PEF members joined President Wayne Spence, Secretary-Treasurer Kay Alison Wilkie and top union staff February 4 for a virtual town hall meeting that provided updates on critical issues and a call for every member to reach out to their state Assembly and Senate representatives.
The state budget process is in full swing and members have just a few weeks in February and March to make the case for why the state must back away from proposed closings of state facilities, agency mergers and the consolidation and greater privatization of state services. Letters are provided here on the PEF website or you can download sample letters as Word or PDF documents to personalize it based on your experience.
Members participating in the call also received updates on lawsuits PEF has filed on their behalf, information about COVID-19 vaccinations, PEF’s efforts to get the state to extend telecommuting and paid leave for members exposed or testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Information was provided on additional COVID and other training the union will offer soon.
Spence urged members not to put off applying to use their vacation accruals because the state may stop rolling unused leave forward, and the union will only be able to successfully fight for you to keep your leave if you applied to use it but were denied.
Wilkie briefed members on the union’s finances, as well as its continuing efforts to renovate PEF headquarters and eliminate the need for frequent and costly repairs. Spence joined her in emphasizing that they have no desire to raise members’ dues, which are the lowest in the state and have not increased in two decades.
“President Spence and I are committed to not increasing dues!” Wilkie said.
Audio of this Telephone Town Hall can be heard here.