![\"President](\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/SotU-Header.jpg\")
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\u201cI thank each and every one of you for granting me another opportunity to serve as your president,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an honor I don\u2019t take lightly. While my most important job in life is being a husband and father, serving as president of this incredible union is the next thing that is most important. This marks the tenth time I\u2019ve had the privilege to address you, and I am honored and humbled to be the first president to do so.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n President Spence looked back at the union\u2019s successes since his first term in 2015, highlighting contractual gains, membership growth, legislative wins, and the importance of continued solidarity, and renewed his commitment to pursuing workplace safety initiatives, anti-bullying campaigns, criminal justice reform, and more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Growing the ranks<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur union is stronger now than ever before, not only because of the leadership at the top but because of the collective efforts of every single one of you,\u201d President Spence said. \u201cToday, we proudly count almost 56,000 dues-paying members, up from 51,000 in 2022. After the challenges of COVID in 2021, when we saw our numbers dip, we have rebounded and grown stronger. This growth speaks to the resilience, unity, and commitment of each of you.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since January 2024, PEF has welcomed more than 5,000 new members and is on track to surpass its annual goal. <\/span>The membership growth comes at a time when anti-union forces, such as Opt Out New York, are slamming members with mailing and email campaigns urging them to drop their union.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMembership growth is not just about numbers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about building strength in every corner of the state. This growth is crucial as we continue to push for more significant legislative and contractual victories. Together, we are a force to be reckoned with.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n President Spence highlighted gains in the last PS&T contract, including the $600, first-of-its-kind Higher Educational Differential for qualified members, the $3,000 signing bonus, and the $400 dental stipend, and shared the significant gains in salary over the last 10 years. A chart showing the salary and compensation growth for a Grade 18 PEF member from 2015 until today noted a 60% increase from just over $52,000 to just under $84,000 in that timeframe.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThese victories are a testament to what we can achieve when we move together in unity,\u201d he said. \u201cOur contract negotiation team worked tirelessly, and it\u2019s thanks to their dedication that we saw many of these benefits realized this past April. That co<\/span>ntract was not easy. We were getting ready to have a rally in Albany and we made it known to the Governor.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Governor herself called me to get to the finish line because she knew,\u201d he said. \u201cI want you to know, it wasn\u2019t just me, it was the fact that you hear the call when it\u2019s time to turn out. When we fight, we win!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Legislative victories<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Not only did PEF\u2019s fight at the contract table bring results, so did the fight in the halls of the Legislature. The Fund Our Future campaign has been highly successful advocating for PEF members and the New Yorkers they serve.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe gathered more than 10,000 signatures to advocate for salary upgrades, civil service reforms, and better staffing at mental health facilities,\u201d President Spence said. \u201cThis level of activism is proof that our collective voice carries weight, and when we move together, we have created real change.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Moving together also helped PEF weather the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the union ensuring members had access to critical personal protective equipment, emergency lodging, and telecommuting agreements.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t stand idly by,\u201d he said. \u201cWe advocated tirelessly for safety. We remained united. That unity has only made us stronger. We went to work when there was no test for a virus that was killing people. I lost family. We lost coworkers who went to work and didn\u2019t come home.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI want you to understand that we are here; we are not going to let them forget who we are, what we did back then,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are strong when we move together. In case nobody has told you lately, I want to say, \u2018Thank you.\u2019\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Renewing the call<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n President Spence urged the more than 500 delegates at Convention to pledge to renew their commitment to the work of the union.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur union is not just built on the accomplishments of the past, but on the actions we take every single day moving forward,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must not only advocate for our rights, but also for each other. Now, more than ever, we need every delegate, every member, to take an active role in the work ahead. We need to ensure that our union remains a powerful voice for our members in every workplace and every community across the state.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n September 25, 2024 — By embodying this year\u2019s theme, \u201cMoving Together,\u201d the union is growing, unified, and stronger than ever, said President Wayne Spence in his historic tenth State of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5731,"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-5721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-42-no-7"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"State](\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/SotU-Logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
September 25, 2024 —<\/em> By embodying this year\u2019s theme, \u201cMoving Together,\u201d the union is growing, unified, and stronger than ever, said President Wayne Spence in his historic tenth State of the Union address at the 46<\/span>th<\/span> annual PEF Convention in Syracuse on Sept. 16, 2024.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"President](\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/Wayne-Conv.jpg\")
Contractual gains<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Grid](\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/Grid-PDF-Template-WEB.jpg\")
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