Amen (to unfair state treatment of PEF members during the pandemic).
\n(President) Wayne (Spence), you and the PEF staff have done a great job!<\/p>\n
JOHN TIERNAN
\nStaten Island<\/p>\n
—–<\/p>\n
How long will it be until we receive our retro wages?<\/p>\n
JETTA INTELISANO
\nWaterford<\/p>\n
—–<\/p>\n
TINA PETERSON
\nBronx<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s Note:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/span>The Office of the State Comptroller recently informed PEF that retroactive base-salary-increase pay in the November 4 paycheck for employees on the institutional payroll, and in the November 10 paycheck for those on the administrative payroll.<\/i><\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n For the next set of contract negotiations we need to have our dental and vision benefits mirror our health benefits for our dependents, in that coverage should be automatic until they reach the end of age 25 as is with other state union workers.<\/p>\n We should not have to file a college attendance as a full-time student certification form each and every semester to keep their benefit current.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Even when we do file the certification, it never gets updated timely and dependents tend to have lapses in coverage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Poll union members and they will tell you horror stories concerning such situations.<\/p>\n NIKITA ATHERTON —–<\/p>\n Congratulations, Wayne Spence.<\/p>\n I\u2019m so happy the contract has been ratified and that you will be leading us for another three years!<\/p>\n ANN BENTZEN —–<\/p>\n Your tremendous team got us nothing, and now you are pushing for a yes vote, which is crap.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I know, why doesn\u2019t PEF go buy some more masks made in China, as this is the quality of your work?<\/p>\n I\u2019m a disgusted-beyond-words member.<\/p>\n DENISE BROWN —–<\/p>\n Do retirees vote on the contract?<\/p>\n PAULINE BURNES Editor\u2019s note:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>No.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n PEF might want to get moving on extending the existing (emergency) telecommuting arrangement quickly. Between the Delta (COVID-19) variant and Gov. Cuomo\u2019s situation, things are going to get ugly.<\/p>\n JOSEPH CALANDRA —–<\/p>\n I was a member of PEF from January 2019 until February 2021.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I am still employed at Roswell Park, however I\u2019m now a member of CSEA-HRI.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Would I be eligible for the retroactive pay from April 1, 2019, until February 10, 2021, the timeframe I was a PEF member working without a contract?<\/p>\n JANINE MILLER Editor\u2019s Note:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/span>Yes, you are eligible to receive retroactive pay if you worked as a member of the state\u2019s PS&T bargaining unit after the 2016-19 contract expired, even if you are now no longer a state employee or in that bargaining unit.<\/i><\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n Is there no place in this state for the family day?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Holding it out-of-state ranks with getting masks from China.<\/p>\n FAYE REES Editor\u2019s Note:\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/span>Because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions transitioning, the Membership Benefits Program had very little time to plan for a Family Fun Day for this summer, and went with its event in New Jersey because it had been extremely popular in 2019 and because Six Flags announced it was reopening in time for the July 2021 event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>MBP may offer more family events in New York state in the future.<\/i><\/p>\n New York state was one of the first and hardest hit areas of the US affected by the pandemic, and masks were extremely difficult to obtain.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>China was the major supplier of masks at that time, and PEF moved as quickly as possible to obtain masks for members who were not being supplied by the state with enough masks to protect them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>PEF always prefers to purchase products that are union made in the USA, but quickly protecting members from potentially deadly infection was a higher priority.<\/i><\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n The COVID pre-screening fight was my idea that we fleshed out in one day with various emails among our PEF Division 240 steward council members (at the state Insurance Fund).<\/p>\n CHARLES TERMINI —–<\/p>\n So what happened to the hazard duty payment for the heroes in the contract? JANICE THOMAS Editor\u2019s Note:\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/span>PEF continues to fight for hazard pay for essential workers. We are pushing for it again with the new administration and legislature.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Praises PEF\u2019s efforts to protect members Amen (to unfair state treatment of PEF members during the pandemic). (President) Wayne (Spence), you and the PEF staff have done a great job!…<\/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-616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-39-no-7"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFix benefit snag in next contract<\/h1>\n
\nBrooklyn<\/p>\nDelighted with contract, leadership votes<\/h1>\n
\nMelrose<\/p>\nDisgusted by tentative pact<\/h1>\n
\nHerkimer<\/p>\nMay retirees vote on PEF contracts?<\/h1>\n
\nArkport<\/p>\nMove fast to resolve telecommuting<\/h1>\n
\nSaratoga Springs<\/p>\nRetro pay eligibility questioned<\/h1>\n
\nBuffalo<\/p>\nWants Family Fun Day in NYS<\/h1>\n
\nMalta<\/p>\nPre-screening fight was his idea<\/h1>\n
\nBuffalo<\/p>\nNo hazardous-duty pay for heroes<\/h1>\n
\nIt\u2019s so sad that we\u2019re worth zeroes!<\/p>\n
\nValley Stream<\/p>\n