Urgent Call to Action to counter layoff's

We are asking all of our members, especially those who may be directly affected by Governor Paterson’s layoff to contact Governor-Elect Andrew Cuomo to help put a face on the layoffs.  Below is a sample letter for you to use.  Please include how these layoffs affect you personally, for example, how many years you have worked for the state, family circumstances, etc.  Please keep in mind the letter below is just a sample, speak from your heart and make sure your voice is heard. Please send a copy of your letter to PEF.

We have sent a letter to Governor-Elect Cuomo asking him to suspend the layoffs and to reopen the ERI.

Nearly 700 of our members who wanted to take the ERI and were denied have contacted us; it is likely other state bargaining units also have members who were denied.  The state should make sure those who want the ERI are offered it, before anyone is laid off.

We will continue to fight the layoffs using whatever tools are available to us including member mobilization, political action and public relations.  If there are layoffs before December 31^st, in violation of the MOU, we will challenge those in court.

We will also be launching a statewide media campaign that will highlight the impact on state services of the cuts to the state work force since the fiscal crisis began in 2008.

Please continue to visit the PEF website for updates on what further activities we may have planned.

Ken Brynien
Arlea Igoe
Joe Fox
Pat Baker
Tom Comanzo

A sample letter is here and also available for download in Word format.