Contract Negotiations 2011 Updates
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Please click below for the
FAQ:
2011
- 2015 FAQ PS&T Unit Agreement Frequently Asked Questions
Saturday October 22, 2011
Important
Information regarding the Tentative Agreement you will be Voting On !!!
Contract
Mail Letter Cover Letter from President Brynien
Contract
Mailer that was Mailed to your Home
NOTE: Expedited
Timetable for Contract Vote
The right to vote on the
tentative PS&T Agreement with the State is guaranteed to PEF members in the
PEF Constitution. Balloting by PEF members on the tentative agreement,
which was approved by a special meeting of the union’s Executive Board
meeting, held on October 17, 2011, will be conducted according to the following
schedule:
- Ballots will be mailed to PEF
members in the State’s PS&T unit by the American Arbitration
Association (AAA) October 18, 2011. Only State or Roswell Park
employees in the PS&T Unit who are dues-paying PEF members as of October
16, 2011 are eligible to vote.
- Ballots must be received by
the AAA on or before 9 a.m. November 3, 2011. Received means in
hand, not just mailed or postmarked by November 3, 2011.
- A double-envelope system will
be used for balloting as required by the AAA to ensure secrecy. PEF
will follow all procedures required or recommended by AAA for balloting.
- Any PEF member in the PS&T
unit who has not received a ballot by October 26, 2011 should call the AAA
hotline at (800) 529-5218
to request a ballot or replacement ballot.
- Ballots will be counted by
the AAA on November 3, 2011.
Have a Question on the
Revised Agreement ?
Call 1-855-PEF-VOTE
You can call 1-855-PEF-VOTE
(1-855-733-8683) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and someone will be available to
answer your question.
If you call after hours, leave a
message with your name, phone number and question and someone will get back to
you as soon as possible.
Note: Due to the
possibility of a high volume of calls, the line may be busy at times.
Wednesday October
19, 2011
Please visit
our Q&A Page for Frequently asked questions about the Tentative Agreement ??
Wednesday October 19, 2011
What Does a
"Yes" Vote to the Tentative Agreement Mean ??
Click
Here to Download the Flyer
Monday October
17, 2011
The Executive Board of the New
York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) today voted to send a revised
contract agreement with the state to the full union membership for ratification.
The board is made up of 137 union
leaders representing PEF members from every state agency. Ballots for
ratification will be mailed immediately to union members. Votes must be returned
by Thursday, November 3 for counting that day by the American Arbitration
Association in Manhattan.
“The Executive Board recognizes
the changes we were able to obtain under the revised agreement address many of
the concerns of our members,” said PEF President Ken Brynien.
“Today’s vote gives hope to
the 3,496 members who face losing their jobs if the contract is not approved.
The revised agreement balances the needs of all of our members and I am strongly
encouraging our membership to ratify the new agreement to save the jobs of their
co-workers while preserving the level of service to taxpayers,” Brynien said.
The revised agreement is a
four-year contract that includes reimbursement for the nine furlough days,
payable at the end of the agreement. Additionally, since the deficit-reduction
leave would now be a wage deferral, there is no effect on final average salary
for purposes of retirement. The agreement also includes changes to the
productivity enhancement program that would allow members greater opportunity to
use vacation time to offset health insurance costs.
The agreement calls for no salary
increases for years 2011, 2012 and 2013. A salary increase of 2 percent is
included for 2014. The lump-sum payment included in the earlier tentative
agreement would be exchanged to reimburse furlough days.
Downloads:
Sunday October
16, 2011
PEF reaches tentative agreement with
state - saves jobs
The New York State Public
Employees Federation (PEF) reached agreement with the state today on a revised
contract that better meets the needs of our members.
The revised agreement will be
presented to the union’s Executive Board on Monday, October 17. If approved by
the board, the state will delay the effective date of the layoff notices that
have already gone out to November 4. This will allow time for a membership
ratification vote. If approved and ratified it will preserve the jobs of 3,496
PEF members.
The new agreement is a four year
contract and now includes reimbursement for the 9 furloughs days payable at the
end of the agreement.
“The changes we were able to
obtain under this revised agreement address many of the concerns raised by our
members," said PEF President Ken Brynien.
“If the agreement is approved
by our executive board and ratified by the full membership the jobs of 3,496
members will be saved,” said Brynien.
The revised agreement also
includes changes to the productivity enhancement program which will allow our
members greater opportunity to use vacation time to offset health insurance
costs. These changes are revenue neutral for the state.
The four year deal calls for no salary increases for years 2011, 2012 and 2013.
A salary increase of 2 percent is included for 2014. The lump sum payment that
was included in the earlier tentative agreement would be exchanged to reimburse
furlough days.
“The ratification of this
agreement will demonstrate that our members are willing to sacrifice to save the
jobs of 3,496 of their coworkers and preserve the level of service to
taxpayers,” Brynien added.
PEF’s Executive Board will meet
at the Desmond Hotel in Colonie at 1 pm on Monday, October 17.
