This is the last thing Massena needs right now
April 11, 2006READ IT AND WEEP — This PEF ad created by the PEF public relations department, appeared in April 2006 in The Daily Courier & Observer.

Planned closure of DOL office halted
By DARCY WELLS
PEF members who work in the Massena office of the state Department of Labor have won a victory.
The Employment Services office will remain open indefinitely.

Members mobilized immediately upon getting word the DOL planned to close the office by May 22, transferring workers to the One Stop Career Center in Canton 35 miles away.

“The extremely positive community, labor and political support to keep the office open was key to this success,” said PEF President Roger Benson.

PEF placed ads in the Daily Courier & Observer while members reached out to United Steelworkers, United Auto Workers, St. Lawrence County legislators, the mayor of Massena and the Massena Chamber of Commerce as well as state Senators Ray Meier and Jim Wright and Assembly Member Darrel Aubertine, and it paid off.

“As civil servants working day to day, it is difficult to gauge your own effectiveness and value to the community,” said PEF member Tony C. Zappia, labor service representative from the Massena office. “We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of grassroots support and proud of the quick and decisive action by our community leaders. It was truly a team effort by labor unions, PEF, local, county and state elected officials and the business community to draw a line in the sand with a resolute ‘no’ to further reductions in service to our community."

PEF has informal commitments that if the current location is eventually closed, another Massena office will be opened.

The Communicator June 2006

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DOL office closure stopped
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Reg. 11 now has Brooklyn office

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