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Teachers, Nurses and Public Employees Back Fanelli and Walker for West Haven

Thu, 09/05/2019 - 12:00pm
West Haven — Members of the nearly 30,000-strong AFT Connecticut are supporting fellow union members Chrystal Fanelli and Susan Walker in West Haven's September 10 Democratic Primary Election. The labor federation's executive committee last month voted to add both active and retired educators to its slate of 2019 municipal endorsements. Members of local affiliated unions have since participated community canvassing and phone banking to help "get out the vote" for Fanelli, Walker and other endorsed candidates.
 

Fighting to "Keep Families Together"

Fri, 08/23/2019 - 5:30pm
Here in Connecticut and all across the country — particularly at our nation's southern border — refugees and immigrants face an increasingly hostile climate. Images of children caged in detention camps, workplace raids, families torn apart by deportation orders and violent hate crimes have become all too common. Through it all, union members have been bearing witness and taking action to defend vulnerable communities against intolerance and criminalization.
 
Click here for resources to help protect immigrant families.
 

"Winning a Better Future for More Working People"

Tue, 07/30/2019 - 5:30pm
Veteran labor activists in both the private and the public sectors will attest to significant challenges in winning initial and first successor union contracts. AFT Connecticut-affiliated locals secured such collective bargaining agreements, arbitration awards and memoranda of understanding over the past three months. We're highlighting two of these important victories, which demonstrated how member engagement and internal organizing can overcome steep obstacles and make meaningful gains.
 

Swearing-In Leaders Committed to a Union that's "Still Growing"

Mon, 07/22/2019 - 5:30pm
Leaders elected by delegates to AFT Connecticut's annual convention were last week officially sworn in to the offices they will hold through June of 2021. While most are continuing in positions they previously held, there were notable exceptions — including changes in secretary-treasurer as well as two jurisdictional and five at-large vice presidents (VP). All have track records within their local affiliates that demonstrate the strength of the "U and I in Union."
 

Rockville General Hospital Tech Professionals Choose "Union YES to Do Right by Our Patients"

Fri, 07/12/2019 - 5:30pm
Vernon - Surgical technologists, psychiatric technicians, licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and other technical professionals at Rockville General Hospital (RGH) today empowered themselves as patient advocates by voting to form a union in their workplace. The employees cast ballots in the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)-supervised election three weeks after seeking voluntary recognition from Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. of their choice for exclusive representation. The vote codifies negotiating rights for 96 caregivers at the for-profit company's Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN)-managed hospital.
 

Keeping the Commitment to "Win-Win" Solutions

Mon, 06/24/2019 - 5:30pm
Republican lawmakers earlier this month hatched a last-ditch attempt to block passage of a biennial budget package by misrepresenting so-called "labor savings." They have since continued pushing a false narrative that public sector union leaders were negotiating "concessions" with the administration of Governor Ned Lamont. In reality,  nothing could be further from the truth; ongoing discussions have since January focused on "win-win" solutions, not more givebacks.
 

Our 2019 Convention: "Still Here and Still Growing"

Sat, 06/08/2019 - 10:30am
Delegates representing the highest decision-making body in AFT Connecticut last month gathered to debate and determine the direction of our state federation for the next two years. Material provided at our annual convention is now available for all members, including officers' annual reports, the latest completed financial audit and recipients of the scholarships, citations and awards presented.
 
Click here for access to delegates' material.
 

Credit and Training for Making Workplace Progress

Thu, 05/30/2019 - 3:30pm
AFT Connecticut's professional development (PD) has over the past three months offered more than a dozen career advancement, worksite safety and union leadership development workshops. The variety of course offerings has been diverse, with several led by accredited experts while others were presented by local union members who had completed prior "train the trainer" sessions. They all shared in common our state federation's commitment to furthering a "grow-your-own" capacity-building model for this valuable benefit.
 
Click here for our previous PD program report.
 

"U & I in Union:" Stepping Up to Be an "Agent of Change"

Tue, 05/07/2019 - 4:30pm
The power of collective bargaining to make workplace improvements ranks among the most valuable benefits of labor representation. Union members participating in negotiations with their employer are empowered to overcome seemingly intractable challenges and insurmountable obstacles. We're lifting up the recent experience of PreK-12 teachers volunteering for fist-time bargaining team duty who made real, tangible breakthroughs in their new contract.
 

Educators, Municipal and State Employees, Nurses Back Grocery Workers on Strike

Mon, 04/15/2019 - 4:30pm
Hamden - Leaders of AFT Connecticut and Council 4 AFSCME today presented a joint donation to workers picketing outside the Dixwell Avenue Stop & Shop in Hamden. Each labor federation contributed $2,500.00 to a joint strike fund benefitting approximately 12,000 cashiers, stockers, bakers, deli clerks, and butchers in the company's 94 grocery stores across Connecticut. They were joined by local consumers and elected officials supporting members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW).
 
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