Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s statement today that the Public Employees Federation was offered a similar labor agreement to the deal taken by Civil Service Employees Association leaders is incorrection, President Ken Brynien insisted.

Cuomo said on Talk 1300-AM this morning that the union was offered a deal similar to CSEA’s, which included a pay freeze and less generous health-care benefits.

Cuomo is trying to achieve $450 million in workforce savings built into the state budget plan for the 2011-12 fiscal year and avoid layoffs. The administration has already sent out up to 321 layoff notices ahead of the job reductions.

But Brynien insisted in a statement that Cuomo’s claim was incorrect.

The governor must have been misinformed about the offer made to PEF.

While some progress has been made in negotiations over the past week, the latest proposal PEF received from the state (delivered to the union Thursday, July 7) differs significantly from the tentative agreement with CSEA in several key areas, especially regarding health benefits. It’s disappointing to see the state continuing to use the threat of layoffs to hold hostage our members, their families and the state services on which New Yorkers rely. During the past 10 days of negotiations, hundreds of our members have received layoff notices; this, even though we already have offered proposals that would provide the budgetary savings the state needs to avoid layoffs.

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