1. health and fitness
2. disease
3. asthma

The Official Publication of the NYS Public Employees Federation
www.thecommunicator.org
March 2010
PEF shows the state how
to re-gauge its budget priorities
YOU SAID IT
Questions PEF
convention site
To the Editor:
Iʼm surprised and concerned about
PEF choosing the nationʼs capital for the
site of the 32nd Annual Convention.
After reading about PEF trying to save
jobs and making suggestions to the state
to save money, why would PEF choose
Washington, DC, where the cost of living
is much higher than in most of the
previous convention locations?
Why doesnʼt PEF provide leadership
by choosing a site in New York state,
which would help boost the economy of
that location?
BILL GIBBONS
Clifton Park
Editor’s Note: Convention sites must be
booked at least three to five years in
advance. The Washington site was
chosen by the PEF Executive Board well
before the current economic downturn
began in 2008. PEF will take advantage
of the time in Washington to have
maximum interaction between the
delegates and federal legislators and
leaders on issues such as funding for
New York and state programs.
Spend PEF’s $$
in New York
To the Editor:
I could not help but notice the irony in
your February issue. While the cover
story concerns the negative costs of
outsourcing, at the back of the issue is
information concerning PEFʼs annual
convention being held in Washington, DC.
One could consider this considerable
outsourcing. It may be best to keep such
functions within the state.
As the saying goes, people who live in
glass houses shouldnʼt throw stones.
THOMAS MALTESE
Syracuse
Hydrofracking
story on target
To the Editor:
Living, as I do, on the edge of
Marcellus Shale, Iʼve seen loads of
misinformation about hydrofracking (to
harvest natural gas trapped under shale
formations) coming from the drilling
industry. It was wonderful to read in the
February Communicator that fellow PEF
members have voiced their concern over
the state Department of Environmental
Conservationʼs woefully inadequate Draft
Supplemental Generic Environmental
Impact Statement for hydrofracking.
I just hope PEF adds its stronger voice
to the grassroots effort to stop this train
wreck.
One has only to look across the border
at Pennsylvania where water wells have
been poisoned, streams polluted, and
homes ruined by massive truck traffic,
24/7 drill-rig operations and fracking-fluid
spills to know this industry needs to be
regulated and monitored very, very
closely.
The federal Environmental Protection
Agency was removed from an oversight
role when this industry was exempted
from all federal clean-air and clean-water
regulations by the “Halliburton”
amendment under the Bush
administration, leaving states responsible
for regulation and monitoring.
We need to require this industry to
play by the rules of environmental
responsibility and we need to let the
governor know this industry must be
monitored with more than the few DEC
staff available.
SUZANNE ETHERINGTON
Cortland
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Page 2 —The Communicator March 2010
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
The Official Publication of the NYS Public Employees Federation
www.TheCommunicator.org - www.pef.org
You Said It .....................................................................2
Closing The Budget Gap ...................................................4
Member Mobilization .......................................................5
Black and Puerto Rican Conference ...................................6
President’s Message .......................................................7
DEC In Jeopardy .............................................................7
Health Notes..................................................................8
Roads, Bridges Cost Drivers.............................................8
Retirees In Action ...........................................................9
PEF Battles Against Bullying .............................................9
St. Lawrence PC In Troubled Waters ...............................10
VA Adds To Presumptive List ..........................................10
Parole Officers Honored.................................................11
Rebuilding Haiti.............................................................12
PEF Seeks Stimulus Money.............................................13
E-Board Tackles Issues ..................................................13
Nurses Station .............................................................14
New Region 9 Coordinator .............................................15
Prolific Author Unveils New Books ...................................16
Parole Honors E-Board Member .....................................17
Women Invited To Spring Into Health................................18
Deadline For Empire Plan Claims .....................................19
ON THE COVER — PEF
shows the state how to
re-guage its budget
priorities. Graphic by
Mario A. Bruni
THE COMMUNICATOR
Volume 27, No. 2 March 2010 (0745-6514)
The Official Publication of the New York State Public Employees
Federation, AFL-CIO, 1168-70 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham,
NY 12110-1006. The Communicator is published monthly, except
for January and August, for members of the New York State Public
Employees Federation. Periodical postage paid at Latham, NY and
additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
Editor, PEF Communicator,
1168-70 Troy-Schenectady Road, P.O. Box 12414,
Albany, NY 12212-2414.
Phone (518) 785-1900, ext. 221.
Letters Policy: The Communicator welcomes letters to the editor
about union issues and events relevant to PEF’s diverse
membership. All letters are subject to editing for space, fairness and
good taste. Please type your letters, keep them brief (up to 250
words), and include your name and phone number for verification.
Send letters to:
The Communicator, PEF, P.O. Box 12414,
Albany, N.Y. 12212-2414
or email to: [email protected]
www.pef.org
5
12
You Said It:
Letters to the Editor
Email:
thecommunicator
@pef.org
Officers of PEF
Kenneth Brynien President
Arlea J. Igoe Secretary-Treasurer
Patricia Baker, Tom Comanzo, Joe Fox
Vice Presidents
Kevin Hintz, Bonnie Wood, John Prince,
Donald Kehoskie, Mary Twitchell,
Kevin Conley, Tom Donahue, Bill Wurster,
Vivian Street, Vernetta Chesimard,
Jemma Hanson, Doris “Dee” Dodson,
Regional Coordinators
Gail Noble, Olubiyi Sehindemi, Adam Sumlin
Trustees
PEF Regional Field Offices
Reg. 1
Reg. 2
Reg. 3
Reg. 4
Reg. 5
Reg. 6
Reg. 7
4
Buffalo 1-800-462-1462
Elmira/Hornell 1-800-724-5001
Rochester 1-800-724-5003
Syracuse 1-800-724-5004
Binghamton 1-800-724-4998
Utica 1-800-724-5005
Malone 1-888-498-8532
14
Reg. 8 Albany 1-800-342-4306
Reg. 9 Poughkeepsie 1-800-548-4870
Reg. 10 Manhattan/Bronx 1-800-522-8700
Reg. 11 Brooklyn/Queens/Staten Island 1-866-897-9775
Reg. 12 Long Island 1-800-832-5284
The Communicator Staff
Stephen Chamberlain Managing Editor
Darcy Wells Editor-In-Chief
Sherry Halbrook Editor
Mario A. Bruni Graphic Artist
Deborah A. Miles Reporter/Writer
Barbara Valenti Jr. Graphic Artist
Paul Murphy Secretary/Typesetter
Kathi Blinn Advertising Account Executive
Advertising in this publication does not represent an endorsement
by PEF or its members. Members wishing to change their mailing
address may call 1-800-342-4306, ext. 221.
PEF is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers,
AFL-CIO & Services Employees International Union.
Metro NY
Labor
Communications
Council
The Communicator March 2010 — Page 3
CONTENTS
THE COMMUNICATOR March 2010
PEF shows state better ways to close
budget gap
By SHERRY HALBROOK
State employees are not the cause of
New York’s budget problems, and laying
them off or trying to take their pay would
be both unfair and unhelpful.
That’s the message PEF President Ken
Brynien presented to state lawmakers at a
February 10 hearing in Albany on the state
2010-11 Executive Budget proposal and its
potential effect on the state work force.
Facts over fiction
The Executive Budget calls for a net
reduction of the equivalent of 674 full-time
positions.
“This continues a two-decades-long
reduction in what the state spends on
employee wages and salaries,” Brynien
said. “Yet every year, some groups in this
state call for an extra pound of flesh from
state workers. These groups insist state
agencies and the state work force are huge
contributors to the state’s fiscal woes.”
Not only do the facts refute that theory,
they support the opposite conclusion,
Brynien said. These facts include:
• New York has one of the smallest state
work forces per capita in the nation. Only
six states have smaller state work forces
per capita than New York;
• The state operations budget hasn’t
grown since 2008. When compared to
every other part of the budget, state agency
budgets have grown at the lowest rate over
the last 10 years;
• In constant 2009 dollars, the amount
spent on state employees’ wages has fallen
by about $300M since fiscal year 1989-90,
an average annual decline of $15M;
• Since 2008, the state work force has
been cut by 4,500 positions;
• If the governor’s Executive Budget
were enacted, the state work force would
be the same size it was 10 years ago, with
more than 15,000 fewer positions than in
1994, in spite of a growing need for state
services; and
• In 2009, PEF and the Civil Service
Employees Association agreed not to
oppose enactment of a new pension Tier 5
that will save the state and local
governments $35B over 30 years.
Brynien said blaming state workers for
deficits is just a convenient way to avoid
admitting to the real roots of the problem.
“Time and again, we’ve shown state
workers provide a much better value for
tax dollars than the high-cost consultants
who too often replace them,” Brynien said.
Page 4 —The Communicator March 2010
FACT CHECK — PEF President Ken Brynien makes a point during his state budget
testimony February 10 in Albany. PEF Legislative Director Brian Curran and PEF Civil
Service Enforcement Director Tom Cetrino are at right.