Saturday October
15, 2011
We met with the
state for 10 hours on Friday and resumed talks Saturday morning. Meetings are
still ongoing. PEF remains committed to saving the jobs of 3,496 PEF members
targeted by the Cuomo administration for elimination. The PEF Executive Board is
tentatively scheduled to meet on Monday, October 17 for a vote on any new
agreement. We urge you to continue to check this website for the most up-to-date
information.
Friday October
14, 2011
We continue to meet
with the state, including meetings from early in the morning to late in the
evening on both Wednesday and Thursday. Meetings continue today. PEF remains
committed to saving the jobs of 3,496 PEF members targeted by the Cuomo
administration for elimination. If we make the necessary progress, our Executive
Board will meet on Monday, October 17 for a vote on any new agreement. We urge
you to continue to check this website for the most up-to-date information.
Wednesday October
12, 2011
The lines of
communication between PEF and the state remain open as the union works toward
reaching an agreement with the governor on a new contract. Several discussions
were held on Tuesday and more continue Wednesday. PEF remains committed to
saving the jobs of 3,496 PEF members targeted by the Cuomo administration to be
eliminated. If we make the progress we need to make, our Executive Board will
meet on Monday, October 17 for a vote on any new agreement. We urge you to
continue to check this website for the most up-to-date information.
Tuesday, October
11, 2011
PEF members, many of them
targeted by the governor to be laid off later this month, held a rally at PEF
Headquarters Tuesday morning.
PEF President Ken Brynien and
Vice President Tom Comanzo addressed the members and answered questions from the
press. The PEF leaders explained the Executive Board meeting scheduled for
Tuesday afternoon had to be postponed as there was not yet a contract agreement
with the state.
Negotiations with the state are
continuing with the goal of saving the jobs of the 3496 PEF members targeted for
layoff by reaching an agreement with the state PEF members will ratify.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Last night President Brynien
met with the Executive Council, which is made up of the statewide officers,
the 12 Regional Coordinators and the PEF Trustees to discuss the current
situation. During that meeting President Brynien laid out the broad
parameters of changes to the tentative agreement voted down by the members.
The Executive Council agreed with the changes and after the meeting these
changes were shared with the state.
We will know by Friday whether
or not we have a new agreement to present to the PEF Executive Board. If
we do, we will present it to them next Tuesday, October 11th.
We will continue to keep you
updated.
Tuesday, October
4, 2011
PEF is currently in
informal negotiations with the governor over the possibility of reaching a new
tentative contract agreement. Our goal is to reach an agreement that will be
ratified by the membership and avoid the layoffs scheduled for October 19th. At
this point the situation is very fluid. We will have more information in the
days ahead.
Tuesday,
September 30, 2011
Statement of President Brynien
Click
Here for New Release
Tuesday,
September 29, 2011
Statement of President Brynien
on Layoffs
Click
Here for New Release
Tuesday,
September 27, 2011
PEF Members Reject Tentative
Agreement
Click
Here for the Video Message from President Brynien
Click Here for New
Release
Click
Here for Video of Secretary-Treasurer Arlea Igoe Taking Questions from the Media
Tuesday, August
2, 2011
Tentative Agreement -
Clarification Regarding Two Issues
Based on questions
received from our members regarding the tentative agreement PEF has posted the
following memos:
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Click
Here For a Summary of The Tentative Agreement.
Click Here if You
Have Questions Regarding the Contract. These Questions Will be Used to Prepare a
List of Frequently Asked Questions That Will Be Included in The Communicator
Supplement Mailed to The Members along with the Full Text of the Agreement.
PEF has set the ratification schedule as follows:
- August 11-12 - Executive Board Reviews and Votes on
Sending Tentative Agreement to Members.
- August 11 or 12 - Contract Communicator Supplement
Sent to Members - *Supplement Will Include Complete Text of Contract,
Summary of Changes, and a Table of Gains and Trade-offs in The Agreement.
- August/September - Regional Informational Meetings
scheduled
- September 2 - Ballots Mailed to Members.
- September 26 - Deadline For Receipt of Ballots.
- September 27 - Ballots Counted.
Wednesday, July
20, 2011
Details of the tentative contract will be made
available on line as quickly as possible; PEF is currently in the process of
finalizing previously agreed upon contract language and preparing information
which will address many of our members’ questions regarding details of the
agreement and how it may affect them.
The Executive Board will be meeting on August 11 and if
the tentative agreement is approved, ballots will be mailed to members sometime
in September.
Complete contract language and a summary of contract
tradeoffs will be mailed to the Executive Board two weeks prior to their meeting
and to the members upon approval by the Executive Board for ratification by the
membership.
The PEF Contract Committee will be announcing scheduled
meetings across the state where they will be available to answer member
questions concerning the tentative agreement prior to ratification.
Saturday, July
16, 2011
The New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF)
has reached a tentative contract agreement with the state. As a result of the
conceptual agreement, the governor has agreed to rescind the planned layoffs of
nearly 1,000 PEF members.
