01-31T11:01:15","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T16:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/?p=4384"},"modified":"2024-02-01T15:00:11","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T20:00:11","slug":"let-the-great-budget-debate-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-42-no-1\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\/","title":{"rendered":"Let the great budget debate begin!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">The Legislative Session is in full swing here in Albany, following Governor Hochul\u2019s presentation of her Executive Budget proposal last month.\u00a0 Between now and April 1, lawmakers will hold hearings and gather input from stakeholders like PEF as they shape the governor\u2019s proposal into something that can pass both the State Senate and Assembly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">PEF\u2019s Statewide Political Action Committee finalized the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-42-no-1\/pef-hits-the-ground-running-on-2024-legislative-agenda-following-release-of-governors-budget\/\">union\u2019s budget priorities<\/a>\u00a0this week and we are actively participating in the hearings.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-42-no-1\/pef-highlights-solutions-to-short-staffing-at-workforce-hearing\/\">Vice President Randi DiAntonio testified on January 30 about the State Workforce<\/a>, making the point we\u2019ve made over and over again \u2013 that so many of the problems facing New York State agencies stem from short staffing. The State must do everything in its power to attract and retain skilled professionals to deliver the public services promised to its citizens. To that end, we are advocating for three things \u2013 increased compensation, pension reform, and workplace culture. \u00a0Professionals like you need to be well-paid for the work you do, you need to know you\u2019ll be taken care of when you retire, and you deserve to work in an environment where you\u2019re respected. Please help our Legislative team make the case to your State Senators and Assemblymembers by sending a letter pushing for PEF\u2019s priorities,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/articles\/budget\/letters-weve-got-letters\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">One of those priorities is finding out more about a \u201ctransformation plan\u201d that SUNY has put forward to transition many of the services offered by SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn to Kings County Hospital across the street. We have met with SUNY leadership, and they are very aware of how unions like PEF were blindsided by the announcement. It is our position that the staff who work at Downstate, which employs about 400 PEF members and thousands represented by UUP, deserve to have input into any final plan. The heroes who worked at the State\u2019s designated Covid-only hospital during the height of the pandemic deserve no less.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">We are also keeping a watchful eye on Gov. Hochul\u2019s request that the legislature loosen the one-year notice period currently required before the State closes any correctional facilities. She is asking for just 90-days notice.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-42-no-1\/pef-attends-rally-opposing-90-day-prison-closures\/\">Vice President Randi DiAntonio attended a rally at the State Capitol this week<\/a>\u00a0to represent PEF\u2019s view \u2013 which is that 90 days is not nearly enough time for staff and their families to plan and make decisions about their future. In addition, we believe there is a good argument for having more space, not less, in today\u2019s volatile prison environments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Finally, February is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-42-no-1\/pivotal-moments-in-black-labor-history-highlight-growth-change-and-solidarity\/\">Black History Month<\/a>, and so in this issue we look at the critical role Black leaders have played in the labor movement. \u00a0I am honored to be recognized this month by City &amp; State magazine in their Power of Diversity issue, as well as named to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/politicsny.com\/power-lists\/black-power-players\/page\/9\/#wayne-spence\">Black Power Players<\/a>\u00a0list created by PoliticsNY.com and the amMetro NY newspaper. I am proud to lead this union and thank you all for the trust you\u2019ve placed in me. Please stay safe and always stay union strong!<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">In Unity,<br \/>\nWayne Spence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Legislative Session is in full swing here in Albany, following Governor Hochul\u2019s presentation of her Executive Budget proposal last month.\u00a0 Between now and April 1, lawmakers will hold hearings&#8230;<\/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-4384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-42-no-1"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Let the great budget debate begin! - 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-42-no-1\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Let the great budget debate begin!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Legislative Session is in full swing here in Albany, following Governor Hochul\u2019s presentation of her Executive Budget proposal last month.\u00a0 Between now and April 1, lawmakers will hold hearings...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-42-no-1\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PEF Communicator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-31T16:01:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-01T20:00:11+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-42-no-1\\\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-42-no-1\\\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"ccanham\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0677b03b1fcdadfe00f4e905b97b90e4\"},\"headline\":\"Let the great budget debate begin!\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-31T16:01:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-01T20:00:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-42-no-1\\\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":516,\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-42-no-1\\\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-42-no-1\\\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\\\/\",\"name\":\"Let the great budget debate begin! - PEF Communicator\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-31T16:01:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-01T20:00:11+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0677b03b1fcdadfe00f4e905b97b90e4\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-42-no-1\\\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-42-no-1\\\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-42-no-1\\\/let-the-great-budget-debate-begin\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Volume 42. 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