— Photo by John Epting
“The average consultant performing work
my members do costs the state $82.42 an
hour or $160,719 a year. That’s 62 percent
more than the average $50.80 average
hourly cost for equivalent state employees.”
Better options
Brynien urged the legislators to reject
salary and benefit cuts, and restore funds
to allow the state to honor its contractual
obligations. He asked they amend the
budget bill to continue the state’s
responsibility to pay Medicare Part B
premiums, instead of palming the cost off
onto the state health plan so enrolled
employees and retirees would share the
cost with the state.
Brynien called on lawmakers to
preserve services and reject many of the
proposals to close state facilities or reduce
their service capacity.
However, he said, PEF supports some of
the governor’s cost-saving proposals such
as:
Allowing state and local governments
to amortize their pension payments;
Allowing NYSHIP to self-insure for
employee health benefits; and
Certain proposed agency
consolidations that would save a total of
$10M.
If the state work force must make still
greater sacrifices, Brynien recommended
the state:
Enact a consultant-reduction plan
– The state should set a goal of saving
$375M annually by 2012-13 through
reduced dependence on private
consultants. Phased in over the three
years, this plan could save the state more
than $656M.
Expand the voluntary severance
program. – In 2009, the governor proposed
to eliminate 4,500 state positions by
offering a $20,000 severance payment.
However, only 1,200 positions were
eliminated, and 1,000 employees were
denied participation.
“At minimum, the severance should be
offered to the employees who were denied,
which would save the state more than $52
million in FY 2010-11. If the state
eliminated another 2,300 positions
through the severance program, meeting
the governor’s initial target, the state
would save another $120M,” Brynien said.
Reduce state overtime costs –
Understaffing cost the state more than
$500M in overtime in 2008-09. Reducing
the state work force does not reduce its
workload. State agencies still must
complete mandated work, and state
facilities must meet staffing levels required
for accreditation.
As much as 60 percent of overtime
could be eliminated by hiring entry-level
state employees, saving at least $33.5M
annually, or more than $100M over three
years.
Increase state revenues – The state
should enact the governor’s proposed
excise taxes on cigarettes and on
sweeteners, bottled soft drinks, and their
base products. Together, they would raise
an estimated $675M in state revenues.
Brynien also urged lawmakers to
consider revenue ideas advocated by New
Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness that would
generate billions of dollars annually.
“These savings will more than pay for
any restorations PEF is seeking,” Brynien
said.
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
Fight to stop DOCS, OCFS closings
unites unions, townspeople, leaders
small communities depend on state
institutions,” said PEF President Ken
Brynien, who along with other PEF
leaders, also visited these worksites and
attended the community meetings in
January and February.
“Closing these facilities or substantially
reducing their work forces,” Brynien said,
“will pull the plug on these local
economies that already are reeling from
hard times.”
Moriah is near Port Henry on Lake
Champlain, an area gut-punched last
year when its only bridge across the lake
to Vermont was declared unsafe and
closed. Recently the bridge was
demolished and a ferry service was finally
established to re-connect the
community’s economic lifeline.
Mineville, in the Town of Moriah, is an
old iron-ore mining community.
“Moriah Shock Incarceration
Correctional Facility is a community,”
said PEF Division 382 Council Leader
Richard Sheffer, a teacher 4. “Moriah
embraced the facility, as it did the mines,
to provide employment for the
surrounding area.”
Sheffer said the wild, remote character
of the area with its harsh environmental
challenges is actually an asset for the
“shock” program that uses a boot camp
style to help inmates get a new and better
vision of themselves, set better goals and
make better choices.
“The inmates at Moriah care for the
OGDENSBURG
SAVE OCF — PEF Region 7 Coordinator
Tom Donahue talks with Barbara Touron
and Lori Aubrey-Smith after a community
meeting to save Ogdensburg CF.
LYON MOUNTAIN
trails, campsites, roads and other public
facilities throughout the Adirondack
Park,” Sheffer said. “For 20 years, Moriah
Continued on Page 6
MORIAH SHOCK INCARCERATION
CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
www.pef.org
The Communicator March 2010 — Page 5
MEMBER MOBILIZATION
By SHERRY HALBROOK
Photos by LISA PULVER
Reading or listening to news reports on
state budget cuts, it’s easy to block out
the mind-numbing succession of facts
and multi-million-dollar figures. For most
people it’s all too abstract and unreal to
provoke any strong, personal response.
But in some of New York’s most rural
and remote communities, the threat of
state budget and job cuts is personal,
powerful and frighteningly real.
“My staff and I spent weeks in January
and February traveling from one
threatened state worksite to another,”
said PEF Director of Member Mobilization
Margaret Messer. “I’ll never forget it,
especially this one place we went. There
just wasn’t anything there for miles
around, and then we turned off onto a
little road and suddenly we were in the
middle of a huge traffic jam. I couldn’t
imagine where they all came from, but it
was clear we were all going to the same
place.”
That place was a meeting January 28
near Mineville to talk about the governor’s
budget proposal to close Moriah Shock
Incarceration Correctional Facility, one of
the few employers in that entire area.
Nearly every family has someone working
there and every business has the
customers who work there.
“It’s heartwarming to have strong
community support, but it’s also
heartbreaking to see how much these
MEMBER MOBILIZATION
Continued from Page 5
inmates have fought many forest fires, the
ice storm of 1998, floods and Hurricane
Floyd in 1999. These challenges enhance
the discipline and education the inmates
receive. They see the determination of the
staff in accomplishing goals while dealing
with the environment. It inspires them
and helps to build character.”
In other words, these facilities are good
for the inmates and for the communities.
That’s why so many townspeople, their
locally elected officials and their state
legislators turned out to support the
union members as they mobilized to fight
for their jobs.
The proposed budget would close four
prisons. Three are in the northern-most
reaches of the state: Lyon Mountain in
Clinton County, Moriah in Essex County
and Ogdensburg in St. Lawrence County.
The fourth, Butler, is in Wayne County
near Rochester.
The budget also would merge the
Annsville and Taberg youth detention
centers in Oneida County and
substantially reduce staff and capacity in
the boys’ unit of Tryon Juvenile Detention
Center in Fulton County and also at the
Lansing youth facility in Tompkins
County. These facilities, too, were part of
the PEF mobilizing tour.
“We’re seeing greater unity among the
unions, local elected officials, community
residents and businesses than I can ever
recall,” Messer said. “The attendance at
the meetings is overwhelming and lots of
people want window signs for their cars
and businesses, T-shirts, stickers,
anything that spreads the message: Keep
their facility open and those paychecks
coming.”
Back in Albany, Brynien testified at a
joint hearing of the state Senate and
Assembly on the importance of
maintaining these prisons and youth
facilities.
PEF is running ads weekly in The
Legislative Gazette, and may expand the
campaign to include other media and
areas of the state.
“We’re all working together, but I really
want to commend our members at these
facilities who are not waiting to be
rescued,” Messer said. “They are moving
forward on their own and coming up with
good ideas, such as creating Facebook
pages and causes. At Tryon, their
Facebook causes and petitions have
generated thousands of responses.”
“This is a very steep climb,” Brynien
said, “but when our members mobilize
and focus their amazing talents and
energies on the common goal, I know we
have a good chance of success.”
TRYON JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER
BLACK & PUERTO RICAN LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE
— PEF activists greet Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (above) at the
annual conference of the state Black and Puerto Rican
legislators in Albany in February. PEF has endorsed her
election in November. At left, state Assembly Member
Earlene Hooper talks with PEF Region 9 CoordinatorVivian
Street and, at right, PEF activists Denise Clement, Debbie
Bush, Maddie Shannon-Roberts andVice Presidents Pat
Baker andTom Comanzo welcome state ComptrollerTom
DiNapoli to the PEF booth.
— Photos by Richard Dillard
Page 6 —The Communicator March 2010
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
Now, more than ever,
PEF needs your involvement
“casino” capitalism that has driven the
country and the state to the brink of
financial disaster. I will not allow our jobs,
wages and benefits to be sacrificed on the
altar of misinformed public opinion.
The facts speak for themselves. Despite
a growing need for the services our
members provide, the state has eliminated
an average of 105 employees every work
week since March 2008. In constant
dollars, the amount spent on state
employee wages has fallen over the last 20
years. We are doing much more with
much less, and dollar-for-dollar provide
the state’s citizens with value that most
people don’t realize or understand.
We continue to propose solutions to the
state’s fiscal crisis that can save the state
more than would damaging cuts to the
work force and our wages and
benefits. We propose real
and recurring
savings
Do the write thing:
Help PEFʼs voice be heard. Write to your local newspapers, e-mail
political blogs, call the talk shows and tell them about the important
services PEF members provide. For help with fact-checking or expressing
your thoughts, e-mail [email protected] and PEF will send you a pen with
the message, I did the write thing.