"This was a difficult agreement to reach, but with
our members' jobs in peril and the state's fiscal hardship we've stepped up and
made the necessary sacrifices," said PEF President Ken Brynien.
"The agreement will preserve our members jobs and
careers while bringing long term fiscal stability to the state. We are confident
this is the best agreement that could be negotiated in the current
environment," Brynien said.
The agreement provides the state with the required
savings needed to preserve PEF's share of the 9,800 jobs targeted if the $450
million in Labor Management Partnership savings were not achieved.
"This agreement reflects the financial reality of
the times," said Governor Andrew Cuomo. "I am pleased that we could
avoid these layoffs, protect the workforce and the taxpayer," Cuomo said.
"This agreement could not have been achieved
without the hard work and dedication of PEF's contract team made of up union
members representing a variety of titles and agencies across the state,"
said PEF Contract Chair Tom Comanzo.
Formal
negotiations for a successor agreement to the 2007-11 NYS-PEF agreement are
scheduled to begin Wednesday March 16th, 2011
Meet your
team
Tom
Comanzo - Contract Team Chair
In addition to Comanzo, other full-time team members are:
• Brian Alvarado of Region 11, Education Department;
• Mike Blue of Region 8, Office of the State Comptroller;
• Manuelita Clemente, of Region 10, Division of Parole;
• Region 7 Coordinator Tom Donahue, Department of Correctional Services;
• Todd Fryer, Region 8, Insurance Department;
• Jim Hassett, Region 12, University of NY;
• Charlie Kelefant, Region 8, Transportation Department;
• Todd Kerner, Region 8, Taxation and Finance;
• Region 3 Coordinator John Prince, Office for Persons with Developmental
Disabilities;
• John Ruiz, Region 10, Office of Children and Family Services;
• Anna Schrom, Region 8, Health Department;
• Region 5 Coordinator Mary Twitchell, Health Department; and
• Darlene Williams, Region 10, Office of Mental Health.
Vice President Pat Baker will join the team when it bargains for health
benefits.
PEF’s health benefits staff members, Deborah Stayman and Lorraine Simpkins,
also will advise the team on that bargaining.
The Office of the State
Comptroller has released the payroll bulletins for payment of the 4% salary
increase and the April 2010 Performance Advances (Increments). The 2010
Salary Schedule that becomes effective with the payment of the base salary
increase implements salary grade parity at the Job Rate.
The
effective dates
for these base salary changes are as follows:
Institution
Payroll (effective 3/25/10—in paycheck dated 4/22/10)
Administrative
Payroll (effective 4/1/10—in paycheck dated 4/28/10).
Payroll Bulletins provide
instructions to the agency payroll offices on how to process different payroll
transactions. The bulletins often provide additional information on
eligibility and timing of payments.
2010
Payroll Bulletins
April
2010 Increase in Base Salary
Performance
Advances (Increments) April 2010
Seasonal
Employees Longevity Payments for 2010
Performance
Awards (Longevity) April 2010
Special
Assignment to Duty (SAD) Pay 2010
Second
Installment of Voluntary Severance Payments
To see Pay Roll
Bulletins prior to 2010, please visit your PEF web site at:
Pay
Roll Bulletins Prior to 2010
PEF Contract Team
CONTRACT
UPDATE #37
PEF Executive
Board Approves Sending 2007/2011 Contract to Membership for Their Vote.
What’s Next?
TIMELINE
(updated)
-
2/20/2008
Executive Board Meeting
-
2/21/2008
Executive Summary, Side by Side “Gains and
Trade-Offs”, as well as actual 2007-2011 Full Contract Text sent to
every PEF member’s home
-
2/21–4/10
Contract Info Membership “Town” Meetings held throughout the State
-
3/20/2008
Ballots Mailed to Membership (by AAA)
-
4/10/2008
Ballot Return Deadline
-
4/11/2008
Ballot Count (by AAA)
*No
negotiated changes including raises or retroactive reimbursements can be made
until after the contract has been ratified by the PEF members and a paybill is
passed by the state legislature.
Please
visit the PEF web site, to view NYS/PEF Tentative Contract Agreement:
Links
for NYS/PEF Tentative Agreement
PEF received
official notification on Monday, October 29 that the Civil Service Employees
Association (CSEA) came to a tentative contract agreement with the Governor’s
Office of Employee Relations (GOER). PEF leaders are still waiting more of the
details and will meet with GOER negotiators on
Wednesday, October 31 and Thursday,
November 1.
To view Governor Spitzer's Press release on the CSEA tentative settlement, visit
the governor’s Web site at:
http://ny.gov/governor/press/1029073.html
President
Brynien released a memo today, October 30th regarding the CSEA Tentative
agreement. To view the memo and more information on the CSEA contract,
please click below:
Brynien
Memo 10/07
To read the "Memo", you must have Adobe Reader. If you do not, please
click below to download Adobe Reader for "FREE"
Click
here for Adobe Reader
For
all of the updated details on current PEF Contract Negotiations, please visit
the PEF web site at:
http://www.pef.org/pst2007/index.htm
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