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Here are helpful resources for Local 1565 members:

All 35 Local Bargaining Tables Reach Tentative Agreements;
Next Step: Ratification Votes

State employees and union leaders spoke out during a virtual press conference March 1 demanding government investment in public services to help bridge the racial and economic gap in Connecticut.

Today, following President Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the United States Supreme Court, AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued a statement praising the historic selection.

The latest Council 4 Unplugged podcast, recorded for February 2022, examines the significance of Black History Month and the challenges facing the labor and civil rights movements. Our guests are Council 4 Civil Rights Committee Co-Chair Harold Brooks (Local 3144), and Committee members Patricia Davis (Local 318) and Claudine Wilkins-Chambers (Local 3429).

Click here to listen to our latest Council 4 Unplugged podcast. 

The General Assembly convenes on Wednesday, February 9, for a "short" legislative session that is concludes May 4.

Council 4's legislative priorities, informed by discussions with Council 4 leaders and members, reflect a commitment to advocating for workers’ rights and collective bargaining and properly funding quality public services at the state and local levels as we continue to deal with the pandemic.

AFSCME mourns the loss of Mildred Wurf, a beloved member of our union family, a pioneering District Council 37 educator and the widow of former AFSCME president, Jerry Wurf. Mildred Wurf died on Dec. 29 at the age of 95.

Council 4 members played a key part in the successful effort by the State Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) to create a workable telework policy for state employees that underscores the importance of making sure our members can provide vital public services during the continuing COVID pandemic and its variants.

CT Essential Workers Fund is now live and accepting applications for reimbursement.

Click here for the CTEW Relief Program website.

President Joe Biden’s roughly $1.8 trillion Build Back Better Act represents what AFSCME President Lee Saunders describes as a “sea change moment” that will prioritize the needs of working families.

The Build Back Better Act will help working people. It will create jobs, lower costs and protect our rights in the workplace

Council 4 is getting into the holiday spirit and we can't do it without you! Locals and members and their families are encouraged to celebrate the season by giving back and using your creative talents. 

Striketober and Strikesgiving are over, but worker strikes are still going strong. As I write this, Kellogg’s workers are holding the line in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Memphis. Alabama miners are heading into their ninth month of standing up to Warrior Met Coal. And the wave of worker actions demonstrating power and the fight for fairness continues to rise.

Leaders from locals with 50+ members are invited to attend a special workshop called "How to Rock Your Union's Communications. The workshop will be held via zoom on Thursday, November 9th from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. 

Council 4 member leaders who are champion communicators will share strategies and examples of how they use communications to bolster their unions. 

This workshop will highlight the importance of communications for building strong unions. Topics covered will include:

AFSCME President Lee Saunders on Monday joined President Joe Biden and members of his administration, as well as a bipartisan group of lawmakers, for the signing ceremony of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Council 4 is collecting new, unused, unwrapped toys for children ages 0-13, and gift cards for local families through December 13, 2021.

Please help make this Holiday Season a much happier one for children and their families. Because of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to step up and help those who are struggling and isolated.

The House of Representatives has passed President Joe Biden’s transformational bipartisan infrastructure plan, which Biden will soon sign into law. The passage earned praise from AFSCME President Lee Saunders, who, in a statement, said, “We are turning a corner.”

As solidarity actions and strikes sweep the nation, workers are making history by organizing their workplaces for the first time.

When workers belong to a union, they have a unified voice to create safer, stronger and healthier workplaces. Organizing is our most effective tool to determine workplace dignity, hours, working conditions and quality of life. Workers aren’t stuck with dangerous workplace conditions with poor wages and benefits. They can improve them, together.

Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021 is election day throughout Connecticut's cities and towns. It's a day that recalls the old saying that all politics is local.  

Doug Finger of AFSCME Local 1029 (Enfield Department of Public Works) and Jen Horner of AFSCME Local 2836 (State University Organization of Administrative Faculty) understand that maxim and acting on it. 

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act was introduced today in the House of Representatives by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.). The bill, which currently has 144 cosponsors, would set a minimum nationwide standard of collective bargaining rights that states must provide. It would empower workers to join together for a voice on the job not only to improve working conditions but to improve the communities in which they work.

We’ve said it before: Life is better in a union

Workers who belong to unions make more money than their nonunion counterparts. They have better health care insurance and retirement plans, more job security and safer working conditions. They’re happier.