UNITY — PEF President Ken Brynien
speaks at Ogdensburg community meeting
in late January.
— Photo by Lisa Pulver
that are a long term solution and will
make the state more efficient and
effective while still providing vital services
on which New York’s citizens rely.
We need your involvement now, more
than ever. Our union is only as strong as
the support of our
members.
We need you to help us to
respond to the attacks on our jobs,
wages and the services we provide.
When you read an article or editorial, or
hear a news report that attacks the work
we do or the wages we earn, I urge you to
respond.
With your help we can preserve vital
services, our members’ jobs, and the
wages and benefits we have earned and
deserve.
Watchdog: Low staffing, funding jeopardize DEC
By SHERRY HALBROOK
Understaffing is undercutting the
ability of the state Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) to
protect New Yorkers and their
environment, and fulfill the agency’s
duties under state and federal law.
That’s the conclusion of a report issued
in November 2009 by Environmental
Advocates of New York, an independent,
not-for-profit, environmental watchdog.
According to research conducted by
Environmental Advocates, “DEC no longer
has sufficient resources to successfully
implement the state's environmental laws,
and its operations are increasingly
supported by taxpayer dollars, rather than
polluter fees,” the group stated in a
November 5 press release.
“New York State is neglecting its
environmental responsibilities. Years of
static appropriations and short staffing
mean DEC no longer has the bodies or the
resources to safely monitor water
www.pef.org
pollution or clean up hazardous waste,”
said Alison Jenkins, fiscal policy director
of Environmental Advocates of New York.
"The DEC has already acknowledged that
its solid and hazardous waste programs
have underperformed due to staff
shortages. What crisis needs to happen
before New York’s leaders get the
message?”
“We share these concerns,” said PEF
President Ken Brynien. “Unfortunately,
staffing and funding were not bolstered
sufficiently at DEC when our economy
was strong. Now, the state has its fiscal
back to the wall and our members at
DEC, who are on the front lines every day
in the struggle to protect New Yorkers and
their air, water and other vital resources,
are becoming spread too thinly. This could
be a disaster waiting to happen.”
According to the report issued by
Environmental Advocates: “When adjusted
for inflation, DEC’s operations budget
grew by just over 1 percent during a five-
year period; federal funding for
environmental programs declined by 25
percent over the same period. And despite
decreasing support, the federal
government establishes about 40 new
rules for states to adopt and implement
every year.
When broken down by program area,
the DEC’s Air and Water Quality
Management, Solid and Hazardous Waste
Management, and Administration and
Operations programs all have seen
declines in appropriations of up to 23.7
percent.
“Environmental Advocates of New York
is calling on state leaders to increase
polluter fees in next year's budget,”
Jenkins said. “The work of our primary
environmental agency can and should be
more sustainable. By relying so heavily on
taxpayer dollars, New York is missing out
on golden opportunities to create
incentives to reduce pollution and help
the state achieve its environmental goals.”
The Communicator March 2010 — Page 7
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By KENNETH BRYNIEN
The proposed state Executive Budget
for 2010-11 continues a decade-long
trend of whittling away at the state work
force and the state services our members
provide. It also includes a quarter-of-abillion-dollar cut in funding for
“negotiated” concessions, identified in the
proposal, with which we cannot and will
not agree.
Our job of protecting the work force
and services our members provide, as well
as the gains in wages and benefits we
deserve and have worked hard to achieve,
will be a daunting task.
We all have seen the polls and
editorials targeting the state work force.
Pundits and commentators say publicemployee unions are driving up the cost of
government and claim we have not
sacrificed like private-sector employees.
These commentators lay the blame for the
state’s fiscal crisis at our feet, not on the
HEALTH NOTES
Empire Plan to launch specialty
pharmacy program for certain drugs
By DEBORAH STAYMAN
Do you or a covered dependent take
one or more high-cost prescription
medicines requiring special handling, lab
tests and nursing services for illnesses
such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer,
psoriasis, multiple sclerosis or
hemophilia?
If you do and you’re covered by the
Empire Plan, then you likely will
participate in the new Specialty Pharmacy
Program starting April 1.
In fact, if you get your specialty
medications from a retail pharmacy you
will be enrolled automatically in the
Specialty Pharmacy Program.
The program, which is administered by
Medco subsidiary Accredo, will coordinate
care between a doctor and patient by
making available pharmacists who
By SHERRY HALBROOK
It’s a good thing President Obama has
said he wants to invest more federal
stimulus money in roads and bridges,
because their deterioration takes a toll on
our cars, our time and our pocketbooks
according to a national transportation
organization based in Washington, DC.
TRIP released a report in January that
found Albany drivers lose an average of
$1,145 annually by “driving on roads that
lack some desirable safety features, have
poor pavement conditions or have
inadequate capacity to meet travel
demands.” Statewide, they cost New York
motorists $16.4 billion.
The TRIP report, “Future Mobility in
New York: Meeting the State’s Need for
Safe and Efficient Mobility,” called on both
Page 8 —The Communicator March 2010
specialize in specific
diseases, nurses to
assist with side-effect
and compliance
management, aroundthe-clock call centers,
and coordination of
infusion and home
health services.
Empire Plan
enrollees who use one
or more of these drugs were notified by
letter of the program in February. New
enrollees will be identified via weekly
pharmacy claims.
Each enrollee may fill a targeted drug
once at a retail pharmacy. The enrollee
will then receive a letter explaining the
Specialty Pharmacy Program and a
follow-up phone call. When the enrollee
the state and federal government to make
funding for transportation a high priority
even in these austere times. For PEF
leaders the message was familiar.
“For years, we’ve been calling on state
and federal budgetmakers to adequately
fund road and bridge improvements,” said
PEF President Ken Brynien. “The growth of
our New York economy depends on this
vital infrastructure.
“However, the key to maintaining high
standards in this area, is to use the
available tax dollars judiciously. The state
cannot afford to waste the limited funds it
has on high priced private consultants,
when it could and should use state
engineers, inspectors and other
professional staff to do the work for far less
cost,” Brynien said.
needs a new prescription,
Accredo will be notified and
it will contact the patient to
schedule delivery of the drug
to the home or the doctor’s
office via express courier.
By March, a list of the
medications included in the
program, will be posted
online at
www.cs.state.ny.us. On the
site, select Benefit Programs, then select
NYSHIP Online and, if prompted, choose
your group, The Empire Plan, and then
Health Benefits.
If you have questions about the
Specialty Pharmacy Program, call the
Empire Plan Prescription Drug Program
at 1-877-7-NYSHIP (1-877-769-7447) and
select option 4.
“In order to improve the state’s
transportation system, ease the burden on
drivers, and kick start New York’s
economy, transportation investment must
be a priority at the state and federal levels,”
said Will Wilkins, executive director of
TRIP.
TRIP found New York State faces a
transportation funding shortfall of
approximately $87 billion from 2010 to
2030. Closing that gap will be all the
harder because 49 percent of the revenue
going into the New York State Highway and
Bridge Dedicated Trust Fund is currently
being used to pay off debt. By 2013, debt
service is expected to consume 72 percent
of the fund’s revenues.
TRIP also noted state transportation
funds meant to make needed road and
bridge improvements are increasingly
diverted for other needs.
From 1993-94 to 2008-09, just 35
percent of disbursements from the NYS
Highway and Bridge Dedicated Trust Fund
were spent on repairing and improving the
state’s roads and bridges, and by 2013, it’s
expected to drop to 21 percent.
“As TRIP has discovered, neglecting our
state’s infrastructure hurts our economy
and costs us personally as motorists,”
Brynien said. “PEF will keep pressing our
leaders to recognize the value of investing
in the state work force, state services and
the state infrastructure. These are the
investments that pay off in better lives for
all New Yorkers, now and in the future.”
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
A message from PEF Retirees President Steve Muscarella
In defense of public employees’ pensions
unionized civil servants
who sacrificed higher
wages during their
productive years for
agreed-upon benefits
in retirement. The
public benefited from
our years of service;
now, we deserve to
receive what we were
promised.
In the 1990s, when
MUSCARELLA the stock market
boomed and sent
public pension fund assets soaring, state
and municipal governments were
allowed to stop contributing to the
pension funds. Unfortunately, most of
them set nothing aside to prepare for the
hard times now upon us.
Many seniors live on the edge of
poverty and 10 percent actually fall
below the poverty line. We are on fixed
incomes, yet shoulder the burden of
escalating food and energy expenses.
Those who continued employer health
coverage in retirement can no longer
negotiate those benefits, even though
health care plans and prescription drugs
comprise a significant part of their
budgets.
The poor economy has shrunk the
retirement nest eggs and investments
many seniors count on to sustain them.
Additional loss of income and/or higher
prices will only force more seniors into
government-assistance programs.
Because our pensions are quickly
spent locally for basic goods and
services, they help to keep our local and
state economies running.
