Wayne Spence

Public Employees Federation (PEF)

President

Wayne Spence was born on the island of Jamaica, but after immigrating to the US at ten, he made NYC his permanent home. Spence has been very active in the Public Employees Federation during his 28 years in state government, working as a parole officer. Before being elected as PEF’s first African-American President, he held numerous leadership positions in the union. Spence served as a PEF Vice President, Division Health and Safety Chair, Long Island Political Action Co-Chair, and Assistant Council Leader of Division 236 (DOCCS/Parole) for several years. He currently serves on the executive boards of AFT, SEIU, and the New York State AFL-CIO; these commitments give him direct access to our international unions, which allows PEF to benefit in the form of immediate communication and leverage for federal issues. 

Spence is a leader who demands the union and the state follow through on mandates, especially for member health and safety and community safety issues. Under Spence’s leadership, the union negotiated two successful contracts that included across-the-board raises and no givebacks for the membership. He helped change parole policies to ensure that pregnant officers were not required to place themselves and their unborn children at risk by executing felony warrants. He also secured state management action to install metal detectors after incidents of violence with weapons had occurred.

Spence is a certified Police Firearms instructor and Instructor Evaluator. He is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, and sits on the First Baptist Church of Freeport Trustee Board.