Some of the nation’s largest cultural institutions accepted more than $1.6 billion in federal help to weather the coronavirus pandemic, but continued to let go of workers – even though the assistance was meant to shore up payrolls and keep workers on the job, according to a report released by AFSCME Cultural Workers United.

When Fran Krugen’s late husband was first diagnosed with diabetes, his insulin cost about $35 a bottle.

But Krugen, an AFSCME retiree from Arizona, will never forget the day when she and her husband went to the drug store to pick up his insulin and the pharmacist told them it now cost $900 a bottle.

“This was medication he needed to live, and we had insurance,” she said at a press briefing earlier this month. “We looked at each other and had to ask ourselves: Do we make the house payment? Do we buy food? Or do we pay for his medication?”

Starting in September, Council 4 is hosting a full range of Fall trainings that will provide the skills and tools to local leaders for building stronger unions.

Here is an overview of workshop topics offered this Fall:

The pandemic has led many of us to take stock of our lives and our goals. For AFSCME New Jersey member LaTrenda Ross, the pandemic ignited a long-held dream—starting her own life coaching business.

“I was thinking about revamping my whole entire life,” recalls Ross, a member of Local 2306. “I was looking out for things I want to do, things I haven’t been going after.”

More Americans approve of labor unions today than at any time since 1965, according to annual Gallup poll results released around each Labor Day.

More than two-thirds of poll respondents – 68% – approved of labor unions. That means a clear majority of voters views labor unions favorably. Among adults 18-34 years of age, 77% approve of unions. Support is also high among those with annual household incomes under $40,000.

For Immediate Release
Monday, Aug. 2, 2021

Council 4 Executive Director Jody Barr on Vaccine Mandates

Behind our union’s newly christened Cameron Wilson Children’s Library – a place for members’ children to sit and read a labor story or play games while their parents attend to union business at Council 4 – is a courageous child and his equally determined parents.

At the center of this story is 5-year-old Cameron Wilson, the son of  Jessica Wilson of Local 269 (P2 State Human & Social Services) and her husband Brendan. In 2017, doctors diagnosed Cameron with leukemia after he had just turned 2 and on the same day of his mom’s birthday.

The future just got a little brighter – and a little more affordable – for recent high school graduates Zachary Jahn and Bryanna Vanderburgh, winners of the first-ever Council 4 Education Scholarships.

Zachary and Bryanna are ready to take the next step toward their higher education, with the momentum of the $2,000 annual award – renewable for up to four years – behind them.

Organized labor’s determination to help essential workers who were made sick on the job by COVID-19 has led to the creation of the Connecticut Essential Workers COVID-19 Assistance Fund.

During the budget implementer session in mid-June, state legislators finalized the inclusion of $34 million to establish this fund to assist potentially thousands of essential workers who contracted the novel coronavirus on the job through no fault of their own.

The cloud of COVID-19 hung heavily over the 2021 legislative session, both literally and figuratively, by the time the Connecticut General Assembly adjourned on June 9.

Despite the State Capitol remaining closed to lobbyists and members of the public, due to COVID-19, this year’s session brought several noteworthy successes that will benefit Council 4 members and working people across the state.

Fueled by the efforts of Council 4 members and staff, the state legislature voted to extend limited post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) coverage under workers compensation to correctional employees, EMS workers, public safety dispatchers and health workers.

The bill, SB 660, has been sent to the governor’s desk for his signature.

June 1--Our Council 4 Unplugged podcast takes a look the 2021 legislative session (which concludes June 9) with Council 4's Legislative and Political Coordinator, Brian Anderson.

Brian takes us through where we are at with passing a fair budget and important bills that will protect and uplift workers. We also discuss the importance of the PEOPLE Committee and being engaged in this year’s municipal election.

Click here to listen to our latest Council 4 Unplugged podcast.

The Western CT Area Labor Federation and Eastern CT Area Labor Federation are excited to announce a new Labor Leadership Academy (LLA) that aims to create an exclusive opportunity for a diverse group of rising labor leaders. By developing a group of peers who work together, we will bolster future cross-sector solidarity and coalition building.

Council 4 Civil Rights Committee is hosting a movie series featuring films that portray the experience of African-Americans and the history of racism in the U.S. All films are screened outdoors in the AFSCME Council 4 parking lot (444 East Main St. New Britain). Council 4 members, their families, and affiliates, are welcome to attend. 

