A version of this PEF ad appeared in The Legislative Gazette and Metroland newspapers during March. — Photo by Bill Sachs

Copy reads:
Why is Gov. Pataki treating some state employees and their families as though they were second-class citizens?
The governor is offering some state workers a four-year contract with annual raises of 3 percent —raises that would be delayed by six months each year. And he’s demanding major givebacks, including paying more for health-care coverage.

With all the concessions the governor wants, the offer to some state workers amounts to a raise of less than 2 percent per year over the life of the contract.
But 32,000 state workers at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have a new three-year contract with the state that gives them raises of 5 percent, 3 percent and 4 percent annually, with no givebacks and with better health and pension benefits.

In effect, the MTA deal gives those state employees what amounts to a raise worth 18 percent over the life of their contract.
It’s time to treat all of the state’s public employees with the same fairness and respect shown to the MTA workers.
All state workers and their families deserve nothing less.

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