Posts tagged Office of Fiscal Analysis

    Op-ed / Commentary ● Unions

    Commentary: Connecticut General Assembly Goes Full Authoritarian

    May 14, 2024 // It wasn’t until CT Mirror reported on Saturday (May 4) that the bill was actually being used to pay workers choosing to strike and that the language was changed as “an attempt to resolve a standoff by the Connecticut AFL-CIO and Gov. Ned Lamont.” During the late night Senate debate, Sen. Eric Berthel (R-Watertown) asked the bill’s proponent and chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, Sen. Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) about the account’s purpose. However, Sen. Kushner responded by simply reciting the language in the bill, providing no substantive answers.

    Connecticut Connecticut AFL-CIO Connecticut Families and Workers Account CT Mirror low-income low-income workers Ned Lamont Office of Fiscal Analysis Office of the State Comptroller SEIU strike fund unemployment

    Op-ed / Commentary Research ● Labor Strike Unions

    Frank Ricci: CT legislators want unemployment for striking workers

    May 25, 2023 // S.B. 938 would upend this balance by forcing businesses to fund striking workers through unemployment. It thereby puts a thumb on the scale in labor’s favor, in a way that no other New England state does — nor do 49 other states, leaving New York as the lone exception. The consequence would be to apply severe financial pressure on employers — both by increasing the duration of strikes and by tapping unemployment, which is a self-contained system paid for by employers and administered by the state. One Stop & Shop worker testified in 2022 that a previous bill with identical requirements was designed to increase employee “leverage” and admitted, “Had we had unemployment benefits to rely on during the 2019 strike, we might’ve been able to stay out longer. The bill places no restriction on union strike funds, however, so striking workers may collect funds from the unions as well. The result? Workers could be paid more to go and stay on strike than they would have made working — this will incentivize labor unrest.

    AFL-CIO Connecticut Connecticut Department of Labor Connecticut legislators Ned Lamont New England New York Office of Fiscal Analysis picket S.B. 938 small businesses Strike Supply chain unemployment benefits

    Blog Op-ed / Commentary ● 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.

    401(k) Alan Calandro appropriated funds avoid active managing benefits better solution in the marketplace bonus 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 Democrats Department of Administrative Services employee skills employees fiscal years flexibility in operations funded annually government inefficiency governmental efficiency governmental necessity Governor Lamont grievance hazardous duty high-performing employees human resources governmental environment inflation legally tenuous long term planning management skills metro regions modernizing morale nation Office of Fiscal Analysis op ed Opinion outsourcing pay raise pension liability private employees private sector private services private-sector levels problem union employee profitability providing justice quality employee performance raises reorganizing Republicans Retirement retooling reverse incentive Salaries salary salary side signing timesheets silver tsunami solving the current budget staff development staff development funding state state employees. 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 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 civil penalty competitive bidding Connecticut Daryle Dudzinsky education employee rights in the workplace employer HB 5245 labor unions lawsuit legislation Meghan Portfolio nonprofit Office of Fiscal Analysis outreach oversight private employers sue violations of labor and discrimination laws whistleblower