Posts tagged Connecticut

    Blog ● Labor Unions

    Connecticut: Lamont Inks New Employment Law Backed By Unions

    May 19, 2022 // But the bill was marked as both hostile to employers and potentially illegal by the state’s largest business organization, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. Following its passage through the legislature last month, CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima wrote to Lamont and encouraged him to veto it.

    AFL-CIO Attorney General William Tong captive audience captive audience law Chris DiPentima Connecticut Connecticut Business and Industry Association Ed Hawthorne employer gag order George Jepsen Gov. Ned Lamont Hugh McQuaid labor unions National Labor Relations Act NLRA Oregon political views religious views top story

    News Article ● Corruption

    Firing Of 3 Town Employees For ‘Triple-Dipping’ During Pandemic Upheld

    May 11, 2022 // It also is noted that each "blatantly" continued to file unemployment claims despite knowing they were not eligible, documents show. It was argued the three conspired: "There is one aspect of the conspiracy argument that is worthy of comment: the strikingly similar answers from all three Grievants at times, and the group amnesia at other times. The Arbitrators interest was piqued at the similar and non-committal testimony at times.

    American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Local 1303-119 arbitrator CARES Act Connecticut Connecticut Department of Labor Council 4 AFSCME CT Department of Labor EAST HAVEN Ellyn Santiago federal Cares Act pandemic benefits filed grievances FIO former Mayor Joe Maturo Freedom of Information Act Human Resources Director Michelle Jamie Maturo Larry Dorman Local 1303-119 Loribeth Rodriguez Michael E. Ricci Michael Luzzi Pandemic pandemic-related weekly benefits Patch salary state unemployment triple-dipping unemployment money union president Zackery Barker Zackery Barker

    News Article ● Strike Unions

    Sound Community Services CEO responds to mental health workers strike over pay

    April 26, 2022 // He says workers were given a thousand dollars in June of 2020 and $3,600 the following year. He says the percentage the state has increased funding for non-profits barely went up 4%.

    1199 NE behavioral health homes case manager Carmen Chau caseload CEO Gino DeMaio Connecticut Donavon Powell FOX61 greeter health insurance Kindra Fontes-May mental health clinic mental health workers NEW LONDON one-year contract pay SEIU SEIU 1199 NE Sound Community Services Strike strike team contingency plan Tony Black Tyischa Mcintear understaffing wage increase wages

    Op-ed Research ● Strike Unions

    Connecticut: OP-ED | Unemployment Benefits For Striking Workers? No, It’s Not The Onion

    April 26, 2022 // Senate Bill 317 is highly unusual, but not unheard of. Then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed similar legislation on the eve of the pandemic in 2020 and another such law passed four years ago in New Jersey, but in most cases benefits for striking Garden State workers only kick in after 30 days. Like Connecticut, both of those states have struggled with budget deficits over the last several years, though the most recent shortfalls have been mitigated by federal coronavirus relief funds.

    An Act Concerning Unemployment For Striking Employees CBIA’s chief lobbyist conflict of interest Connecticut Connecticut Business & Industry Association coronavirus relief funds Danté Bartolomeo Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont employer Eric Gjede Gov. Andrew Cuomo higher unemployment insurance premiums Labor and Public Employees Committee labor commissioner labor unions Lamont administration New Jersey New York public-sector employees public-sector workforce Rep. Eric Berthel Senate Senate Bill 317 Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney Strike strike funds Striking Workers UI Trust Fund unemployment Unemployment Benefits unemployment insurance trust fund unemployment trust fund work stoppages Yankee Institute

    Op-ed ● Unions

    Opinion: Connecticut Hits Its Taxpayers With a Huge Payoff to Unions

    April 6, 2022 // If Hartford lawmakers consent, state employees will pocket $2,500 bonuses, back pay averaging nearly $2,000, and raises of 2.5% to 4.5%. Another $1,000 bonus and more raises await in July, around the time their unions will decide whether to offer Mr. Lamont’s re-election bid the same intense backing they delivered in 2018.

    anti-Wisconsin moment bar state payroll officers from letting him stop paying dues bonus Carol Platt Liebau collective bargaining Connecticut contract talks Gov. Ned Lamont Gov. Scott Walker Hartford Opinion pressure state employees private sector Public Sector raise raises re-election recession finances seniority-based raises state employees shielded from layoffs state employees were contractually shielded from layoffs state employees. sweeping fiscal reform tax hikes taxpayers Union union payoff unions Wisconsin Yankee Institute for Public Policy

    Blog Op-ed ● Labor

    OP-ED | A Better Approach to the Silver Tsunami

    March 18, 2022 // Too often, for unions, the customers are themselves rather than the public, which is why the state should be taking advantage of retirements by focusing on modernizing, reorganizing, retooling, and outsourcing as much as possible. The major advantage in choosing among hiring private employees/services is that change can be made quickly to accommodate the needs of customers. Not working well? Terminate the contract and find a better solution in the marketplace.

