{"id":8880,"date":"2026-05-04T11:40:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T15:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/?p=8880"},"modified":"2026-05-05T09:58:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:58:44","slug":"affordability-is-an-everyday-struggle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-44-no-4\/affordability-is-an-everyday-struggle\/","title":{"rendered":"Affordability is an everyday struggle"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Region<\/p>\n

\"PEFMay 7, 2026 —<\/em> For people across the country and across New York State, affordability is not a buzzword. It is a constant reminder that wages have not kept up with prices, inflation continues to rise, and essential needs are becoming harder to obtain. PEF members have been feeling the squeeze on their household budgets for some time, with some barely paying bills each month despite being highly trained and qualified public servants working for millions of New Yorkers every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

As negotiations for a successor contract continue, members have been vocal about their need for significant, meaningful wage increases.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In New York City, Antero Barrantes is a Human Rights Specialist with the Division of Human Rights (DHR). He works to investigate claims of discrimination, as well as help with compliance and facilitation of New York\u2019s human rights laws.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing an investigator is a very strategic job, and I do my best to put my nose to the ground to look for facts and investigate and interview people,\u201d said Barrantes. \u201cBut the other part of my job is to be a facilitator and to ensure compliance. I am not just a person punching information into a computer.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the detailed nature of the job, as well as the many hats an investigator with DHR sometimes wears, Barrantes said he loves his job.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love what I do. I am always looking forward to waking up and getting to work,\u201d said Barrantes. \u201cI believe in the work we do, and I know that we help so many New Yorkers.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Loving the job, however, is not paying the bills. Most state positions get paid bi-weekly. Barrantes said that while that may be true, it often feels like he is only getting paid once a month.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my paychecks always goes just to my rent,\u201d said Barrantes. \u201cAfter that, I am stretching my second paycheck to deal with whatever other expenses and food costs I have. I\u2019m working magic with that second paycheck.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rent in New York City continues to rise. According to the NYC Comptroller\u2019s Office, the median asking price for rent reached $3,500 per month in 2023. At that level, a household would need to earn more than $140,000 a year to not be considered rent-burdened\u2014 which is defined as paying 30% or more of one\u2019s income for rent.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In Western New York, PEF members face the crisis of affordability in different ways. Carrie Busekist is an Environmental Educator with Parks and Recreation in Salamanca. She took on a second job to help bolster her income.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI work part-time at a job where it is a tipped position,\u201d she said. \u201cI am able to make ends meet with just my state job as I live a pretty frugal lifestyle, but in my 40\u2019s, I really thought I would be much farther ahead financially by now.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like Barrantes, Busekist loves the work she does with Parks and Recreation and worries about her colleagues who are struggling more than she is.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI really love the people I work with, and it is a beautiful place to work,\u201d Busekist said. \u201cEveryone is passionate about what they do and being able to teach the younger generation about the environment and how to care for it, but many are not as financially stable and are very underpaid for what they do.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite living different lifestyles in different parts of the state, Busekist and Barrantes agree that the price of necessities are out of reach.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs I drove home, gas prices increased again and groceries are going up,\u201d said Busekist. \u201cI don\u2019t have a family that I am responsible for, but if I was there\u2019s a very small chance I would be able to make it work.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the time of this publication, gas prices in Western New York are about $4.49 per gallon. The volatility is expected to continue.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are times where I am thinking about things I may need to get from the grocery store, but I am instead trying to see how much longer I can extend going without it,\u201d said Barrantes. \u201cI like to go to the supermarket when I need to go and stock up on food items, but sometimes I have to consider that maybe right now is not a good time.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the contract team works to bring wages up in the next contract and as PEF calls on the Department of Civil Service to release its <\/span>statewide compensation study<\/span><\/a>, PEF members, like Barrantes and Busekist, look to State leaders to address the dire consequences of wage inequality.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the state wants people to stay in state service or to stay in New York, they need to do something,\u201d said Busekist. \u201cI could go to another state with lower taxes and higher salaries. We have constant turnover where we are and a lot of it has to do with low wages in our positions.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor and the legislature need to understand that we\u2019d like to see something done about it,\u201d said Barrantes.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: If you\u2019d like to share an affordability story with the union, please reach out via <\/span><\/i>Communicator@pef.org<\/span><\/i><\/a>, or when the Contract Team visits your worksite, talk to a PEF Communications staff member.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

May 7, 2026 — For people across the country and across New York State, affordability is not a buzzword. It is a constant reminder that wages have not kept up…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8886,"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-8880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-44-no-4"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAffordability is an everyday struggle - 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-44-no-4\/affordability-is-an-everyday-struggle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Affordability is an everyday struggle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"May 7, 2026 — For people across the country and across New York State, affordability is not a buzzword. 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