Posts tagged Connecticut
Over 9.2 million workers will get a raise on January 1 from 21 states raising their minimum wages
December 18, 2024 // Twenty-one states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, raising pay for more than 9.2 million workers by a total of $5.7 billion. In addition, 48 cities and counties will raise their minimum wages above their state wage floors, mostly in California, Colorado, and Washington.
Faculty at Connecticut state colleges walk out in protest of new report recommending staff cuts
December 11, 2024 // "They believe that, because of enrollment declines, we are too big and that we have too many faculty and staff… and for us, that means a shrinking of opportunities for higher education for the people of the state of Connecticut,” said CSU-AAUP President Louise Williams.
Hartford Fire Department puts controversial policy on hold
December 5, 2024 // The chief cited a clause in the union contract that took effect all the way back in 2008. It said paid members of the Hartford Fire Department cannot work for other departments at the same time, whether paid or unpaid.
Unionized Women & Infants Hospital workers prepare to launch strike Dec. 12
December 2, 2024 // The hospital highlighted its “generous proposal,” crafted over two months’ worth of “good faith” negotiations, according to a hospital press release. The current offer includes a $19 million wage and pension package over three years. That package would sport a minimum 5.5% wage increase for union employees, with some receiving higher bonuses, as well as low-cost health plans for workers. A strike, however, would cost the hospital at least $9 million just to continue operations as normal, and striking workers would not be paid for any shifts missed, Sullivan said.
Opinion: A kidnappers bargain: linking CT union and nonprofit interests
November 26, 2024 // Under Osten’s plan, state funding for certain nonprofits would automatically increase whenever state unions negotiate pay increases for themselves. At first, this seems like a solid strategy for ensuring that that nonprofits get funded. Actually, it is a clever tactic to turn nonprofit workers into a sympathetic de facto lobbying group for Connecticut’s dominant special interest — the government unions — despite having no other relationship to them. This alignment could incentivize nonprofits, which traditionally focus on service delivery, to shift towards advocacy for increased state spending —effectively lobbying for higher taxes and more government spending. What’s more, nonprofits would have a vested interest in supporting higher wages, regardless of the state’s fiscal condition or the actual needs of the programs they administer.
CONNECTICUT: State Employee Union Cries Recession is Coming to Save Temporary Jobs
November 26, 2024 // One of Connecticut’s largest unions, AFSCME Council 4, is pressuring Gov. Ned Lamont, along with Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-North Haven) and Rep. Mary Mushinsky (D-Wallingford), to intervene in stopping the planned layoffs of 49 federally funded, temporary employees at the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL). In a call to action posted on AFSCME’s website on Oct. 15, the union argued that “these layoffs are NOT due to a shortage of work,” claiming that these workers are still essential as job growth has “severely declined nationally.” AFSCME also painted a grim picture, warning that “a recession is anticipated soon” and suggesting that Connecticut’s government is ill-equipped to handle an economic downturn when it materializes.
Connecticut: Another union complaint against Town of Branford dismissed
November 11, 2024 // The Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations dismissed yet another complaint made by the United Public Service Employees Union (UPSEU) against the Town of Branford. This is the third complaint this year. In September, the Board of Labor Relations dismissed a complaint that was filed by the UPSEU a year earlier. Three different units of the UPSEU-Branford—police workers, dispatchers and Water Pollution Control Authority employees—claimed that the Town of Branford violated the Municipal Employees Relations Act (MERA).
Six unions representing CT tech school employees call for leadership change
November 5, 2024 // In addition to the the State Vocational Federation of Teachers, which organized the vote of no confidence this month, five more unions are urging the CTECS Advisory Board to take action toward new leadership "to protect the well-being of the CTECS and the students we serve," union leaders wrote in a letter to Board.
Employer Free Speech on the Ballot in Alaska
October 10, 2024 // The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects such meetings, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized their legality and importance in helping employees gather information on potential union representation. As a result, even if the referendum were to pass, a court would likely find it unlawful. Alaska’s referendum also increases the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027 and provides at least 40 hours of paid sick leave to many workers.
Connecticut has most unionized public sector in the country
September 3, 2024 // Between 2018 and 2023, the number of public sector union members in Connecticut surged, making Connecticut the state with the highest percentage of unionized public sector workers in the country, and the fifth-highest rate of overall union membership, according to the latest numbers from Unionstats.com The figures, derived from Census data, show 15.8 percent of the state’s entire workforce is a union member, and 16.9 percent of workers are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Those percentages have stayed relatively steady, but the actual numbers of union members have increased, even as Connecticut’s workforce has decreased.