The state’s largest healthcare workers’ union launched a new online ad Monday to protest the latest layoffs ordered by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
The governor, who warned unions recently that he might have to order as many as 4,200 layoffs if concessions are not granted, has issued 113 pink slips in recent weeks. The administration also ordered more than 1,000 layoffs last year.
The new ad by SEIU 1199 New England, titled “If Kids Sounded like Politicians” features children “echoing the priorities” of some state officials, according to a union statement.
“When I grow up I want to balance the budget by laying off middle-class workers,” says one child.
“I want to be in the pocket of the business lobby,” says a second child.
“Lawmakers should remember the values we were all taught as children, to help others, to look after the less fortunate,” said SEIU 1199 spokesperson Jennifer Schneider. “Proposing 4,000 layoffs or asking an average of $30,000 from every state worker in concessions, while not asking one penny more from billion-dollar corporations or hedge fund managers is not the best path for our state. We’ve tried layoffs and service cuts the last several years, and the result has been larger deficits and a stagnating economy. It’s time for a change. We can build a state that lives up to our kids’ expectations.”