Dear PEF Brothers and Sisters,
Thank you for your support and participation in the March 5 rally in NYC. Tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters from PEF, SEIU, CSEA, UFT, DC37 and many other labor unions packed Broadway from Park Row all the way to Canal Street and beyond to emphasize the importance of letting our Governor, our legislators and our Mayor know that we are outraged by their proposed budget cuts. We sent a clear message; we are here, we are strong, we are union.
In Solidarity,
Vernetta Chesimard
Region 10 Coordinator
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: March 10, 2009
TO: Health Benefits Administrators of New York State Agencies
FROM: Nancy G. Groenwegen, Commissioner NYS Department of Civil Service Employee Benefits Division
SUBJECT: For Employees of New York State Agencies Affected by Layoff: Health Insurance and Related Coverage, January 2009
An updated version of the Layoff Flyer (For Employees of New York State Agencies Affected by Layoff: Health Insurance Coverage and Related Benefits) has been printed and will be shipped to NY agencies soon. An electronic version (PDF) is also available on HBA Online.
The January 2009 publication includes information about continuing health insurance coverage under Preferred List provisions, coverage as a retiree and dental, vision and COBRA coverage.
This publication is available to order online. We are sending you a small supply to distribute to employees who may be affected by a reduction in force.
Publications Available on www.cs.state.ny.us
Please check the web site for new publications. We generally post publications when we sign off for printing. This publication will be available on HBA Online under Publications & Forms and on NYSHIP Online; click on “Using Your Benefits” and then “Publications”.
You can order additional copies of this publication [AL0789 Layoff Flyer 1-09] by using the Publications Supply Order Forms enclosed with your shipment. Or, instead of faxing the form, you can order on HBA Online under Publications & Forms. If you need help accessing HBA Online, please call the Help Desk or your processor. Please wait until you receive your shipment before ordering.
If you are unsure of how to order publications or have questions about this distribution, please call the Communications Unit at 518-457-7577. |
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F Y I links
PEF Region 10 Coordinator Vinne Chesimard with Jemma Hanson at City Hall
PEF President Ken Brynien's Letter to NYS Governor Patterson about Layoffs
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UPCOMING REGION 10 EVENTS
All events will be at held at the NYC PEF Region 10 conference room located at 225 Broadway (14th floor) in NYC unless otherwise noted... PLEASE call PAM or LOIS at 212-227-3132 (extension "0") to RSVP for any and all events
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MAY 15, 2009
PEF Women's Collaborative is sponsoring
STRESS FREE FRIDAY
May 15, 2009 at 6PM @ PEF Region 10
225 Broadway - 14th Floor
Card games, Bid Whist Conversation, Music, Dominoes, Bingo, Board Games, Spades and good food. All PEF members, families and guests are welcome !!!
$$ Refreshments for Sale $$
PLEASE RSVP to Pam or Lois at (212) 227-3132 Ext. ‘0’ by May 6
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Public Service Workshops Program
For New York State Employees in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (PS&T) Unit (MC employees may be permitted to attend workshops if space is available.)
The recently scheduled PSWP workshops below are grouped by region, and then listed in chronological order by class date. To reference full workshop details and to register go to: NYSLearn at http://goer.state.ny.us/nyslearn
Western Region
Medication Safety: Identifying and Preventing Errors
Dates/Time: 5/12/2009; 9 AM – 12 PM
Location: St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY
Registration Deadline: 4/28/2009
This half-day workshop discusses how to reduce medication errors and the efficacy of various prevention strategies. Participants will develop an understanding of drug safety and quality issues through a review of the literature and case studies. The workshop will highlight the nature and causes of medication errors, the impact on patients, and the differences in causation, impact, and prevention across multiple points of health care delivery. Upon successful completion of the workshop, .3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be awarded.
New York City Region
Investigative Interviewing
Dates/Time: 5/15/2009; 9 AM – 4 PM
Location: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, NY
Registration Deadline: 5/1/2009
This workshop examines techniques for interviewing subjects for purposes of fact-finding and obtaining information about compliance, fraud, and abuse. It is designed for individuals who testify in administrative hearings or other proceedings. Topics include discussion of legal parameters, strategies for handling reluctant and hostile interviewees, and the importance of accurate field notes. The workshop focuses on interviewing external witnesses involved in underlying cases. Scenarios such as interviewing an office worker in a Medicaid Fraud investigation or the school nurse in a child abuse case will be included.
