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PEF: Sweeten deal for revote - Times Union

ALBANY --- The president of the Public Employees Federation is urging the Cuomo administration to tweak the defeated contract proposal to make it palatable for a new vote of the 56,000-member union.

The invitation by Kenneth Brynien, PEF's elected leader, was announced in a news release Thursday afternoon after he was unable to connect with Cuomo's negotiators. PEF spokeswoman Darcy Wells said Brynien and Director of Operations Howard Glaser had missed each other, and taken the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashana off.

Wells would not specify what tweaks Brynien wants Glaser to see. Public employee veterans suspect he would seek salary sensitivity similar to what CSEA negotiated so that higher-earning PEF members might be subjected to greater health insurance costs than lower-earning PEF members and a stronger guarantee on no layoffs.

Brynien's overture was seen as a shrewd move in case PEF wants to bring charges of unfair labor practice by the Cuomo administration to the Public Employee Relations Board , which administers labor law covering state and local workers.

"Although the governor has said he will not change the state's proposal, we remain hopeful we can reach an agreement," Brynien said."The coming days will be critical as we try to maintain state services while maintaining the economies of the state requires."

Stephen Morello, a spokesman for Governor Cuomo, said he is unaware of state officials categorically refused to renegotiate - but there is currently no plans.

"Whether it's a tweak or a major overhaul, it would require a renegotiation," said Morello.

The governor moved to lay off nearly 3,500 members of the DEP after the contract has worked with Brynien failed Tuesday. The layoffs are set to take effect within three weeks.

If Brynien's invitation to reopen the deal is successful, it could trigger the Civil Service Employees Association to seek parity for any improvements worked out. In August, CSEA members ratified a pact similar to the one that PEF rejected; as a result, its 66,000 members are protected from broad layoffs this fiscal year and the next.

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