Most of the criticism of public
pensions centers on fairness and
affordability. The basis of fairness is to
live up to agreements. Don’t take from
the elderly; and don’t channel more of
their limited incomes to government
entities with poor records of fiscal
prudence.
Get PEF Retirees
news alerts
[email protected]
Mohawk Valley PC leads battle against bullying
By DEBORAH A. MILES
A survey recently conducted among
15,000 state workers in five agencies
showed bullying and violent conflicts
among co-workers, managers and
supervisors is a statewide problem.
Co-worker conflict is referred to as
“Type 3” workplace violence.
According to the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
millions of American workers experience
this type of conflict every year.
PEF Executive Board Member and PEF
Division 183 Council
Leader Jeanette St.
Mary said the
results of the
survey taken at
Mohawk Valley
Psychiatric
Center (MVPC)
shed new light on
bullying and coworker conflicts. It also
alerted managers at
MVPC to a problem they
are willing to resolve.
“The survey revealed
www.pef.org
high rates of bullying at MVPC,” St. Mary
said. “The results from various facilities
were pretty even across-the-board. The
problem is widespread. The managers at
MVPC were shocked and decided to take
steps to find solutions.”
In late January, MVPC managers met
with union representatives and employees
to discuss the survey results and examine
certain areas with higher percentages of
co-worker bullying. Along with verbal
abuse, some areas indicated physical
contact among workers.
Groups are being formed at MVPC to
hone in on solutions. St. Mary said they
would examine other programs such as
co-worker mediation to prevent problems
from escalating.
“This survey is a positive first step on
how the union can address this issue,”
said PEF Vice President Pat Baker. “It
brings more awareness to the problem.
Bullying only creates a toxic and hostile
environment that distracts members from
doing their jobs.
“Our members’ role is to treat clients,
and our members should not be the
objects of conflict. The willingness of
MVPC managers to work with the union
and rank-and-file members should be a
model for other OMH facilities,” Baker
said.
PEF health and safety specialist Matt
London, the project coordinator, said
research is critically needed to assess the
effect of various prevention efforts on this
damaging problem.
This is a federally funded project with
the collaboration of PEF and other
unions, conducted by the University of
Maryland.
All agree the survey is the launching
pad in the battle against bullying and coworker conflict. And, by law, state
agencies must develop prevention
plans for all types of workplace
violence, including co-worker
conflicts.
“We have to come up with
positive ways to address
these problems, and make
strides to prevent
bullying and violence in
the future. Our goal is to
have a peaceful place to
work,” St. Mary said.
The Communicator March 2010 — Page 9
Retirees in Action
As a senior citizen and a retired
employee of New York state, I take
exception to recently published articles
attacking public employee pensions.
In New York, these pensions are
protected in the state constitution,
because they were mutually understood,
between the government agency
(employer) and the now retired senior
(employee), as the just reward for years
of service.
People take jobs in the public sector
and stay in them through both good
times and bad, because they know they
can count on a certain level of pension
benefits when they retire.
To advocate reneging on those
benefits strikes to the core of
government integrity and fair play.
Should we drag our government
commitments down to the level of many
private corporations that fail to meet
their pension obligations to their loyal
workers? Shouldn’t we raise the bar for
all, rather than let everyone sink to the
lowest standard?
Most of the elderly receiving such
benefits are former working-class,
MEMBER MOBILIZATION
St. Lawrence PC faces troubled waters
By DEBORAH A. MILES
Working conditions at the St. Lawrence
Psychiatric Center in Ogdensburg have
professional staff worried their clients are
being treated as numbers and not as
individuals.
Administrators are pushing the social
workers, psychologists and nurses to see
more patients. In the recent past, the
average caseload was 40. Now, it’s
jumped to more than 70.
“It is just not manageable,” said Robert
Stickles, a PEF steward and social worker
at the Ogdensburg satellite clinic.
“Professionals have ethics. This push
for productivity ignores the basic
guidelines for providing quality care to
our patients. We fear the end result will
be a bad outcome for patients, putting
our licenses at stake.”
“Administrators are letting productivity
concerns trump patient care,” said
Virginia Davey, a teacher and PEF
Division 249 council leader.
Stickles and Davey both said St.
Lawrence PC administrators are more
concerned with the quantity of patients
seen, rather than the quality of care
patients receive.
PEF leaders have raised the issue at
labor-management meetings and
continue to reach a stalemate. More than
225 PEF members work at the facility
which includes three satellite clinics,
Massena, Gouverneur and Ogdensburg. It
also has inpatient units for adults and
children, and a sex offenders’ treatment
center.
“Part of the problem is nonprofessionals are demanding
professionals to do more without respect
for true clinical care. They want to paint
us as unproductive, so they can reframe
their staffing levels,” Stickles said.
“They have crossed the line with
unreasonable caseloads and by having us
complete paperwork during counseling
sessions,” Davey added. “This flies in the
face of a good therapeutic interaction with
a patient.”
The case load issue is weighing heavily
on members. At the Massena Mental
Health Clinic, members are carrying even
more on their shoulders – bullying.
“Administrators have shown no desire
to identify or address this problem,”
Stickles said. “They are using coercion
and bullying to get staff to take on more
than what is reasonable. And they
continue to reframe the issue, instead of
dealing with it directly.”
Stickles said the union has been
working with members to provide
support, empowerment and a sense of
cohesion.
PEF Vice President Pat Baker said the
union must continue to advocate for
these members at the labor-management
table.
“PEF wants to work with management
to come up with a satisfactory remedy for
the caseload issue,” Baker said. “The
thing everyone should be focusing on is
quality care for the patients. If that starts
to crumble, the consequences could be
grave.
“We’ve already seen how other
agencies, such as the state Office of
Children and Family Services, are routing
clients to different facilities. It’s in an
upheaval. We don’t want to see a similar
situation at the state Office of Mental
Health (OMH), where patients might have
to travel hundreds of miles to get quality
care. That could happen if they fall
through the cracks here.
“And bullying shouldn’t be internalized
by our members. They should share every
situation with others,” Baker said.
“Employees who are being bullied can
regain control by recognizing they are a
target, and realizing they are not the
source of the problem.”
Baker also said PEF is concerned the
negative trends at St. Lawrence PC are
indicative of the affect the state hiring
freeze and agency cuts are having in OMH
facilities.
“This is clearly having a negative
impact on patient and staff safety,” she
said. “The union will be speaking out
about this at every opportunity.”
VA increases Agent Orange illness presumptions list
By DEBORAH A. MILES
If you are a Vietnam War veteran and were exposed to the
herbicide defoliant known as Agent Orange, you may be entitled
to benefits.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) increased the
number of illnesses in October 2009 that are now presumed to
have been caused by Agent Orange.
PEF Veterans Committee Chair
Richard Fletcher said the addition of hairy
cell leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and
ischemic heart disease raises the total
number of “presumed” service-connected
illnesses to 15.
“The committee is concerned about
PEF members who are not claiming
benefits they are entitled to receive,”
Fletcher said. “Benefits change
constantly. Many Vietnam era guys
qualify for benefits, but are not taking
advantage of them.”
PEF retiree Robert Harms, a member
of the committee, said he knows firsthand how the system can fail to inform all
the veterans.
“One of my pet peeves is not enough
information has been released to all the
Page 10 —The Communicator March 2010
veterans who may have been affected by Agent Orange. A-yearand- a-half ago, I found out by accident I was entitled to a
disability benefit that could have started in 1992,” Harms said.
“If you have never been to the VA or never revealed you had
one of the listed diseases, they don’t have you on the list to
receive information updates. I bet thousands of guys with Type 2
diabetes and who were in Vietnam aren’t getting anything for it,
because they don’t know the benefit is
available.”
Fletcher said the committee is working
to create a statewide information network
among PEF members who are veterans. It
plans to set up more regional meetings
and disseminate information through
PEF’s regional coordinators and regional
committees.
“To be informed, you must be involved,”
Fletcher said. “Join the Veterans of
Foreign Wars or the American Legion. You
really don’t need to wear the hat and go to
the meetings to get mailings and valuable
updates about available benefits.”
For a list of the 15 service-connected
illnesses the VA considers linked to Agent
Orange, and for other benefit information,
go to www.vba.va.gov/.
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
A JOB WELL DONE — Parole staff, including 16 PEF members, pose for a group shot in Albany after receiving certificates for
extraordinary contributions to the agency.
— Photo by Heather Groll
Parole Officers honored
for innovative and heroic acts
By DEBORAH A. MILES
More than a dozen PEF members who
work at the state Division of Parole were
among those honored in November by the
division’s chairwoman and CEO, Andrea
H. Evans, for their extraordinary
contributions to the agency.
These awards are special because the
recipients were nominated by their peers.
Parole officers know their jobs entail
danger. But when one faces a potentially
deadly situation or raises the bar to help
increase public safety, it doesn’t go
unnoticed.
The awards are not just for the officers
who work on the streets and put their lives
on the line each day. The division, as a
whole, relies on a broad spectrum of
individuals who are responsible for
keeping the agency running smoothly and
efficiently.
