Statement of PEF President Ken Brynien on passage of Tier 6

ALBANY, NY (03/15/2012)(readMedia)-- "Speaking today for the 54,000 members of the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF), we are appalled that state legislators finally broke last night and gave in to the governor's relentless demand for a new pension tier that will do nothing to help the state or local governments deal with their current budget demands.

"Not one of our members today will be in this new pension tier, but they all understand how it will undermine the high standards they work so hard to uphold throughout state service. The state has too few benefits to offer prospective employees now, with forced furloughs, rampant short-staffing and employee morale at rock-bottom lows. This new pension tier means any new hires the state attracts must work harder and longer for a retirement that's significantly less secure than those of their more senior coworkers.

"We can only hope our state senators and Assembly members will buck up their courage and face down this governor's demands for this budget that would undermine services and protections for New Yorkers, including services to cancer patients, New Yorkers with mental illness and developmental disabilities, and troubled children"

The New York State Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO represents approximately 54,000 professional, scientific and technical employees of New York State and other public and private employers. For more information, please contact PEF spokesperson Sherry Halbrook at 800-342-4306, ext. 271, on her cell at 518 396-8201, or on a backup cell at 518 605-2772 (today only).