Union says ‘No’ to austerity

Members of the Professional Employees Federation of New York, which represents 55,000 state employees, voted no by a 54 percent to 46 percent margin on a five-year contract which would have left workers earning less after five years than they make today. Seventy percent of the union voted, which is an unusually high number for any “public-service” union in New York.

This contract would have imposed three years of zero wage increases, 13 furlough days and higher health care premiums — in return for a promise to try to avoid layoffs for two years. It follows the national austerity campaign imposed in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and elsewhere, with the wrinkle that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, was elected with the support of the Working Families Party.

Cuomo immediately made it clear that he intended to stop negotiating, which is against labor law in New York. The law, however, imposes no real sanctions on management. Cuomo also announced that his administration would lay off 3,500 PEF members, but they had to scramble to draw up the lists. According to the Albany Times-Union (Sept. 30), some departments were sending out layoff notices by emai l.

Besides sending out pink slips, Cuomo demanded another union vote and said that PEF President Kenneth Brynien and his leadership had misled the PEF and turned members with seniority against members without protection, those who were under the threat of layoffs.

The New York Times, the Daily News and a number of other media all condemned the vote as ignoring the fiscal realities of New York and dismissed the members’ anger over the decision to let the tax on millionaires expire. They also pooh-poohed PEF members’ anger over the outsourcing — at high cost — of work that PEF members could do.

Cuomo softened a bit eventually and said he might allow some “revenue-neutral tweaks” to the contract. He was obviously aware that the news of the “no” vote was a major morale boost for other public-service unions in New York, the state with the greatest percentage of unionized workers in the country.

PEF President Brynien responded to Cuomo by saying, “We are anxious to discuss with the governor’s negotiators how we can reach an agreement my members are willing to ratify while preserving state services and meeting the savings the state requires.”

It appears that some PEF members would like to see Brynien take a more confrontational attitude toward Cuomo. They say Cuomo is trying to divide the union and point out his defense of the interests of the wealthiest New Yorkers.