L&M Workers United

"Having Our Backs Every Step of the Way" Helps Yield Big Gains

It is often said that contractual gains cannot be made at the negotiating table alone; they additionally depend on workplace, community and political collective action. This complete formula is particularly important in order to overcome many historical and structural impediments embedded in many fields and industries. In this collective bargaining report, we're highlighting a landmark contract victory where by choosing “Union YES,” members helped resolve some of modern healthcare’s biggest challenges.
 

Boosting Wages to "Raise Our Standard of Living"

Local affiliates have for the past three months continued to transform the future of work for themselves and the next generation at the negotiating table. Historic wage gains aimed at improving recruitment and retention are the highlight of a recent contract showcased in our latest collective bargaining wins report. The victory is a prime example of members - both today and tomorrow - benefitting by choosing "Union YES" and accomplishing more together than alone.
 

Empowering School Nurses to Fight the Pandemic

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), Governor Ned Lamont nearly two weeks ago issued an executive order closing all public schools in Connecticut. Among the unintended consequences were furloughs and layoffs of education support personnel — including nurses and health professionals — in districts across the state. AFT Connecticut and affiliated local union leaders responded to the crisis by negotiating opportunities to re-deploy affected members to the frontlines of the pandemic.
 

Comments on Federal Judge's Decision Threatening National Health Reform Law

AFT Connecticut leaders made the following remarks regarding Friday's Texas district court ruling in a lawsuit filed by governors and state attorneys general seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA):
 

"U & I in Union:" Striking to Shield Good Jobs

Tectonic shifts within the field have in recent years left health professionals in Connecticut facing unpredictable conditions and precarious futures. That increasingly demands a strong defense against misguided management policies prioritizing operating margins over patient care. On the fifth anniversary of striking to protect services and jobs at their community hospital, we're spotlighting union members enjoying greater security since taking collective action.
 

Comments on Federal Proposal to Curb Violence Against Workers in Health Settings

AFT Connecticut leaders made the following remarks regarding the introduction Friday of the "Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act" (H.R. 7141) by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-2):
 

"U & I in Union:" Beating the Same Forces "Coming After Us"

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail wrote that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The civil rights leader's statement on the value of solidarity remains true today, especially for immigrant communities. We're sharing an example of a higher education professional engaging union members in direct action to win justice for a student's family threatened with being torn apart by deportation.
 

Winning Power for Working People at the Ballot Box

The Labor Day holiday weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the "political season" when most voters begin to pay attention to the choices in early November's General Election. Dozens of activists in AFT Connecticut-affiliated unions have been engaged in the process as far back as last winter. Their efforts have built a foundation that is providing momentum for the final phase of our member-powered political program for 2018, which is now underway.
 

Helping Fellow Members "Improve their Practice"

As a democratic labor organization, AFT Connecticut adheres to the principle of local unions governed "of members, by members and for members." These values are evident in our professional development (PD) program, which relies less on big name experts and more on trusted colleagues to teach valuable career advancement and labor leadership skills. It is in this cooperative atmosphere that members can share their passion and expertise with each other.
 

Joining the Call for a "Moral Revival" in Connecticut

Members of affiliated unions have for years engaged in grassroots community and faith-based efforts to tackle discrimination, poverty and inequality where they work and live. Several local social justice organizations allied with AFT Connecticut have begun coordinating state activities in the "Poor People's Campaign (PPC): A National Call for Moral Revival." State federation leaders last month took steps to be part of this movement, rooted in the unfinished work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
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