Movies and Documentaries Screened:

Workers Memorial Day 2021 arrives at a moment of the greatest urgency, when the front lines of the war against COVID-19 run through America’s workplaces.

To recognize the extraordinary efforts of our members and to foster unionism, Council 4 is offering continuing education assistance in the form of a $2,000 per year scholarship for up to four years (max $8,000) to dependents of Council 4 members and retirees.  Each year, the Council 4 Scholarship Committee will select two students to award a $2,000 scholarship that will be paid to the school of the winners.  Winners are eligible for up to four consecutive years by doing a brief presentation to the executive board.

Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) joined Council 4 members in praising the benefits of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), a landmark law that is already benefitting communities across the state as the coronavirus pandemic continues into its second year.

The law, signed by President Joe Biden last month, was made possible by everyday workers who raised their union voice to demand real action from the federal government.

On Saturday, April 17 over 100 low-wage workers, CT Department of Labor (CT DOL) employees, Council 4 members, and community partners, all of whom are members of the Recovery For All coalition, rallied to demand increased funding for the CT DOL.

Workers in health care and social service industries are a big step closer to having safer workplaces.

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R.1195) by a bipartisan vote of 254 to 166. The bill requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a standard to prevent workplace violence in health care and social service assistance settings.

On this National Library Workers Day, AFSCME library workers deserve to be recognized for the value they bring to our diverse communities and the vital services they provide anyone who asks for help.

On March 15th, a report was released that outlines the need for more investment in our public services and examines the economic and historical data that point a way out of the devastating effects of COVID-19 and the concurrent economic downturn towards a better Connecticut for everyone.

Council 4 members across a range of sectors have raised their voices in support of policies that would uplift members of their local, the clients they serve, and their communities.

From topics ranging from tax fairness, protecting retirement security and our state’s only public hospital, to expanding PTSI coverage, creating a workers compensation presumption, and ensuring proper funding for state agencies and our municipalities, union members are making a real impact by sharing their stories and experiences as public service workers.

Before the invention of the printing press, spanning the millennia from ancient Egypt until the Middle Ages, the taking of dictation and keeping of judicial and historical records was the honored and skilled occupation performed by scribes. Over the years the profession developed into today’s public servant known as the court recording monitor.

The evolution of the profession is not lost on Sabrina Agbede. Working as a Judicial Branch court monitor for the past 22 years, she is a self-proclaimed “present-day scribe.”

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is getting a big promotion.

Georgia Veiga has been a proud member of AFSCME New Jersey Local 3440 for the last 17 years. She regularly seeks out opportunities to support companies that employ union workers. 


The Civil Rights Committee of AFSCME Council 4 understands the history of combining civil rights, labor and taking care of community. In that spirit, Black, Indigenous and union leaders of color who work in municipal and state public services have been gathering carload after carload of groceries to feed those in need in New Britain, home to their local union hall.

As the world marked the anniversary of the official start of the coronavirus pandemic Thursday, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law and offered words of hope to a weary nation.

Labor activists earlier this year began collaborating with community organizations to help fellow residents recover from the economic fall-out of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. That led to the formation of a new coalition, "Recovery for All," initially focused on securing a state budget in the General Assembly's 2021 legislative session that puts people first.

Council 4 AFSCME is a partner in these efforts, and is mobilizing members to move lawmakers and the governor to "do better."

The coalition's broader goals include:

AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the House of Representatives for passing the American Rescue Plan on Saturday and urged the Senate to follow suit as soon as possible.

Council 4 Executive Director Jody Barr issued this statement in response to Gov. Lamont's Feb. 22 announcement regarding changes to the State's vaccine rollout plans.

Yesterday, the Governor announced that Connecticut's COVID-19 vaccine rollout will focus on age groups and educational personnel, a change that eliminates priority status for many essential workers.

There is good news for AFSCME members looking to pursue higher education. AFSCME Free College has made its bachelor’s degree completion program a permanent benefit.

That means that AFSCME members and their families can earn a bachelor’s degree for free, making an even wider choice of career options a possibility for more people.

Black History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions Black people have made to the strength and vitality of our nation. It is also an opportunity to consider how the labor movement – and public employee unions in particular – have created a pathway to the middle class for so many Black families.

