Dear PEF Member:
Thank you for visiting the Labor-Management page. This page is designed with resources and information to help you navigate the joint labor-management process as defined in Article 24 of the 2023-26 PS&T Collective Bargaining Agreement, between PEF and the New York State Office of Employee Relations.
PEF’s involvement in the labor-management process at the local, agency and executive levels is absolutely critical to every PEF member. Joint labor-management committees are important forums for raising and discussing workplace issues that affect your day-to-day working life, the quality of the public services you provide and your career opportunities.
Article 24 of the contract states the labor-management process as follows:
The state and PEF have an interest in maximizing the effectiveness of operations, the delivery of quality services and the promotion of a satisfied work force. To further that interest, the parties endorse the labor-management committee process as an appropriate means to identify and understand workplace issues and develop viable solutions. The state and PEF intend to foster an ongoing communicative relationship in which the parties are encouraged to speak freely and resolve issues within the labor-management forum. The state and PEF shall cooperate in using training and other mutually agreed upon methods, within available resources, to assist agency and local level labor-management committees to be more effective.
One of my vice presidential duties is to help train Labor-Management Chairs and Co-Chairs, Regional Coordinators, Health and Safety Chairs and others, about the labor-management process; a position that I’ve held since August 2018. As the Chair of the PEF Labor-Management Advisory Council, I tailored trainings that focused on overall “effective” labor management strategies, which have helped many members to address a myriad of concerns at the discussion table.
I encourage you to not just read Article 24 in its entirety, but to also read the PEF Contract, to understand the role that our Contract has in the labor-management process. Please take the opportunity to talk with your PEF leaders (Stewards, Division Officers, Executive Board members, Regional Coordinators and Field Representatives) who represent you in the labor-management process. Only by working together can we hope to protect what we have earned, get what we need to do our jobs effectively and expand the benefits and protections provided to PEF members.
As always, please know that I and PEF stand ready to help you address your concerns. Click the + sign below for contact information about who sits on the Labor-Management Committee at your agency. If you have a question or want to bring a labor-management issue to the union’s attention, please contact the chair or co-chair first. They will work with you and the assigned PEF field representative to find a solution.
In solidarity,
Bruce Giddings
PEF Vice President
Chair, Statewide Labor-Management Committee