One example is Brian Dott, an
information technology specialist 4 from
the Albany area, who received the IT
Operations Award for his innovative
program to reduce paper consumption. He
saved the division an estimated $100,000
each year.
A facility parole officer 1, Jacqueline
Donohue of Geneseo, was one of the
recipients of the Brian Rooney Memorial
Award for Meritorious Service. She
brought facilities into compliance with
DNA test standards and also helped
parolees successfully complete the parole
supervision program.
The award also was given to Kim
Mangus of Lakeview, a facility parole
www.pef.org
officer 2, for willingly working when
needed during staff shortages.
Another Rooney award went to parole
officer Michael Valente for his vigilance in
pursuing an investigation in the Rochester
area where his efforts saved a police
officer’s life and brought a murderer to
justice.
The last Rooney award went to Teresa
Eisenhauer, an Auburn area parole officer,
who went beyond the call of duty when
she talked to an injured parolee for more
than four hours, convincing him to
cooperate with police in identifying who
stabbed him. The parolee was in the
hospital, in critical condition and faced
becoming a quadriplegic.
A downstate parole officer, Kevin
O’Connor, received the Linda Mills
Memorial Award for Re-Entry Services.
O’Connor is known for obtaining
appropriate housing and adjunct services
for very difficult-to-place parolees. He was
recognized for making a significant
difference in many ex-offenders’ lives,
enabling them to succeed in their
communities.
Awards also went to parole officers who
found themselves in demanding situations
where training and experience paid off,
along with quick thinking and fast acting.
Agency Awards for Valor went to
Anthony Myers, George Roper, Brian
Maher, Robert Hodson and Daniel Miller.
Myers saw and apprehended a
registered sex offender who was following
a female in a desolate area. Myers was
honored for his acute attentiveness in
preventing an assault.
Roper provided key information to the
hostage negotiator when a parolee
threatened to blow-up an apartment
building in the South Bronx. Roper helped
get the parolee to release the hostages and
surrender without incident.
Maher and Hodson, officers in PEF
Region 3, received the award for their
heroic actions when they spotted,
disarmed and arrested a man who was
threatening a woman with a large knife.
And Miller was honored for recognizing
a fleeing bank robber in Binghamton,
confronting the man, and holding him
until police arrived and took him into
custody.
Parole officers who made headlines in
March 2009 for stopping a parolee from
stabbing another parole officer, were the
recipients of the Barry Sutherland
Memorial Award for Public Protection.
The incident occurred when Darcy
Ames-Sledge noticed a parolee fidgeting
with his knapsack at the Queens Parole
Office. When she approached him, he
grabbed her and pulled a knife, according
to the dozens of witnesses. While AmesSledge struggled to free herself, Barry
Davis and Dellree Williams ordered the
parolee to drop the knife, several times.
The parolee failed to comply, and the
officers shot and killed him.
PEF Division 236 also honored these
three officers at a separate event, for their
bravery and professionalism.
The Communicator March 2010 — Page 11
MEMBERS HELP REBUILD HAITI
Beauzile said the
By DEBORAH A. MILES
main thing now is the
The 7.0 earthquake
Haitian people need
that devastated Haiti
ongoing support.
January 12 took the lives
“They will need
of more than 230,000
prayers and financial
people. It was a
assistance for a long
catastrophic quake that
time.”
wrecked the capital, Portau-Prince, and
An ongoing effort
surrounding towns and
Marie-Carmelle
cities.
Souffrant, a PEF
If there is a silver lining
Executive Board
to something of this
member and a native of
horrific magnitude, it is
VALENTINE-WILLIAMSON
Haiti, said Division 257
the outpouring of
and DR. BEAUZILE
members at the state
humanitarian efforts to
Office of Mental Retardation and
help comfort and rebuild a country,
Developmental Disabilities in Albany
already weak and poor.
raised more than $2,000
Dr. Guy Beauzile, a PEF member, did
for the Red Cross in Haiti.
more than send money or clothes. He
They also are collecting
traveled to Haiti the last week in January
crutches and clothing to
with a group of 12 other medical
be shipped.
professionals to help those in need.
Souffrant has a
“As soon as I learned there was an
brother, sister and two
earthquake, it was in my mind I had to go,”
nephews living there. A
Beauzile said.
cousin perished in the
Unlike a typical day as a psychiatrist 2
quake.
at the Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric
“The quake affected a
SOUFFRANT
Center in Dix Hills, Beauzile witnessed
lot more areas than we
heart-wrenching scenes.
hear about on the news. My home in
“There were paraplegics lying on the
Leogane was destroyed. Ninety percent of
streets, sleeping on hard surfaces. There
the town was destroyed,” Souffrant said.
was no one even to help take them to a
“My brother escaped just by minutes. It
bathroom,” Beauzile said. “It was a very
took two days to learn if he was alive. It
sad situation.”
took two weeks to reach him by phone.
Beauzile and the others spent their time
He escaped Leogane and moved to the
at make-shift hospitals. He said those who
countryside.”
survived suffered so many losses. There
Souffrant and PEF’s Carribean
was one 12-year-old boy whose parents
American
died in the quake. The boy developed
Committee are
amnesia, to forget what had happened. His
working with
depression was so overwhelming, he
the Haitian
jumped off a two-story building and broke
Student Association
his leg.
at the State University
Beauzile worked with this boy until he
of New York in Albany on
was stable enough to go to an orphanage.
another fundraiser – a gala to
“It was very painful,” Beauzile said.
be held March 6 at Century
This group of medical professionals
House in Latham at 8 p.m. The
slept in tents near the airport. Like other
cost is $20.
volunteers, their
She said it is important for people
purpose was to
to stay with this relief effort for the
unselfishly give their
long haul.
expertise.
“There are different needs at
It didn’t go
different stages,” Souffrant said.
unnoticed by the
“We have to recognize help is also
press. The group
needed outside Port-au-Prince.”
was captured by a
Newsday
Ethnic lunches raise money
photographer and
Beauzile’s co-workers in PEF
Beauzile also made
Division 178 at Sagamore CPC
the cover of the
wanted to do their part.
February 7 issue.
Page 12 —The Communicator March 2010
Susan Valentine-Williamson
spearheaded a “Heartful Haiti Fund” with
Civil Service Employees Association
member Debbie Archer, and has raised
more than $2,500 so far.
The money was raised by union
members who held bake sales and
prepared ethnic lunches for the staff out
of a small kitchen at the facility.
Division 178 Council Leader Ann
Rosenthal said many of the Haitian staff
at Sagamore lost family members.
“This is our way to support them,” she
said.
Williamson said the money raised will
go to St. John’s Haitian Society, for
medical supplies, and to reputable Haitian
relief organizations known by Baeuzile,
and Dr. Franz Moise. He is a former PEF
member who works at Sagamore and also
volunteered in Haiti.
A night to remember
In Binghamton, PEF Division 399
member Sherrie Rinker pulled together a
fund raiser in just a few days that earned
$3,000 for the Catholic Charities Haiti
Relief Fund.
Rinker, a disability analyst in Endicott,
said she met with friends
after the earthquake hit
the news. Soon, their ideas
for helping became reality.
“We started to spread
the word,” Rinker said.
“One person called
another, and we reached
more than 100 people in
nine days. We were
RINKER
able to get a
wonderful location in the Art
Walk section of
Binghamton.
Everything was
donated, items
and talent. We
had 12
musicians,
poets, a silent
auction and lots of
food.”
PEF has
contributed $1,000 to
the Haiti Relief Fund, and
PEF President Ken Brynien
said the Service Employees
International Union donated
$100,000. PEF’s Carribean
American Committee donated
$500.
There is a link on PEF’s Web
site where you can donate.
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
PEF to Obama: Send more stimulus $$
By SHERRY HALBROOK
Last year, President Obama asked a
group of leaders from the Service
Employees International Union (SEIU) to
check and let him know if the federal
stimulus funding was helping their
members and communities.
PEF President Ken Brynien was one of
those SEIU leaders and, in August, he
posed Omaba’s question to the PEF
Executive Board. In November, Brynien
sent a summary of those responses to Dr.
Jared Bernstein, deputy assistant to the
president on economic policy.
PEF’s message: It’s helping, but it’s not
enough. Keep it coming.
“When asked about the impact the
ARRA (stimulus funding) has had on their
agencies, on the whole, my union leaders
across state agencies indicate that in
many it has saved jobs and in others it
has not yet made an impact,” Brynien
wrote.
Brynien said 35 percent of PEF board
members reported the stimulus funding
had created or preserved jobs at their
agencies and another 9 percent said they
expect it will. Also, 29 percent reported the
stimulus had preserved or created jobs in
their communities, and 7 percent believed
it would help their local economies in the
future.
The agencies in which PEF members
identified a positive effect from the
stimulus were: the Departments of
Housing and Community Renewal, Health,
Transportation, Labor and the Office of
Parks and Recreation and the Office of
Temporary and Disability Assistance.