We asked four members of Council 4 to share their personal reflections on Black History Month and the role unions can play in strengthening that connection between economic justice and racial justice.

Here’s a sure sign of new leadership in Washington. There’s a renewed push to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, an idea that went nowhere when the Trump administration and anti-worker members of Congress were in power.

The coronavirus pandemic won’t be controlled until states, cities, towns and schools – and particularly health departments – have the funding they need from the federal government, says AFSCME Retiree Sue Conard.

Conard should know. She spent 24 years as a public health nurse serving Wisconsin’s La Crosse County. One of her many areas of expertise? Immunization.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has sent a letter to Congress that echoes what AFSCME has been saying for months: It’s long past time to robustly fund the front lines.

In his first days on the job, President Joe Biden has taken swift executive action to protect and empower public service workers, strengthen public services and help working people. On his first day alone, he signed 17 executive orders, memorandums and proclamations that showed the kind of bold leadership our country needs now.

The availability of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is an exciting development in the fight to get the pandemic under control--and welcome news for Council 4 members and other frontline workers have borne the brunt of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic

While we have the promise of vaccines, and a commitment from the new Biden administration to provide a coordinated response, it will be months before the current surge ends. We can’t let up when it comes to following health and safety protocols at work and at home. 

AFSCME President Lee Saunders called the victories of the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s Senate runoff elections “a bold mandate for change.”

Dear Council 4 Members:

We are approaching the end of a year like no other. Since early March, COVID-19 has brought havoc to our lives and to our jobs. We have had to make massive readjustments in order to keep our families and communities safe.  

Here’s a crucial reason for working people to do all they can to help Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock win the Georgia Senate runoff elections in January – federal aid to states, cities, towns and schools.

If Ossoff and Warnock prevail, there will be a pro-worker majority in the U.S. Senate. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, as president of the Senate, will cast the tie-breaking vote when the chamber is deadlocked.

The holiday season is upon us. Recognizing that COVID-19 has made this a long a difficult year, our union has organized the following events in the spirit of giving and celebrating family:

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice president-elect Kamala Harris on Monday brought together business and union leaders, including AFSCME President Lee Saunders, for a virtual meeting to discuss an economic recovery agenda for the country.

Following the meeting, Biden warned of a “dark winter” ahead for the nation and highlighted consensus among the labor leaders and CEOs alike on the need to fund the front lines.

Nov. 12, 2020 

New Britain, CT—With COVID-19 spiking around the state, the unions representing more than 5,000 front-line state correctional employees today are calling on the Department of Correction to suspend social visits throughout Connecticut’s prisons. 

It was bad enough that the Trump administration failed miserably in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, ignoring the science and failing to come up with a national strategy.

It was pathetic and tragic when Republicans in Congress failed to summon the courage to support the everyday heroes who saved our communities by funding the front lines.

HARTFORD, CT — The coalition of labor unions including the Connecticut AFL-CIO, Connecticut Education Association (CEA), State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC), and Connecticut Service Employee International Union State Council (CT SEIU State Council), released its second ad focusing on a People’s Recovery budget and standing in opposition to more billionaire bailouts. 

Frontline public employees featured in the ad include Department of Correction employees Sherine Bailey and Aimmee Reyes-Greaves of AFSCME Local 391 and Ginny Ligi of AFSCME Local 387.

AFSCME members in good standing are invited to attend any of our offered trainings that range in topics from how to effectively run a meeting to handling grievances and treasurer finances. 

All trainings are held via Zoom. Local officers, stewards, executive board members and other leaders are encouraged to attend. 

The open enrollment for state employees usually takes place in July of each year and is effective July 1. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, delayed open enrollment until September, with changes effective on October 1, 2020.

The document below has been prepared by leaders and staff of the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition. It is designed to provide questions and answers on the open enrollment process and your medical and prescription plan choices and more.

If you have questions, please reach out to the leadership of your SEBAC bargaining unit.

Sept. 4, 2020, HARTFORD, CT -- With Labor Day 2020 around the corner,  a coalition of labor unions, including the Connecticut AFL-CIO, Connecticut Education Association (CEA), State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC), and Connecticut Service Employee International Union State Council (CT SEIU State Council), launched a television and digital ad campaign this week focused on a people’s recovery budget rather than billionaire bail-outs. 

