PEF backs state work force,
offers solutions to recession
ByDEBORAHA.MILES
werebeingtakentorestorethestate’s bottlebill,”whichcouldraise$25million
Gov.DavidPatersonheldanews
abilitytoprovideservicestoitscitizens. thisyear,and $100millioninfollowing
conferenceJuly29toofficiallyannounce
Thereneedstobeabalancebetweencost years.
thestateofNewYorkwasinarecession.
cuttingandaddingrevenue,”Bryniensaid.
Withaconstanteyeonthestate’sfiscal
Cutting costs
condition,PEFjumpedrightintoaddress
Offering alternatives Awaytoreducecostswithoutadversely
theeconomicdownturn.
Thegovernorsaidhewouldwelcome affectingstateservicesistoreducetheuse
Themobilizationdepartmentsprung
creativesolutionsduringthisharsh ofconsultants,especiallywherethesame
intohighgear,makingsuretheunion‘s
economictime.Brynienmetwiththe workcanbeperformedbystateemployees.
communicationnetworkwasabovepar,
governorinAugustandexpressedPEF’s “Thestatecouldsavebetween$500and
whilePEFleadersscrutinizedthebudget.
concerns. $750millionannually,”Bryniensaid.
Patersonplacedthedeficitfornextyear
Withstateagenciesalreadybeingasked “Thestatealsospentmorethan$518
at$6.4billion.
toseewheretheycantrimservices, millionlastyearonovertime. Ifthestate
“InthebeginningofMay,ourbudget
BryniensaidPEF hiredmore
directorprojectedourNewYorkstatedeficit
stronglyopposes state
overthenextthreeyearsat$21.5billion–
cutstothestate employees,
thatwasarecord.Butthingshave
workforcethat insteadof
changed.Thatnumberhasnoweruptedto
couldresultinlayoffs,andwilltake payingovertime,itcouldsave$150million
$26.2billion–astaggering22percent
whateveractionisnecessarytopreserve ayear.”
increaseinlessthan90days,”Paterson
thejobsecurityofPEFmembersandthe AndBryniensaidthestatecouldsave
said.
servicestheyprovide. $200millionannuallybyusingcombined
Thegovernororderedanimmediate
“Onealternativepreviouslysuggestedby purchasingforallstate-fundedhealthcare
hiringfreezeandtoldstateagenciesto
JosephStiglitz—thenotedeconomistand programs.
reducespendingby$630millioninthe
2001NobelPrizewinnerineconomics–is “Thiswouldallowthestatetouseits
currentfiscalyear,aroughly7percent
tosafeguardourworkforcebyplacinga purchasingpowertonegotiatelowerprices
reductioninstateagencyspendingbeyond
temporarysurchargeonthewealthiestNew fromthedrugcompaniesandcutcostsfor,
the3.35percentreductionhecalledforin
Yorkers,”Bryniensaid.“PeopleinNewYork notonlythestate,butforlocal
May.
whoseincomesexceedahalf-milliondollars governments,too,”Bryniensaid.
“PEFunderstandstherewillbe
payonly6.5percentoftheirincomein “Wehopetoworkcreativelyandwisely
hardshipsforthecitizensofNewYorkasa
stateandlocaltaxes.Therestofthe withthegovernor.Butwemayhaveto
resultoftheeconomicdownturn,butthe
taxpayerspay12percent.Bytemporarily reachanewlevelofunionpowerbycoming
stateworkforceorstateservicesshould
raisingtaxesonmillionaires,thestate togethertoconfrontwhatmayhappen
notbearadisproportionateamountofthe
wouldgenerateupto$3.75billionayear.” duringthiseconomicdownturn,”Brynien
burden,”saidPEFPresidentKenBrynien.
Anotherwaytoraiserevenueistoenact said.“Membersshouldstayinformedand
“Stateagencybudgetsalreadyhavebeen
NewYork’sReturnableContainerAct,more bereadytoprotecttheirjobs.”
cutbyahalf-billiondollars,justassteps
commonlyknownasthe“bigger,better
Web site posts state salaries, creates frenzy among work force
ByDEBORAHA.MILES
“Unfortunately,stateemployees’ hasramificationsregardingthepersonal
It’sagrayarea,indeed.Ononehand,New
payrollinformationisamatterofpublic safetyoftheindividualsinthedatabase,”
Yorkerswantmoregovernment
record,”saidPEFPresidentKenBrynien. Bryniensaid.“Atleastoneinstancewas
transparency.Ontheother,many
Thepayrollinformationwasprovided broughttoourattentionwhereaco-
taxpayerswhoarealsostateworkersare
totheEmpireCenterthroughtheOfficeof workerofamemberwaslivinginashelter
upinarmsoverthepublicpostingof
thestateComptrollerasaresultofa forbatteredwomenandherestranged
263,000salariesofstateemployeessaying
FreedomofInformationLaw(FOIL) husbandwasabletoidentifyherwork
itviolatestheirprivacy.
request. locationthroughtheWebsiteandisnow
TheWebsiterunbytheEmpireCenter
UnderFOIL,asageneralmatter,all stalkingheratherworksite.
oftheManhattanInstituteputupthe
recordsofastateagencyareavailable, “Wecontinuetoexploreoptions
state’spayrollinformationJuly31,
unlessacertainexceptionapplies. One regardingthisandifourmembershavea
resultinginthousandsofvisitorstothe
exceptionisunderthePublicOfficersLaw legitimateconcernregardingthisinvasion
SeeThroughNYsite.
wheredisclosurewouldresultinan oftheirpersonalprivacy.”
Thereisalsoalinktopublic
“unwarrantedinvasionofprivacy.” Memberscanexplaintheirconcernsto
employees’salariesontheAlbanyTimes
However,salariesandworklocationsof theEmpireCenterbycalling(518)434-
UnionWebsite.Andsinceit’sbeenout
stateemployeeshavebeenfoundbythe 3100ortheManhattanInstituteat(212)
there,PEFhasbeenfloodedwithcallsby
courtstobeavailabletothepublic. 599-7000.
memberswhowanttheirnamesand
“Thedisclosureofthisinformation
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ptember2008
andtheeaseofaccesstotheinformation
PEFInformationLine:1-800-553-2445
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