“Our deepest concern is that, as the
economy begins to recover, the tax
revenues needed by the state will not grow
fast enough to compensate for the loss of
stimulus funding,” the PEF leader added.
The threat to New Yorkers is very real,
Brynien said.
“The specter of tens of thousands of
layoffs and job losses in state and local
governments, should the stimulus funds
run out before tax revenues recover, could
have a devastating effect on state services,
not just in New York, but across the
nation. It could lead to additional job cuts
and threaten a fragile economic recovery,
potentially leading to a ‘double dip’
recession, as occurred in the early 1980s.”
Brynien went on to cite two national
studies that estimated nearly 600,000
public employees were furloughed in the
2009-10 fiscal year and projected state
deficits would top $140 billion.
“Most economists project state budgets
will continue to be affected by drops in tax
revenues between 12 and 24 months after
an economic recession has ended,”
Brynien wrote.
“For the nearly 60,000 members I
represent, it means many will continue to
face continued job cuts until as late as
October 2011, well after the ARRA funds
are depleted. I encourage you to seriously
consider a second stimulus program
directed to state and municipal
governments to help them weather the
revenue shortfalls prior to the recovery of
tax receipts.”
Since PEF sent this letter in November,
Gov. Paterson has balanced his 2010-11
state budget proposal on the assumption
New York would get $1.06B in new federal
stimulus funding.
Robert Reynolds was appointed the
board’s new sergeant-at-arms.
Board members Kevin Kallin, Gale
Baptiste-Graham and Dan Steen were
elected to serve on the advisory committee
to the PEF Political Action Committee.
PEF President Ken Brynien reported on
the state’s mounting budget deficit and
described how the union was preparing
facts and data for distribution to state
legislators, the governor and the news
media on the savings the state could
achieve by reducing its reliance on private
consultants, and by full staffing to reduce
overtime.
At Brynien’s request, the board
members submitted notes on how the
federal stimulus funding was or was not
affecting operations at their state agencies.
PEF has since analyzed those comments
from the board members and reported it in
a letter to President Barack Obama. (See
related story this page.)
PEF Secretary-Treasurer Arlea Igoe
reported how state budget cuts in 2009
had affected PEF members.
Igoe agreed to investigate how the
greater use of new technologies and social
networking sites might improve PEF
communications or reduce expenses. Igoe
said PEF’s Web site soon would be
redesigned.
(Minutes of the meetings are posted on
the Executive Board page at www.pef.org.)
New PEF E Board
tackles broad
range of issues
By SHERRY HALBROOK
and MEGHAN ALLEN
PEF’s regional coordinators and
members of its PEF Executive Board
elected to three-year terms in the summer
of 2009 were given the oath of office at the
board’s first meeting following the
elections. It was held August 13 and 14 in
Albany.
The board voted to endorse two city
mayoral candidates for the November 2009
elections: William Thompson in New York
and Corey Ellis in Albany.
The board also debated and amended
the proposed PEF federal and state
legislative agendas for presentation to the
2009 PEF convention in September.
www.pef.org
The Communicator March 2010 — Page 13
NURSES’ STATION
PEF nurses help officer escape death
By DEBORAH A. MILES
On December 2, 2009, Charles
Gordon, a training officer at the Albion
Correctional Facility in
Orleans County, wasn’t
feeling very well. He went
to work anyway, thinking
it might be the flu.
His shift started at 7
a.m. By 9 a.m., he knew
something was terribly
wrong. He went to see
Donna Baker, a PEF
nurse who rescued him
once before when he fell ill GORDON
with spinal meningitis.
“I felt like I was going to
explode,” Gordon said.
“Donna asked me if I
trusted her, and I told her
I did, implicitly.”
Baker did a quick
assessment of Gordon at
the nurses’ station. She
asked another PEF nurse,
Beth Button, to help her
take him to the facility’s
BAKER emergency room. They
started IVs and
administered nitroglycerine, aspirin and
oxygen.
Gordon’s pulse was increasing to more
than 200. His blood pressure soared to
240 over 180.
Others came to assist and at one point,
Baker said she thought they were going to
need the AED (Automated External
Defibrillator).
“Charlie kept telling me he felt
something tearing inside,” she said. “I
thought he was experiencing an
abdominal aneurism. I thought it was
going to rupture and he was going to die.
“I said to Beth, ‘Let’s go back to basics.
Let’s give him more nitro and get these
lines really open.’ ”
An ambulance was called. The facility
was locked down. There was no
movement, except waiting for the
H e lp M a k e
S af e
St af f ing
R at io s a
S
L aw in NY
SAFE LANDING — The Mercy Flight helicopter with Charles Gordon aboard makes
an emergency landing at the Buffalo International Airport in December after losing
power to both engines.
— Photo courtesy of WGRZ News
ambulance which was seven miles away.
Baker and the other nurses said it felt like
an eternity before it arrived.
Once in the ambulance, the
paramedics recognized this 46-year-old
officer was on death’s doorstep. They
called Mercy Flight, and soon the
helicopter landed nearby to take Gordon
to the Erie County Medical Center
(ECMC).
Suddenly, this already dire situation
got worse. The helicopter lost an engine
and was forced to change course and try
to land at the Buffalo International
Airport. Then, the other engine lost power
just before making an emergency landing.
During all this, the medical rescue
team was icing Gordon’s chest to lower
his heart rate.
“They called my wife and told her I
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Page 14 —The Communicator March 2010
wasn’t going to live,” Gordon said.
Another ambulance was waiting at the
airport and rushed Gordon to ECMC. He
was unconscious. When he arrived at the
hospital, a cardiologist diagnosed the
problem as a rare heart infection called
viral myocarditis. It’s an infection that can
attack a seemingly healthy person and
quickly cause death.
“The cardiologist told me and my wife
the quick response and actions at Albion
saved my life,” Gordon said.
He was further treated, and back to
work five days later.
This story is just one example of the
dedication, professionalism and skill of
PEF nurses. Baker said several of the
nurses and administrators at Albion
helped.
“The entire medical staff is excellent,”
Baker said. “There have been many
occasions where nurses helped other
officers and staff in need. They all would
do whatever it takes to save a life.
“I wasn’t the sole person in this. There
are a lot of heroic things we all do that go
unnoticed.”
Gordon surely noticed their work on
December 2. It is a day he will always
remember. It was two days before his
birthday. It was the day he almost died. It
was the day he lived to tell his story.
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
Professional Directory
Advertising in this publication does not represent an endorsement by PEF or its members.
— Photo by Richard Dillard
Street new Reg 9
coordinator
As the only certified candidate for PEF
Region 9 coordinator, Vivian Street was
automatically elected in February to fill
that mid-term vacancy. The term expires
July 31, 2012.
Street is a developmental disabilities
program specialist 2 at the Hudson Valley
Developmental Disabilities Services Office.
PEF Region 9 includes members who
work in Ulster, Sullivan, Orange,
Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam and
Westchester counties.
As the only certified candidate for PEF
Executive Board Seat 100, Paul DeFilippo
was automatically elected to fill that midterm vacancy which also expires July 31,
2012. Seat 100 represents certain
members at the SUNY Health and Science
Center at Stony Brook.
Following petitioning, no candidate was
nominated to fill Board Seat 325, which
represents certain PEF members in
Region 9 at the Hudson River Psychiatric
Center (PC), at Mid-Hudson PC, at Central
NY PC, and the state Office of Mental
Health (OMH) Main Office.
Nominees again will be sought for Seat
325 in the second-quarter special
elections starting in April.
All mid-term vacancies on the
Executive Board or in regional or
statewide offices that occur before March
18 will be included in that special election.
The only other mid-term board vacancy
now scheduled for the second quarter is
Seat 230, which represents all PEF
members at the state Labor Department
in PEF Regions 5-7.
Petitioning to nominate candidates to
fill these vacancies will begin April 1 and
end April 22. If more than one candidate
is certified for a position, ballots will be
mailed to that constituency May 12. They
must be returned to the American
Arbitration Association by June 3, for
counting June 4 in New York City.
– Sherry Halbrook
www.pef.org
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ITHACA / HORSEHEADS (607) 271-9783
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VESTAL (607) 797-9020
YONKERS / YORKTOWN (914) 968-7555
LONG ISLAND/ BRONX (866) 447-5115
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Professional Directory
Advertising in this publication does not represent an endorsement by PEF or its members.
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Page 16 —The Communicator March 2010
Versatile writer
mystery novel,
By DEBORAH A. MILES
A long time ago, Robert Leslie Fisher
read in The New York Times no one ever
wrote a book with the protagonist being a
member of the Peace Corps.
Not only did that statement intrigue
Fisher, it germinated in his mind and
finally prompted him to write “Vanilla
Republic.”
