Coordinator's Corner
04/03/05
Budget Page
At our Regional PAC meeting held in Feb. our new Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo expressed an interest in helping us with our fight against the contracting out of our jobs to private contractors. She stayed and listened to the presentation by Jeff Waggoner from PEF's Research Department and asked questions afterward. I am pleased to state that she is sponsoring a bill in the assembly A6542 that will help us in exposing the number of non state workers that are on the state payroll.
To View PEF's Stop Privatization Web Site, click Below:
To View PEF's Accountability Ad, click below:
For a copy of the Stop Privatization Letter to your Legislator, click below:
Click below to see the bills:
On March 18th, PEF members from Region 5 participated in a Labor/Management training at the Vestal PEF office.
Information about this training can be viewed on the training page of this website.
Please review the many courses that PEF offers
Let us know if you are interested in attending any of them by filling out the form. We want to hold more of these trainings through out the spring and summer.
The PEF Executive Board met in Albany on March 3-4 for their quarterly meeting. This was our yearly PEF Budget meeting. Minutes from board meetings can be received from your council leader. Sec. Jane Hallum proposed the budget, the board made 2 changes of note. The Sec.-Tres had proposed moving a vacant field representative item from the Region 9 office to NYC. The board voted against this proposal. The second proposal which I am embarrassed to state came from a board member from NYC who proposed that all executive board members have single hotel rooms when attending meetings. This proposal passed by a wide margin. I am proud to say that neither your board representatives or myself voted for this proposal
Upcoming events of note
Region 5 Nurses Committee meeting 4-13-05
PEF Health and Safety Conference 5-13-5-14-05
Launching of PEF's Go Public campaign meeting date TBA
Nurses lobby Day 5-15-05 We will be taking a bus to Albany for the day. If you can get the time off nurse or not we need your body on that bus. Here's a bit of news that someone in PEF told me last week our Nurses lobby day is the same day as the bikers who lobby against the helmet law for NYS will be there, nurses and bikers together. It could make for an interesting day. If you are able to come with us; call Carol at the PEF office at
800-724-4998
to reserve your seat.
As a final comment to the one PEF member who complained that the website was too glitzy and that members want information not entertainment, lighten up most of us want a little of both.
Thank you,
Mary
March 1, 2004
Highlights of the PEF Executive Council meeting
President Benson focused primarily on the 2005 NYS budget. A summary of the budget has been mailed to your E-Board and Division Leaders. PEF Legislative Director, Brian Curran described this years budget process as being stranger than usual. A court of Appeals decision has basically changed how Albany does business; leaving our legislators feeling very frustrated. In the past they had the ability to alter the budget by changing language or adding funding. The new court ruling essentially forbids them from doing so, often giving them only the option of voting down or passing legislation; enhancing the Governors’ power while diminishing theirs.
The good news continues !! The Governor has proposed a contingency budget which the senate has already passed. This legislation states that if the legislature does not pass a budget by 4-1-05 this contingency budget goes into effect. The contingency budget for the most part is the same as the 2004-2005 budget with some additions. It puts money back in the DOCS budget to keep Camp Pharsalia open which is good, however it neglects to put money in to cover our collective bargaining agreement which means the funding of our pay raises in 2005 and funds for health insurance, dental, workers comp and retirement benefits. The language gives the Governor extraordinary power to keep the funding within the limits set by the contingency budget which is why the members of the NYS Assembly have already stated that they will not pass this legislation. The spin in Albany is that this contingency budget is a bargaining ploy being used by the Governor to put maximum pressure on Assembly Democrats. This does not mean that we don't have to be concerned about this so called ploy to squeeze the NYS Assembly leadership by the Governor.
President Benson and our legislative staff members have already conveyed our concerns to the Senate and has pledged to take all necessary action to ensure that your pay raises, paychecks and longevity payments arrive on time and in full.
At our Feb 25 Region 5 PAC meeting we spoke to our legislators: Libous, Lupardo, and Crouch. They assured us that they would make every effort to ensure that our collective bargaining agreement was not violated.
Dates to remember
Click on each for all of the details:
General membership meeting 3-26-05
Petitions for 2005 PEF Convention
Petitioning for delegates to 2005 PEF convention in Rochester opens April 4, 2005.
Petitions will be available at the Region 5 office after 9:00 am
First and foremost; I must thank Kathy D'Arminio, Division 399 Council Leader, for her support and technical assistance. Without her knowledge and encouragement this would all still just be in my head. Our purpose in launching this site is to increase communication within the Region.
While we continue to upgrade the site, we would like your suggestions. You may leave them in the guest box or send me an email.
Coming Soon: Region 5 Nurses Committee Page
In the future the Coordinators Corner will contain my perspective on Regional and Statewide issues that are going on in PEF.
The big news of the week has been the announcement by Roger Benson, President of PEF for 3 terms and Jane Hallum, Sec-Treas. that they will not seek re-election in 2006.
To read their letter, click on the picture:
This has caused a scramble to begin by those in PEF who wish to run for statewide offices. Presently there are at least 6 candidates for President; though none of them have officially announced. Roger who plans to retire at the end of his term shows no signs of relaxing or letting up on his agenda.
So for now Enjoy the Website !!
Next week I will report to you on the Executive Council meeting (a monthly meeting that I attend with the other 11 Regional Coordinator's and Statewide officers)
If you haven't signed up for the training please do, you don't have to be a steward to participate.
Click Below for Details and to Register:
Thank you,
Mary
Posted 2/20/05