Central Region
Interviewing and Note Taking
Date/Time: 5/26/2009; 9 AM – 4 PM
Location: Broome Community College, Binghamton, NY
Registration Deadline: 5/12/2009
This workshop addresses the fundamental skills for conducting an interview and taking notes. Topics include preparation, the importance of accurate note taking, and techniques for efficient note taking. Participants will also learn basic interviewing skills such as conducting an interview, interpreting nonverbal behavior, and managing the uncommunicative interviewee.
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Region 10 Activities Committee
invites PEF members and friends to:
SATURDAY MAY 30, 2009
TICKETS are only $40 and include round trip bus transportation, a $15 food coupon and $25 in FREE table gaming. The bus departs 7:30 am SHARP from PEF office, 225 Bway, NYC and 8:00 am SHARP from in front of the NY State Office Building, 163 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., NYC
Please RSVP to Pam or Lois at (212) 227-3132 Ext. ‘0’ by 5/20/2009
Make your $40.00 check payable to PEF REGION 10; mail to:
NYS Public Employees Federation
225 Broadway, Suite 1406
New York, NY 10007
ATT: Pam
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Region 10
3rd Annual Membership Conference
All PEF Region 10 members are welcome
Saturday, June 13 thru Sunday June 14, 2009
Holiday Inn, 3 Executive Blvd., Suffern, NY 10901
Learn more about your Union:
Our contract, the election process and becoming a steward
The PEF Region 10 Membership Conference is open to all PEF Region 10 members. Invest a weekend with PEF and the dividends will last a lifetime. Meet your Region 10 union leadership, learn about your rights under your union contract, listen to stimulating speakers, participate in fun and educational workshops, eat fantastic food and enjoy a relaxing weekend in beautiful Rockland County, NY. Registration for this weekend event needs to be completed by Friday May 29
Please Pre-Register for Workshops
A. Counseling: What Every Member Should Know
This workshop will clarify the nature and intent of the counseling process, its history and the rights of a member under our contract, when faced with counseling.
The discussion will also involve what recourse a member has when counseled and suggestions of how to respond to a counseling memo.
B. Interrogation: What to expect if you are being Interrogated
The Interrogation Workshop will define what an interrogation is and what rights protect members who are called into an Interrogation. It will also explore the several theories of how an interrogation is conducted; the legal ramifications as well as the role of the union representative.
C. Worker’s Compensation: Part I and Part II
This workshop will explain some of the complexities of the workers’ compensation system, highlight workers compensation rights under the PEF collective bargaining agreement, and identify traps and pitfalls to avoid. A review of the history of the law and current legislative proposals will be covered. An overview of the state workers’ compensation statute and its processes as well as the role of state agencies, the State Insurance Fund, the Workers’ Compensation Board, legal representation, and the state network of occupational health clinics will be reviewed.
D. Round Table Discussion
TBC
E. Mobilization for a Rapid Response
This workshop will explore union mobilization and Rapid Response teams as an effective tool in Labor disputes. Using both past and current actions the workshop will demonstrate how to use this tactic for either aggressive grievance handling or in a statewide fight back campaign.
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Wednesday June 24, 2009
Council Leader and Steward Meeting
All PEF members are welcome
NYC PEF office conference room
225 Broadway, 14th Floor, 6-8 p.m.
Dinner will be served
Please RSVP to Pam or Lois at (212) 227-3132 Ext. ‘0’ by 6/22/2009
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PEF has recently partnered with New York Sports Clubs to bring you a healthy dose of economic stimulus.
How to join:
Offer is only available by calling the Community Partner call center at 1-800-611-9833Only available through your corporate discount.
This offer is not available at the individual clubs.