The book, Fisher’s first suspense novel,
was released in July 2009 and published
by AuthorHouse. But this retired PEF
member, who was a program research
specialist 3 at the state Department of
Correctional Services, is no stranger to the
publishing world.
Fisher has penned three scholarly
research books since his retirement and,
now, the novel.
“Vanilla Republic” is a fun, fast-read
with vivid characters surrounding a man
named Richard Furman, who becomes a
murder suspect when he signs up for the
Peace Corps and ships to Sembeke, a
fictive island nation off the east coast of
Africa.
Fisher said the characters are based on
real people in fictional situations and
places.
“The characters deal with all kinds of
problems people encounter in a foreign
country,” Fisher said. “Some are English
teachers at an elite high school. They are
faced with labor demonstrations and
whether or not to cross a picket line.”
Fisher said he decided to take a crack
at writing a suspense novel, since he has
always been an avid mystery fan. He feels
people in PEF could easily relate to the
situations posed in the novel.
At the same time, Fisher continues to
pump out more scholarly works. In
December 2009, “Crippled at The Starting
Gate” appeared in book houses. Largely
composed of tables and data, Fisher
proposes the U.S. needs an education bill
to send more Americans to graduate
schools for science and engineering.
“I basically found there is a two-class
system in science education,” Fisher said.
“One is for white males who have the
contacts needed to work in the sciences
successfully. The other class consists of
women and minorities. It’s a serious
discrepancy.
“We have talented women and
minorities, but our social arrangements
are causing a very serious problem. I
would like people to understand the
future of our country in regards to wealth,
prosperity and military security depends
on gender equality and opportunity. There
is a science and engineering shortage. It’s
better to solve the problem by recruiting
people in the U.S. and providing them
with the proper tools to work here.
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
publishes
scholarly works
Professional Directory
Advertising in this publication does not represent an endorsement by PEF or its members.
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people of all races and genders. That’s a
serious problem for America,” Fisher said.
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STATE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT NOTICE
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DIGITAL HEARING AIDS at No Cost to You!
We have been authorized to provide up to two (2)
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Hear better in noise
Hear better on the telephone
Hear better while hunting/enjoying the
outdoors
Virtually eliminates whistling
Your benefits, your choice:
IN RECOGNITION — PEF Executive
Board member and parole officer,
Wayne Spence, presents a plaque to
board member and disability analyst
Germaine Greco, at the December
Board meeting in Albany. Greco was
honored by Division 236 for writing a
resolution and educating the PEF
membership on the issues facing
pregnant female parole officers.
— Photo by Richard Dillard
www.pef.org
Call today for an appointment to discuss benefit options.
Acousticon Hearing Aid Center
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JOHNSON CITY/BINGHAMTON
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1100 Clemens (Wegmans Plaza)
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(607) 797-2008
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The Communicator March 2010 — Page 17
Professional Directory
Advertising in this publication does not represent an endorsement by PEF or its members.
NY State Employees & Retirees...
Enjoy Hearing Again!
NO OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES
using your Empire Plan Insurance
For more information visit our website
www.lawsonshearingcenter.com
New Patients and Emergencies
W E L C O M E
Crowns Root Canals
Extractions Bleaching
Orthodontia (braces)
Laser Treatment
Dental Implants
Fair to focus
on women’s
health
The PEF Region 8 Women’s Program
will celebrate Women’s History Month in
March with a women’s health fair. The
theme is “Spring into Health.”
The fair runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. Saturday, March 27 at the New
York State United Teachers (NYSUT), 800
Troy-Schenectady Road in Latham.
The public is invited to attend a
variety of educational workshops probing
intimate health issues women face
during their 40s and 50s. There will be
workshops on stress management,
breast health, HIV testing, weight
training and more.
A representative from the U.S. 2010
Census, Annette De Lavallade, will
discuss how the census plays a role in
health care.
Free T-shirts will be given to the first
100 attendees. Door prizes also will be
given out, but you must be present. More
than 30 vendors will participate.
The Region 8 Women’s Program is
sponsoring the health fair with NYSUT,
the U.S. 2010 Census, and the
International Association of Workforce
Professionals.
The workshops are free. However,
lunch at NYSUT is $10, with preregistration required by Friday, March
12. Your check should be made out to
PEF Region 8 and mailed to PEF,
Attention: Region 8 Women’s Program,
PO Box 12414, Albany, NY 12212.
— Deborah A. Miles
FAMILY DENTISTRY
Brian Leibowitz, DDS
Alyse Pasqua, DDS
VISIT US AT ANY OF OUR 3 LOCATIONS
Joseph Cinquemani, DDS
2535 Middle Country Road, Centereach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-467-4440
60-51 Woodhaven Boulevard, Elmhurst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718-275-2929
775 Park Avenue, Suite 230, Huntington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-271-9819
PEF Participating Dentist
Evening and Saturday Appointments Available
Page 18 —The Communicator March 2010
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
’09 Empire Plan
claims due 3/31
By LORRAINE SIMPKINS
March 31 is the last day to submit your
Empire Plan claims for covered medical
services and items received in 2009. Send
them to:
• United HealthCare for the Empire
Plan Basic Medical Program, the Home
Care Advocacy Program (HCAP), and for
non-network physical medicine services;
• OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions
for non-network mental health and
substance abuse services; and
• Medco for prescriptions filled at nonparticipating pharmacies or without using
your Empire Plan Benefit Card.
If the Empire Plan is your secondary
insurer, you must submit claims by
March 31, or within 90 days after your
primary health insurance plan processes
your claim. If you are covered under the
Empire Plan as both an enrollee and as a
dependent, you may submit secondary
claims to the Empire Plan for expenses
not reimbursed under your primary
coverage.
Claims submitted after the deadline
will be rejected. The carriers will
reconsider their denial of these claims
only if you provide documentation
indicating it was not reasonably possible
for you to meet the deadline.
Ask your agency health benefits
administrator for claim forms, or call (877)
769-7447.
You may download the forms through
www.cs.state.ny.us. Select “Benefit
Programs” and follow the prompts to
access NYSHIP Online. Then, select “Using
Your Benefits.”
Mail the completed claim forms with
supporting bills, receipts and, if
applicable, a Medicare Summary Notice or
statement from your other primary
insurer to:
• United HealthCare
PO Box 1600
Kingston, NY 12402-1600
• OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions
PO Box 5190
Kingston, NY 12402-5190
• Empire Plan Prescription Drug
Program
c/o Medco Health Solutions
PO Box 14711
Lexington, KY 40512
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Professional Directory
Advertising in this publication does not represent an endorsement by PEF or its members.
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The Communicator March 2010 — Page 19
Professional Directory
Advertising in this publication does not represent an endorsement by PEF or its members.
NASSAU COUNTY
Levittown
3601 Hempstead Tpke
(516) 579-7577
SUFFOLK COUNTY
Babylon
400 West Main Street
(631) 422-6066
Hauppauge
111 Smithtown Bypass
(631) 724-0900
Massapequa
5454 Merrick Road
(516) 798-3300
Riverhead
East Suffolk Dental, P.C.
1149 Old Country Road
(631) 369-7400
Valley Stream
417 West Merrick Road
(516) 568-0448
Schreiber & Kahn, D.D.S.
28 N. Merrick Avenue, Merrick
(516) 378-1033
146 Newbridge Road, Hicksville
(516) 932-6200
ORAL SURGEON
Mitchell Brookstone, D.D.S.
1228 Wantagh Avenue, Wantagh
(516) 826-1666
NASSAU
Complete dentistry all on premises.
Dr. Shraddha Adhvaryu
Participating PEF Dentist — We accept the dental schedule
of payment as payment in full for all covered procedures.
Caplin
General Dentistry, Orthodontia and
Dental Care for Children & Adults
Dental
1015 Hillside Avenue
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
516-746-3654
Weekend and Late Hour
Appointments Available
ORTHODONTIST
Most
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PEF Participating Dentist Since 1980
Dr. Laura Brodsky
C.A.M. Hearing Services
Audiologist
Dr. Carol A. McGuire, Audiologist
THE AUDIOLOGY CENTER
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Page 20 —The Communicator March 2010
Emblem/GHI Participating Practice
Specialists and general dentists are ready to provide all of
your dental treatment needs. Quality Dental Care also has its own
laboratory in order to provide you with the fastest service possible.
Preventive Care
Oral Surgery
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Periodontia
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Orthodontia
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A UNION ORGANIZED FACILITY
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
Professional Directory
Advertising in this publication does not represent an endorsement by PEF or its members.
LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE
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Queens: 118-21 Queens Boulevard
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Nassau: 360 Main St., Farmingdale
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Suffolk: 646 Main St., Pt. Jefferson
Tel. 631-249-1342
New York Long-Term Care Brokers, Ltd.
11 Executive Park Drive
Clifton Park, NY 12065
www.nyltcb.com
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Arden Hill Speech & Hearing
Albany Group Dental Practice, P.L.L.C.
Shagufta D. Farooqui, D.D.S.
