Public Employees Federation - Political Activity

Political Activity

Although PEF was politically active in the first eight years of its existence, it was not notably so. That changed in 1986, the first time the Public Employees Federation engaged in an organized, statewide legislative lobbying effort (it sought passage of a "toxic tort" bill which would permit individuals harmed by exposure to toxic substances a longer period of time to file a lawsuit to recover damages). PEF also contributed $150,000 to state political campaigns in the first six months of 1986, ranking it among the top PACs in the state. This was more money than PEF had contributed in all of 1984 (the previous election cycle). PEF quickly became noted for the amount of money it spent on election efforts and on campaigns to oppose legislation it disagreed with. In 1987, PEF spent $36,822 on state political party-building efforts, more than any other group in New York State. In 1988, PEF spent $570,841 on political campaigns—behind only the New York State AFL-CIO ($1 million), the Civil Service Employees Association ($704,875), and the Medical Society of the State of New York ($695,275). PEF spent $25,000 on an advertising campaign in the spring of 1990 to fight a plan to privatize state mental health services. In 1991, PEF spent $200,000 on an advertising campaign to defeat reductions in the state workforce and another $150,000 to support incumbents in state legislative election campaigns. It also spent at least $1 million that year on television ads urging the state legislature to pass higher state income and sales taxes. In 1995, PEF ranked third among PACs in spending on state-level elections in New York, pumping $419,928 into these races. In 2006, newly elected PEF President Kenneth Brynien, who had been a PEF vice-president for three years and chairman of PEF's political action committee for nine years, pledged to further boost PEF's political influence.

PEF has also been active in endorsing candidates for political office. But some of these endorsements have proven highly contentious within the union. In 1990, PEF endorsed Mario Cuomo for governor, but the endorsement was bitterly debated within the union and the support PEF pledged to Cuomo's re-election effort was considered "tepid". PEF remained neutral in Cuomo's 1994 re-election campaign. Cuomo was defeated for re-election by George Pataki. PEF remained neutral again during Pataki's successful 1998 re-election bid. But in 2002, PEF supported Pataki for election to a third term. According to PEF President Roger Benson, the endorsement was a quid pro quo for Pataki's promise to add three days of paid sick leave to the union's collective bargaining agreement and for a promise not to lay off any state workers in the following budget year. Some PEF members were deeply angered by the union's endorsement, however, and an internal union poll of the union's health care division showed they overwhelmingly supported Pataki's opponent (New York Comptroller H. Carl McCall). Pro-McCall members of the union submitted a resolution to the union's annual convention which would have rescinded the endorsement. PEF members voted down the resolution on October 8, 2002. In 2006, PEF endorsed New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in his successful run for governor. That same year, Andrew Cuomo ran to replace Spitzer as New York State Attorney General. PEF declined to endorse Cuomo, instead backing New York City Public Advocate Mark J. Green in his unsuccessful bid for that office. On July 21, 2009, PEF leaders indicated they might not support David Paterson in the Democratic primary if he chooses to run for re-election as governor.