Public approval of labor unions is at its highest level in 17 years, with nearly two out of three Americans (65%) expressing support of unions, according to the latest Gallup poll.

The current AFSCME NP-4 collective bargaining agreement with the State of Connecticut expires on June 30, 2021.  

In order to best represent you and the members of the NP-4 Corrections Unit, we ask that you please fill out the following survey and submit ut the completed document to your Local 1565 Union Representatives.

You can access the form below:

It did not take long for the COVID-19 crisis to hit home for Ginny Ligi, an eight-year correction officer at the Cheshire Correctional Institution. In early April, she tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

“The virus literally knocked me off my feet for three weeks,” said Ligi, the union secretary for AFSCME Local 387 (NP-4 Corrections Bargaining Unit). “It was like I had vertigo on top of not being able to breathe well.”

With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to devastate the nation’s physical and fiscal health, U.S. Rep Jahana Hayes (CT-5) took time out to urge Council 4 members to make their voices heard in the fierce political battle to approve massive federal aid for states, cities and towns.

Speaking to Council 4’s biweekly Presidents Plus 1 meeting on Zoom earlier this month,  Hayes emphasized the importance of getting the HEROES Act, which passed the House in April, to clear the Senate.

Click here for our latest Council 4 Unplugged podcast. 

On this episode, recorded Aug. 12, 2020, Michele Evermore of the National Employment Law Project and Xavier Gordon of AFSCME Local 269, representing the CT Department of Labor, join us to discuss the struggles facing unemployed workers and the political fight over unemployment insurance benefits.

The news media last week thrust state employees' contractual benefits into the spotlight following Governor Ned Lamont's public remarks at his daily COVD-19 (novel coronavirus) briefing. His comments further renewed attempts by Republican legislators to push for unlawfully breaking collective bargaining agreements.

AFSCME praised today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that extends protections under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to millions of LGBTQ workers.

In a statement, AFSCME President Lee Saunders said such protections are long overdue and represent an important step in the fight for equality and justice for all workers.

Congressman Joe Courtney from CT’s 2nd District joins us on Council 4 Unplugged to talk about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and congressional efforts to secure a robust federal aid package -- an initiative we're calling "Fund. the Front Lines" -- to support our state, cities and towns. 

Click here for our latest Council 4 Unplugged podcast. 

May 20, 2020—Frontline workers from the Department of Correction spoke out today to express their frustration with the agency’s efforts to protect workers and inmates in Connecticut prisons.

Union members from SEIU 1199NE, AFSCME Council 4 and CSEA said the DOC needs to take more proactive approach to implementing demands previously made of the agency during an April 24 Public Safety Caravan at DOC headquarters in Wethersfield. The union coalition’s demands are included below.

Economists of diverse backgrounds, who might otherwise disagree on a range of policy issues, spoke with a single voice on Monday on the need for Congress to provide robust aid to states, cities and towns.

Such aid, they said, is crucial in the midst of an economic crisis that is decimating state and local budgets and threatening essential public services that are critical to beating the pandemic and jumpstarting the economy.

If you are an active member or retiree of Council 4 AFSCME, you can take advantage of a no-cost $4,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment benefit.

This benefit and others listed below are provided jointly through AFSCME Council 4 and American Income Life Insurance Company (AIL), a 100% union company serving working families just like yours.

The labor movement is working nonstop to protect the health and safety of all working people throughout Connecticut, and especially for essential workers who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 18, 2020—With COVID-19 wreaking economic havoc and threatening vital public services, a diverse group of advocates that includes Council 4 called on elected officials to restore taxes on the wealthy to help mitigate the large deficits facing the state of Connecticut.

Advocates issued their call during a zoom press conference sponsored by Connecticut AFL-CIO. Speakers included Council 4 Secretary Stacie Harries-Byrdsong.

May 21, 2020

Effective immediately,  Council 4 is implementing the following guidelines:

Our union office remains closed to members and staff unless essential.

Council 4 requires everyone to:

As New York City became the epicenter of the global coronavirus pandemic, emergency medical services (EMS) professionals, including AFSCME member Laura Hartnett, were working 16-hour shifts instead of their normal eight-hour shifts to respond to the flood of emergency calls.

Across the country in California, AFSCME member Blake

For Council 4 AFSCME members, our families, and our communities, the 2020 Census is a "Big Deal."  

