The Mohawk Valley Nine is calling on New York State to pull out all the stops to make sure we keep the home of Remington Arms in Ilion.

The Mohawk Valley Nine is a bipartisan coalition of legislators who work together to look out for the interests of our region. In a joint statement released Wednesday the Mohawk Valley Nine called on New York State to provide incentives to Remington so that they will stay put in the Mohawk Valley.

This week the group of lawmakers met with Herkimer County officials to discuss what can be done to save one of the areas longest running employer. Following the meeting a letter was drafted to encourage state leaders to designate Remington and its operations as an essential business. Roundhill Group LLC is the new owner of the longstanding gun manufacturer. They have been asking for the essential designation as they get set to resume operations at the plant and rehire workers. The new owners want to be assured as cases rise, their operation won't be shut down as other states assured similar industries they will not be.

One of the members of the Mohawk Valley Nine, Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon said in the release,

Generations of workers have been employed by the company which has provided community members with good jobs and benefits and with an enormous wealth of knowledge and passion for the work that they do. New York State must do all it can to support Remington Arms employees by playing an active role to ensure the success of the Mohawk Valley through an incentive package that keeps the company in Ilion, New York.

Senator Joe Griffo is also a member of the MV 9 and he says,

We must do everything possible to protect and safeguard the livelihoods of the company’s employees and their families and will advocate strongly for economic incentives from the state that will help to sustain and grow the company in the future.

With hundreds of former Remington Arms employees out of work going into the holiday season, something needs to be done to help those people and once again out local legislators are doing what they can to state their case to Governor Cuomo. A closure of the plant in the midst of a Pandemic makes matters worse, but to the Mohawk Valley Nine, Remington is truly essential.

The Mohawk Valley Nine consists of the following lawmakers.

Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D) - Co-Chair
State Senator James Seward (R) - Co-Chair
Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R)
State Senator-Elect Peter Oberacker (R)
Assemblyman John Salka (R)
State Senator Joseph Griffo (R)
Assemblyman Brian Miller (R)
State Senator Jim Tedisco (R)
Assemblyman Kenneth Blankenship (R)

KEEP READING: See states hit hardest by COVID-19’s impact on tourism

More From 96.1 The Eagle