Norwalk Public Schools

Helping Members Beat Inflation with "Dollars in their Pockets"

The negotiating table continues to be where labor and management can find the common ground necessary to plug retention shortfalls and close nagging recruitment gaps impacting nearly all industries. Numerous affiliated local unions from across our state federation have for the past three months focused efforts on this shared objective. Our latest collective bargaining report highlights a recent contract victory where members tapped the power of "Union YES" to secure immediate gains and build momentum for future progress.
 

Urging Action for a "Safe, Healthy Return to the Classroom"

Leaders representing over 60,000 public education employees across Connecticut are urging immediate implementation of new, strict, consistent protocols and safety standards in our schools. Our Board of Education (BOE) Union Coalition is calling on state and district officials to take specific additional steps ahead of students’ return from winter break. Action is needed now as the COVID-19 omicron variant continues transmitting at the highest levels since the start of the pandemic.
 
Click here for the coalition's updated core principles.
 

Winning a Contract that Shows "What is Possible"

Reflecting Connecticut's improved fiscal health, union members have over the past three months made solid progress in negotiations with their employers. A local affiliate whose leadership overcame their community's slow economic recovery to secure significant monetary improvements is being spotlighted in our latest collective bargaining report. By demonstrating a shared commitment to vital and valued health services, they moved their administrators to invest in both the current and future workforce.
 

Securing a Vaccination Plan to Benefit Our Schools

Unions representing teachers and support personnel, superintendents and parents today are thanking state officials for adopting their proposed parallel vaccination plan presented last week for Connecticut’s school communities. The Board of Education (BOE) Union Coalition's recommendations were included in directives announced this afternoon by Governor Ned Lamont. 
 
Click here for the coalition's letter to the governor.
 

Presenting Petitions Urging the "Safe and Successful Schools Now" Recommendations

As COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) cases continue to rise in Connecticut, leaders of the Board of Education (BOE) Union Coalition today presented a petition signed by nearly 14,000 education and community members. Signers urged the state to take immediate steps to protect the health of students, staff and communities.
 
Click here to sign and share the petition.
 

New "Back-To-School" Plan Needs More Specifics - Raises Serious Health, Safety Concerns

Today Connecticut Education Association (CEA) President Jeff Leake and AFT Connecticut Vice President Mary Yordon released the following joint statement regarding Governor Ned Lamont's proposals for resuming in-person learning:
 
 

Giving Voice to "Overwhelmed" Educators

A third survey of teachers jointly coordinated by labor and media partners presented a complex picture of distance learning challenges during the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. The effort was conducted at a critical time, helping guide the work of the official state "re-open" advisory group's education subcommittee. Union members' input ultimately proved instrumental in prioritizing student and staff safety, helping assure that buildings would remain closed for the current school year.
 
Click here for the full survey results.
 

"Looking Ahead to 2020" for Funding Our Future

State federation leaders last month teamed up with the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) and WFSB-TV Channel 3 for a survey of certified educators on the issues facing their profession. The first-of-its-kind effort engaged over a thousand union members from scores of local and regional school districts. To further expand public awareness, delegates to AFT Connecticut’s PreK-12 Council are gearing up for a second survey scheduled later this winter.
 

Working Together to Protect Retirement Security

A small group of leaders representing several public sector unions in mid January sat down with Governor Ned Lamont and members of his new administration. The purpose of the informal meeting was to explore potential efforts to further safeguard pensions for state employees and shore up retirement funding for teachers. The discussion followed Lamont's frequent assertions last year as a candidate to treat working people — particularly, union members — in Connecticut with "fairness, dignity and respect."
 

"U & I in Union:" Organizing the Strength to "Survive"

Connecticut’s public education workforce in this present era of persistent austerity budget policies has become accustomed to a certain degree of employment instability. In response, the labor movement has in recent years increased our collective focus on protecting jobs that were once considered resilient to economic downturns. In this latest example of the "union difference," we’re sharing the story of school support personnel mobilizing to defend against a massive wave of layoffs in their district.
 
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