Every 10 years, the Census determines how the government allocates funding and resources for vital programs and services. If your community is under-counted, that could affect the money allocated for your job and the services you provide. 

During Law Enforcement Week, we honor public safety officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. We also recognize the unique role that first responders like AFSCME law enforcement members play during times of crisis.

We want to call state and retiree members’ attention to the limited durable power of attorney form, which can be found at the Comptroller’s website.  

Any member participating in the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) and wish designate someone as his or her Attorney-In-Fact must use this form. The LDPOA authorizes your Attorney-In-Fact to perform on your behalf any transactions with SERS that you could request yourself.

NOW ENROLLING FOR SPRING CLASSES JANUARY 11, 2021 

Lanette Kinsella of AFSCME Local 318 is a Motor Vehicle Examiner for the Department of Motor Vehicles in Wethersfield. With more than 13 years on the job, and a desire to advance in state service she is not standing pat when it comes to furthering her education.

Congress has passed – and the president on Friday quickly signed – a $484 billion relief bill for small businesses and hospitals hurting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to ramp up coronavirus testing. But the measure fails to provide another critical piece of aid – assistance to state and local governments whose ability to provide basic services will collapse absent federal intervention.

The CT Department of Correction's failure to plan for the COVID-19 pandemic has not only exposed all of its employees, hazardous duty and non-hazardous duty, to illness, but also created volatile conditions within the state prison system.

That's why the unions representing front line DOC employees, including AFSCME Local 1565, created a petition urging the agency to do take better and faster steps to protect us:

Click here to sign our petition.

Editor’s note: The following is a story from the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, as told by a member in Washington state:

“My name is Kristina Johnson-Short and I am a social services specialist with the Division of Children, Youth and Families in Washington state. I’m a proud AFSCME member, a shop steward and president of AFSCME Local 1054 (WFSE). I am also a domestic violence survivor.

It’s become clear that relief bills Congress has approved thus far, including the record $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, won’t be enough to quell the health and economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What other aid should Congress provide? AFSCME has recommendations.

While most people are taking steps to limit contact with others, the vital job duties of AFSCME members require that they do just the opposite. Council 4 members are, and will continue to be, on the front lines providing the vital public services that individuals and families of Connecticut need during this unprecedented global health crisis.

Updating wills before heading into work. Extending the lives of single-use masks. Self-isolating from their own families. These are just some of the shameful realities and conditions health care workers on the front lines of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic are facing each day.

Before the announcement early Wednesday of an unprecedented $2 trillion deal to combat the coronavirus pandemic, AFSCME President Lee Saunders and three front-line workers put pressure on federal lawmakers to come through with a robust aid package for state and local governments so they can rebuild decimated public services.

The coronavirus aid package that cleared Congress is just not good enough for public service workers. That’s the takeaway message from AFSCME President Lee Saunders.

Please check our special Coronovarius Resource page for Council 4 members for news and info.

Council 4 Executive Director Jody Barr issued the following statement to Council 4 Local Presidents, Executive Board and Delegates to share with all our members:

We recognize that this is a challenging time for everyone.

All staff and visitors are encouraged wear a mask in all areas of the building, including all meeting rooms and common areas. Council 4 remains committed to protecting the health of staff, members and visitors throughout the pandemic.

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) emerges in the United States, many AFSCME members are and will continue to be on the front lines caring for and transporting those afflicted with the virus. Workers in emergency services, health care, child care, educational institutions and many others may come in contact with people who’ve contracted the coronavirus, putting themselves at risk.

On the eve of Saturday’s Nevada Democratic primary caucuses, AFSCME members and retirees gathered at a Las Vegas restaurant to hear one last time from presidential candidates on the issues that matter most to working families.

Council 4 (and our national AFSCME union) offer a wealth of free training and education opportunities, both in-person and online.

In 2020, Council 4 is launching "Saturday Study Hall" trainings at our office in New Britain.  We've scheduled classes on a wide range of subject matter, from grievance handling, social media and CPR/Opioid training to post-retirement planning, union treasurer responsibilities and OSHA certification.  We are also teaming up with the Connecticut AFL-CIO for a special training geared toward union members running for political office.

AFSCME members sat down with congressional lawmakers last week to share stories about how the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act would improve communities and empower workers.