    $3500 bonus 401(k) accusations aggravation aggrieved employees Alan Calandro appropriated funds avoid active managing better solution in the marketplace bonuses bumping rights bureaucratic campaign donor Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities Connecticut cost recovery rates CT News CTNewsJunkie.com customer outcomes customer service defined benefit pensions defined contribution defined contribution 401k Democrats Department of Administrative Services employee skills fiscal years flexibility in operations fringe benefits funded annually government inefficiency governmental efficiency governmental necessity Governor Lamont grievances hazardous duty high-performing employees human resources governmental environment inflation legally tenuous legislative proposals lengthy grievances long term planning management skills metro regions modernizing morale nation Office of Fiscal Analysis op ed Opinion outsourcing pay raises pension liability performance incentive for public employees private employees private sector private services private-sector levels problem union employee profitability providing justice quality employee performance raises reorganizing Republicans retirements retooling reverse incentive salary increases Salary levels salary side signing timesheets silver tsunami solving the current budget staff development staff development funding state state employees. state salaries state union system state unions state workforce stress tentative deal Terminate the contract tied to profitability training unfunded union leaders union protections union representative unionized employees unionized state employees universal medical care upper-tier health benefits

    News Article ● Labor Unionization

    Video: Face the Facts: Captive Audience Meetings and Pandemic Pay for Frontline Workers

    March 16, 2022 // NBC Connecticut's American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) President Ed Hawthorne talks about the deal that's on the table and another measure that's being discussed.

    AFL-CIO American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations attorney general Attorney General Tong benefits building trades captive audience bill captive audience meetings Connecticut correctional officers Covid Ed Hawthorne employee concessions employer boosts employer bullying FACE THE FACTS fear of retaliation forming a union free speech issue frontline workers General Assembly George Jepsen Governor Lamont Healthcare Union Members higher wages labor movement Mike Hydeck Pandemic Pay plow truck drivers Politics private sector Protests protocols Public Sector reduction in state workforce religion Retirement safety matters SEBAC SEBAC negotiators SEIU SEIU 1199 senior state employees silver tsunami state employees. Union union organizing unions vaccines video wage freezes wages and benefits workplace

    Op-ed ● Unions

    Deals with CT unions focus on keeping workers, not streamlining workforce

    March 10, 2022 // Those bonuses aren’t the hazard or premium pay unions have sought for front-line workers who couldn’t telecommute during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. Labor leaders and the administration still are negotiating that issue, and special pandemic pay still might be awarded in the future.

    $150 million in bonuses 2.5% general wage hike 500 in bonuses Boston Consulting Group child care communications director comptroller’s office Connecticut CT CT Mirror CT unions Democratic governor doctors election-year politics Executive Branch GOP Gov. Ned Lamont granted concessions health care House Minority Leader Vincent J. Candelora impending retirements Keith M. Phaneuf Ken Girardin Madison Republican Bob Stefanowski Max Reiss Nurses Pandemic professors protective services public safety Public Sector public-sector workforce reduced staffing Retirement benefits SEBAC silver tsunami spokeswoman Drew Stoner state employee retirements state employees healthy raises teachers technology tentative agreements on wages threatening grievances unions workforce Yankee Institute for Public Policy

    News Article ● Labor Unions

    Sue The Boss, Pay the Union: Bill Creates New Gravy Train For Labor

    March 8, 2022 // The legislation (HB 5245) is designed to bypass employee agreements that prevent individual workers from suing their employers and require them to instead take disagreements to arbitration. As one proponent put it, the bill would “allow private citizens to enforce our labor and discrimination laws as private attorneys general on behalf of the state.”

    arbitration Bill boss bypass employee agreements civil penalty community outreach and workplace account competitive bidding process Connecticut CT Daryle Dudzinsky DOL Official education employee rights in the workplace employer financial incentive to file frivolous or unsubstantiated actions hand-picked labor unions handle processing the related grants HB 5245 labor slush fund labor unions lawsuit legislation Meghan Portfolio nonprofit organizations OFA Office of Fiscal Analysis outreach oversight private employers relator reporting requirements state labor commissioner sue technical assistance undue burden on the Agency violations of labor and discrimination laws whistleblower Yankee Institute

    News Article ● Corruption Unions

    Stamford Firefighters’ Lawsuit over Test Scores Lingers as Police Win Their Cases

    March 2, 2022 // In 2006, for example, the Stamford Fire Commission had to throw out its list of candidates after top scorers on the exam asked why those with lower scores were offered jobs, including a commissioner’s son, the chief’s son, and the mayor’s nephew.

    ANGELA CARELLA black firefighters Brian Whitbread Bruce Wagoner Carlton Fields chief’s son city officials rounded the scores civil service civil service system commissioner’s son Connecticut Connecticut Examiner Connecticut troopers denied promotions diversify fire and police departments Elizabeth Maurer exam scores favoritism federal court firefighters firefighters’ promotional test firefighters’ self-funded suit fudged exam scores Judge Cesar Noble Kevin Dingle mayor’s nephew nepotism not biased against minority candidates patronage promotional exam for sergeants racial discrimination Robert Pickering Stamford Stamford Fire Commission Stamford firefighters Stamford police union state court The law limits the discretion of the hiring authority U.S. Supreme Court violates the law white firefighters white New Haven firefighters