PEF joins thousands of union members for Stop the Cuts march in NYC

April. 3, 2025 — More than 50 PEF members and leaders participated in a Stop the Cuts march in New York on March 15, organized by the city’s largest healthcare unions. Unions across the country have mobilized to deliver a message to Washington that eliminating federal funding for various State agencies and services will negatively impact Americans in every State. Here in New York, 38 percent of the State’s $242 billion budget comes from federal funding – everything from Medicaid to school lunches to highway maintenance.  

While union leaders and our international affiliates, AFT and SEIU, are following developments closely, the total lack of transparency from the U.S. President and the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” has limited our ability to fully understand what is happening in individual agencies, what programs have been frozen and which programs have been or will be eliminated.   

As a result, it is critical that PEF members raise their voices and communicate their concerns. Here are a few ways to do that: 

Contact your member of Congress at (202) 224-3121. Elected leaders listen to their constituents! Tell them how you feel, what concerns you, and what you’re seeing on the ground at your job. Be specific and educate them about who is really being impacted or will be if the cuts impacting your agency happen. 

Record video testimonials about why Washington needs to #StoptheCuts! PEF is asking members to deliver testimonials about the public services they deliver and what will happen if those services stop. If you’d like to participate, just record your video and tag @NYSPEF on X or Instagram or @PublicEmployeesFederation on Facebook. You can also email Communicator@pef.org and a staff member will get back to you.  We’ve gathered the videos we’ve received so far on this page. 

Educate your friends, family and community about what you do! The misinformation spreading about the federal programs and services that PEF members administer is a real challenge. Too many New Yorkers don’t understand that the vast majority of these vital federal programs and services keep residents out of poverty, help educate children with disabilities, provide unemployment benefits, keep our air and water clean, provide basic food assistance to those in need, or prevent fraud and abuse in earned benefit programs like Medicare and Social Security. The best way to counter false narratives is with the truth, so share yours with the people in your networks who will listen! 

The march was well covered by the media. Here are some links to stories:

PEF joins thousands of union members for Stop the Cuts march in NYC