1. NYHWA visits over 50 legislative offices on January 24th & 25^th 2010
2. Please consider writing six letters to the following legislators
3. Lobby Days II, February 22nd & 23^rd 2010
4. Call for Volunteers

5. Contacting your union or professional organization to support the workplace bullying bills

 

1. NYHWA visits over 50 legislative offices on January 24th & 25^th 2010

The two lobbying teams of the New York Healthy Workplace Advocates (NYHWA) and volunteers visited over 50 legislative offices on January 24th and 25th. Overall, we visited the offices of 24 Senators and 29 Assemblymembers updated them on developments on the legislation, support for the Bills from various New York State unions and additional research supporting the continued toll to employees and employers when workplace bullying is an accepted business practice.

2. Please consider writing six letters to the following elected officials

NYHWA would like your help by writing letters to Assemblywoman Susan John, Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Assemblyman Brian M. Kolb, Senator Malcolm A. Smith, Senator Dean G. Skelos, and Governor David A. Paterson, voicing your support for the current workplace bullying bills A5414/S1823.  Letter writing is one of two most powerful ways to influence elected officials.  The second is to attend a meeting with the legislator themselves.

Please consider including in your letter a short synopsis of your workplace bullying experience. The synopsis can include the health effects you have experienced, the tactics used by the workplace bully, the effects on your career and livelihood and the costs to the employer. 

Please cite the bill numbers A5414/S1823 in your letters. The addresses to send your letters to are:

Assemblywoman Susan V. John

LOB 522

Albany, New York 12248

 

Assemblyman Sheldon Silver

LOB 932

Albany, New York  12248

 

Assemblyman Brian M. Kolb

LOB 933

Albany, New York 12248

 

Senator Malcolm A. Smith

LOB 909

Albany, New York 12247

 

Senator Dean G. Skelos

LOB 907

Albany, New York 12247

 

Governor David A. Paterson

State Capitol

Albany, New York 12224

 

3. Lobby Days II, February 22nd & 23^rd 2010

NYHWA will hold Lobby Days II on February 22nd and 23rd. We will again have two lobbying teams and meet with legislators that we have to date not met with, and update others on the developments that have occurred in the last year as we did in January.

4. Call for Volunteers

One of the most effective ways to communicate to our New York State legislators just how damaging workplace bullying is to have them listen to an account told to them by someone who has experienced workplace bullying first hand in their own workplace.

NYHWA has heard some devastating stories leading from job loss, permanent disability, broken families, underemployment and severe health effects. Please consider joining NYHWA on February 22nd & 23rd to tell your story. We currently have six slots available for volunteers to do so. If you would like to accompany us on one or both February days in Albany, please send us an email with your intention to info@nyhwa.org. 

5. Contacting your union or professional organization to support the workplace bullying bills

NYHWA has worked diligently to obtain Memorandum's of Support from unions and professional organizations for the workplace bullying bills A5414/S1823.  To date, we have Memorandum's of Support which are the gold standard in lobbying for legislation in New York State from the following organizations:

New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)

New York State AFL-CIO

Public Employees Federation AFL-CIO

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1342 - Buffalo, NY

Rochester Teachers Association

Empire State Carpenters Local 289 – Buffalo, NY

 

If your union or professional organization is not listed and you would like to help NYHWA obtain one from them, please contact us at info@nyhwa.org.  We will send you the documents we use to obtain Memorandum's of Support and describe the process to influence your organization to issue such a document.  

If you do not feel comfortable reaching out to your union or professional organization but would like to see them support the workplace bullying legislation, please contact us at info@nyhwa.org and send us the contact name, address and phone number of the President and/or Legislative Director of the organization.  We will then contact them and seek their support for the legislation.

Thank You