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This has been a year of both challenges and achievement. Following in the footsteps of Jennifer Faucher was not an easy task. As the new Regional Coordinator I felt it was both necessary and important to get out and meet our members in Region10. To that end, I have attended membership meetings in all but nine of the agencies located in Region 10 and for me, that’s just the beginning. Some agencies have scattered sites and I intend to visit them as well. The whole point to my visits is to let our members know that PEF is alive and well. I also wanted some of our members to know that while change is sometimes difficult, it can also be fun and exciting and full of promise. For starters, we had an open house to celebrate our new location. A number of members attended but I also learned that a number of members were never told. This breakdown in communication suggested to me that a new method of communication had to be found.
As I began visiting the different divisions, I asked members if they were interested in being added to the Region’s new mailing list. Since that time our list has begun to expand with members who are interested in learning about their union.
New Activities
Last year, we had our first annual holiday party outside of the office. Attendance was not as large as usual but the ambiance was great, the music was good and the feedback was even better. The committee worked very hard to make the event a success. Already, I have started receiving phone calls to talk about the next upcoming holiday event. This was a great way to start the New Year in a new location.
Over the course of this year, Council Leaders and Stewards have come together on a monthly basis to identify issues of mutual concern, to problem solve and to learn from each other. The blending of these two groups has proved invaluable in many ways. It allows members from different agencies to learn about the issues and experiences encountered by other members in their region. They also learn how to handle difficult situations impacting our members. Recently, this group had the distinct opportunity of meeting with PEF President, Ken Brynien. I firmly believe that it is important for him to hear not only from our Council Leaders but from our Stewards as well. The meeting was an absolute success. No one was aware that the President was coming or that he would be staying for the entire meeting.
New Committees
Activities Committee
We also have an Activities Committee. This committee has worked hard to give our region a new face. The committee started out with four members and has now doubled. If you or anyone you know is interested in participating please contact me @ 212-227-3132 ext.506.
Civil Service Enforcement Committee
In addition to the Counselor Leaders and Stewards meeting, we’ve also started a
Region 10 Civil Service Enforcement Committee. Needless to say, this committee has their work cut out for them. However, with the knowledge and commitment of the members, coupled with the leadership of Bernie Kahn, I have no doubt that this committee will rise to meet the needs of our members.
Membership Conference
In an effort to continue meeting the needs of our members, Region 10 had our First Membership Conference. By changing the name a new message was sent. It meant that the conference was open to more than just Council Leaders, Stewards and activists. The conference was open to any member who wanted to attend. It was exciting to see members who had never attended a PEF conference like this before. Members were so energized about the information they received that they returned to their agencies and had follow-up meeting to share what they had learned. This seemed to be particularly true when they heard that all trainings are open to all members. I am very happy about the members’ response to the Membership Conference mainly because the conference was
planned with them in mind. Without realizing it, I almost defeated my goal. One day while planning for the conference I received a call from a member who had a question. After answering her question, I mentioned that we were having a Leadership Conference. Encouraged her to attend. She indicated that she would like very much to attend but she wasn’t a Council Leader or a Steward , just a Member.
Needless to say, I realized that conference name sent a different message than what I had intended. So I immediately changed the name from Leadership Conference to Membership Conference thanks to Ms. C. Jones at the State Insurance Fund helping me to understand that I was sending the wrong message. Another lesson learned!!.
Family Day
In addition to the aforementioned activities, Region 10 celebrated our first Family Day on September 15th 2007.. At Roberto Clemente State Park in The Bronx. Our numbers were smaller than originally anticipated due to inclement weather. Fortunately the weather cleared in the afternoon and a good number of our members decided to come out. It was an enjoyable day with lots of food, good conversation and plenty of fun.
None of the aforementioned success could have happened without the support and volunteer efforts of the Region 10 Activities Committee and the PEF Staff from Training and the PEF Staff from Member Mobilization
I sincerely hope that this newsletter will give you a flavor of what is happening in your region. It is my goal to reach out and touch every member, all 6,510 of you at the same time, for the first time ever. I want our region to be strong, more importantly I want our union to be stronger. Needless to say, a union is only as strong as its members. It is my firmly belief that the more we educate our members about their rights, the more empowered they will become. After all Knowledge is Empowering.
Be Safe, Be Strong and Stand United!!