We, the undersigned, call upon our elected representatives to enact legislation that holds corporate executives accountable for mass layoffs and prioritizes the financial well-being of employees over excessive executive compensation.

The Issue: In recent decades, executive salaries have skyrocketed while the wages of the average worker have stagnated. Since the late 1970s, CEO pay has increased by over 1,200%, while worker compensation has failed to keep pace with inflation and has only increased by 15.3% for a typical worker. This growing disparity has led to corporate practices where executives enrich themselves while cutting costs by laying off employees, often at the expense of long-term company stability and economic security for workers.

Time and time again, we have seen profitable corporations lay off thousands of employees while their top executives receive multimillion-dollar bonuses, stock buybacks, and exorbitant salaries. This is not just unfair—it is a failure of corporate responsibility that undermines our economy and social fabric.

Layoffs, especially cyclical layoffs, cause widespread damage to businesses and local economies. Businesses that frequently lay off workers erode institutional knowledge, reduce employee morale, and create instability that affects long-term growth. Communities that rely on these businesses suffer from decreased consumer spending, housing market instability, and increased demands on social safety nets. Cyclical layoffs result in a downward spiral where employees struggle to regain financial stability, businesses lose experienced talent, and entire local economies are weakened.

The Demand: We urge lawmakers to introduce and support legislation that:

Requires Corporate Accountability for Layoffs: Before any company implements mass layoffs, executives must first take salary reductions, bonus suspensions, or reductions in stock compensation.
Ties Executive Pay to Employee Welfare: Establishing corporate policies that link executive compensation to workforce stability, ensuring that top executives cannot profit while slashing jobs.
Mandates Transparency in Workforce Reductions: Companies must publicly disclose the financial necessity behind layoffs, including executive compensation data and alternative measures considered.
Protects Worker Rights and Livelihoods: Enforcing stricter regulations on severance packages, retraining opportunities, and unemployment support for affected workers.
Repeals and Replaces the WARN Act with Stronger Protections: Companies planning mass layoffs or layoffs through a reorganization must disclose these changes at least three months prior to their occurrence, ensuring employees have adequate time to prepare and seek alternative employment.
Requires Corporations to Seek Voluntary Layoff Participants First: Before implementing mandatory layoffs, corporations must provide employees the opportunity to voluntarily leave with severance packages, reducing the need for forced job cuts and allowing workers more agency in employment decisions.
Why This Matters: Corporate leaders make the key decisions that impact business outcomes. When executives mismanage a company or prioritize shareholder profits over employees, they should not be allowed to cushion themselves while workers bear the burden of job losses. If companies claim they must reduce costs, then those at the top should bear the first financial sacrifices—not the employees who drive the business.

By supporting this petition, you stand for economic justice, corporate responsibility, and fair treatment of American workers. We call on our lawmakers to take decisive action to close this growing gap and ensure that corporate leaders are held accountable for their decisions.

Together, we can create a fairer economy where workers are valued, and corporate greed is held in check. Thank you for your support.