AUDIOLOGISTS:
pediatric & adult evaluations
digital hearing aids & repairs
We accept Empire Plan & most insurances
Medical Arts Bldg #1
Goshen, NY 10924
845-294-8544
www.ardenhillhearing.com
Harlem’s
Hot New Dining &
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Receive 15% off your meal @
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New York, NY 10027
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www.pef.org
One mile west of Colonie Center
50 years combined experience
musician plugs & hearing protection
Jane Shieh, D.D.S.
1575 Central Avenue, Colonie
Dr. Deborah Lynn
Dr. Manuel M. Cohen
Preventive Dentistry
Cosmetic Dentistry
Orthodontics
General Family Dentistry
Crowns & Bridges
Emergency Care
Root Canal Therapy
Implant Dentistry
Lumineers
In Office Teeth Whitening
APPOINTMENTS: Call 518-869-7167
GHI Participating Practice ... Specialized Services may not be fully covered by your insurance.
Hills Park Dental Arts Group
2053 Deer Park Ave.
Deer Park, NY 11729
(631) 254-6596
www.HillsParkDentalArts.net
PARTICIPATING PROVIDER
The Communicator March 2010 — Page 21
MEMbERShIP bEnEFI
Theme Park/Entertainment discounts for PEF Members
PARk nAME
dISCoUnT PRICE**
PEF MEMbER PRICE*
AdULT
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AdULT
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busch gardens - Tampa, FL (Year Round)
$64.15
$55.59
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$44
busch gardens - Williamsburg, VA (April - Oct. )
$48.95
$38.95
$39
$31
SeaWorld - San Diego, CA (Year Round)
$54
$47
$43
$38
SeaWorld - San Antonio, TX (March - Dec.)
$54.22
$45.94
$43
$37
SeaWorld - Orlando, FL (Year Round)
$67.27
$58.75
$54
$47
SeaWorld & Aquatica Combo - Orlando, FL (Year Round) $93.67
$85.15
$75
$69
Universal Studios orlando - Orlando, FL (Year Round)
3 day park to park pass NEW!
$124.49
$111.16
$100
$89
Walt disney World® - Orlando, FL (Year Round)
4 day Magic Your Way Ticket with Park hopper®
$271
$239
$257
$227
7 day Magic Your Way Ticket with Park hopper®
$278
$246.50
$264
$234
4 day Magic Your Way Ticket with Park hopper®
-and Water Park Fun and More
$310
$279
$295
$265
7 day Magic Your Way Ticket with Park hopper®
-and Water Park Fun and More
$321.50
$292
$305
$277
Adventure Island - (March - Oct.)
$35.91
$32.49
$30
$27
$69
$51
$55
$41
City Pass - Washington, DC
$78.50
$63
$63
$51
City Pass - Las Vegas, NV
$77
$50
$62
$40
Medieval Times - NJ
$54
$38
$44
$31
Medieval Times - MD
$46
$34
$37
$28
Medieval Times - FL
$43
$35
$35
$28
Medieval Times - SC
$44
$28
$35
$23
Water Country USA - (May - Sept.)
$32.99
$25.99
$27
$21
Atlantis Marine World - Riverhead, NY
(Year Round)
$12 Adult/Child/Sr.
$10 Adult/Child/Sr.
2010 Empire Passport
n/A
$59
$ 66
$53
n/A
$26.95
Jiminy Peak Mountain - Hancock, MA
Adventure Park
$32 6 Ride Book
$32 Full Day
$26 6 Ride Book
$26 Full Day
Sesame Place - (May - Oct.)
Single day
NEW!
2 day
$45.54 Adult/Child
$54.77 Adult/Child
$36 Adult/Child
$44 Adult/Child
hoW To
PURChASE TICkETS: City Pass - NYC
1
on-LInE
www.buymbp.com
365/24/7
2
bY PhonE
(800) 342-4306 or (518) 785-1900,
ext. 243, option 1
Visa/MasterCard
Mon. - Fri. 9-5 EST
3
In-PERSon
1168 Troy- Schenectady Rd., latham
4
bY MAIL
PEF Membership Benefits Program
Po Box 12414
Albany, nY 12212-2414
Make checks payable to:
PEF Membership Benefits Program
RECEivE FREE
ShiPPing on
All oRDERS!*
2010 great Escape Season Pass
Lake George, NY
golf-a-Round
For a list of participating courses visit: www.golfaround.net
howe Caverns - Howe Cave, NY
Present your PEF Id card to receive a discount:
Save $2.00 on Adult, Sr., Jr. and Child admissions.
Tickets must be purchased through PEF Membership Benefits Program. *PEF Members can purchase up to 10 tickets per calendar year at the PEF Member Price.
** Up to an additional 10 tickets can be purchased at the Discount Price. Please visit www.buymbp.com for details on each park and ticket.
Page 22 —The Communicator March 2010
*Excludes overnight and express shipping
NEW!
PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
P R o g R A M U P d AT E
TS
IT’S
SIMPLE
SIgn In
And
START ShoPPIng!
To
Visit www.buymbp.com today and sign-in.
Log In
ALL TICkETS
ARE AT
oR bELoW
CoST!
Plus, if you find an
identical product
at a lower cost,
we will pay you the
difference!*
*EXCEPT where noted in our eStore
www.buymbp.com
helpful
hints
NEW!
• Enter your PEF Id and Password: Your PEF iD is
the first letter of your first name, first 4 letters of
bJ’s Membership
your last name and the last 4 digits of your SSn.
Savings
First time users enter your 5 digit zip code for your details on the amazing
password.
savings exclusively
• Change Password: Click on‘Your Account’and
enter new password (minimum 6 characters) and
email address (personal preferred).
• Start Shopping: need more help with how to
Shop, Ship and Pay steps? Download a how to
guide from our home page: www.buymbp.com
for PEF members
coming soon.
go here:
www.buymbp.com/bj
1. Be sure that your email address is in Your Account (in eStore), so we can email you a
replacement password if you forget.
2. Add the following emails to your address book:
• [email protected]: (For Password Reset)
• benefitupdates@pefmembershipbenefits.org: (For Email Updates)
3. Access to the eStore is not available from many work locations
MAdE A PURChASE? PUbLISh A REVIEW FoR oThER PEF MEMbERS.
EVALUATE ThE PRodUCTS In oUR E S ToRE bY WRITIng A REVIEW oF YoUR PURChASE
And hELP FELLoW PEF MEMbERS WITh ThEIR PURChASE dECISIonS .
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
in eStore, buymbp.com, click on an item
Click on “Write a Review” and rate with number of Stars and your comments
Click Submit
PLUS: go gREEn And gET gREEn: Register here: www.buymbp.com/gogreen
By registering, you will have EXCLUSIVE access to new promotions as they become available
(like promotional codes, free shipping deals, gifts, discount savings and much more). Register today to start saving!
www.pef.org
The Communicator March 2010 — Page 23
Who Said There’s no Such Thing as a FREE Lunch?
Refer a colleague to PEF MbP and get a FREE $5 Subway card*!
do YoU knoW A nEW YoRk STATE EMPLoYEE In ThE PS&T bARgAInIng UnIT ThAT STARTEd
LESS ThAn 120 dAYS (4 MonThS) Ago? IF YES, ThEn ThEY MIghT bE MISSIng oUT on:
• Financial protection for their loved ones • Full annual salary death benefit
• A full year’s premium (1x salary) of group Term life insurance paid for by PEF MBP; no medical questions asked
hERE’S hoW
IT WoRkS:
STEP 1:
Refer a colleague at
www.buymbp.com/refer
and forward this info
to them.
note: personal email addresses only.
benefits Program
PEF Membership
ectady Rd
1168-70 Troy-Schen
0
11
12
latham, nY
Fifty thousand an
d 00/100**
STEP 2:
When they enter their
information, you get a
free $5 Subway card!
50,000
ry
Member Beneficia
Full Annual Salary
PEF Membership benefits Program
1168-70 Troy-Schenectady Rd
latham, nY 12110
www.buymbp.com
(518) 785-1900
(800) 342-4306,
ext. 243
*Only the first person to nominate the new member will be eligible for the gift. Excludes
PEF Staff, Division Officers, Stewards and other union officials currently involved in new
member communication.
** This number is based on an annual salary of $50,000.
Note: This benefit enhancement became effective for new members after March 2003
death benefit
Benefits Program
PEF Membership
dId YoU knoW?
More than 4 out of 10 PEF Members are financially protected by our
insurance programs
• Almost 1 in 3 PEF members have long-term Disability
• More than 1 in 4 have group Term life
• Almost 1 in 5 have Short-term Disability
You don’t want to miss the protection these insurances can offer you
and your loved ones. Learn more about the insurance that PEF MbP
sponsors for your protection here: www.buymbp.com/protect.
Are you already a member and within your 120 day eligibility period? Log into
www.buymbp.com/new to join our online community and we’ll send you a
$5 Subway card.