The legislature's Labor & Public Employees Committee will hold a public hearing Feb. 25 on proposed legislation to expand Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) coverage under workers' compensation so that it includes front-line Corrections employees (as well as EMS and dispatchers).

The Connecticut General Assembly convenes Feb. 5, 2020 and adjourns May 6, 2020.

Council 4's legislative agenda reflects a commitment to advocating for laws and budgets that create good-paying jobs with benefits, promote quality public services and create healthy communities where our union members live and work.

To learn more and get involved, please contact Council 4 lobbyists Brian Anderson at [email protected] or Zak Leavy at [email protected].

Here’s a big reason to join a union – a bigger paycheck.New numbers from U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show just how much of a difference a union makes in terms of worker pay.

AFSCME members pushed Congress hard to fund the Substance Use Disorder Treatment Workforce Loan Repayment Program, which is aimed at helping lessen the burden of crushing student loans for full-time workers who treat or support patients with substance-use disorders.

In late December, $12 million in new funding was signed into law, a big victory for AFSCME’s United We Heal campaign, which led a grassroots effort in

On a normal day, Sandra Pacheco, an administrative assistant in Puerto Rico’s Department of Transportation and Public Works, begins her day at 7 a.m., filing paperwork for her colleagues in the field. It’s a job that Pacheco, who is president of her local, AFSCME Local 3889, Council 95 (Servidores Públicos Unidos de Puerto Rico), does with pride and dedication.

The new year brings good news for millions of working Americans. Nearly 7 million of them are in line to get pay raises this year thanks to state and local minimum-wage hikes.

2020 is here. It's a perfect time for Council 4 members to get ahead with their education.

The AFSCME Free College Benefit makes it possible for you and your family members to earn an associate degree completely online – for FREE.

This union benefit is open to all active, dues-paying members, their spouses, children and grandchildren, as well as retired AFSCME members.

Through our national union's partnership with Eastern Gateway Community College in Ohio,  you can choose from the following degree programs:

As a public librarian for the Philadelphia Free Library, Sheila O’Steen embodies what we think of when we imagine a public service worker. Every day, she interacts with members of her community. Whether her patrons are young or old, affluent or impoverished, O’Steen shares knowledge and information with everyone she serves.

The 1965 Voting Rights Act worked. In the years and decades that followed its implementation, the law helped minority voters make their voices heard, especially African Americans who had been discriminated against at the polls. As a result, our democracy became stronger.

But in 2013, despite bipartisan reauthorization of the law by Congress, the Supreme Court gutted it, ruling 5-4 that a key provision was no longer necessary because the Voting Rights Act had worked and the problem was fixed.

Despite high levels of stress on the job, many state and local workers say they highly value serving the public and their communities and feel generally satisfied with their jobs.

This finding, from a national survey commissioned by the National Institute on Retirement Security, will not surprise many AFSCME members, who work in state, county and local governments and never quit on their communities.

AFSCME members who work in health care and social services jobs face workplace violence daily. Now they are closer to having it.

Winter brings a special set of challenges to the worklife of AFSCME Local 818 member Michael Thompson, who for the last four years has served as the Superintendent of Field Services for the New Britain Department of Public Works.

A 31-year veteran of city employment, Thompson got more added to his plate on Nov. 5, 2019, when New Britain voters elected him to serve a two-year term on the Common Council. 

Thompson, who is unaffiliated, is excited to bring his union values to New Britain politics.

On Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, the General Assembly’s Labor Committee will hold an important public hearing on expanding PTSD coverage under workers’ compensation to include Correction Officers and other workers. 

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Room 1D of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, CT.

We need a strong turnout of AFSCME members (including family members) to support our union’s effort to expand PTSD coverage under Public Act 19-17, which was passed last year.

It's the holiday season, which means it's time for our annual Council 4 Holiday Toy Drive.

We are collecting new, unused and unwrapped toys, and gift cards, through December 13, 2019. The donations will go to our friends at the United Labor Agency, which helps Connecticut's working families in need. (If you’d like to make a monetary contribution, please make your check payable to the United Labor Agency.)

All locals, individual members and employees of Council 4 who wish to participate in this effort may bring donations to Council 4 at 444 East Main St. in New Britain.

Election Day 2019 was a big victory for working families. In states and cities across the country, they made their voices heard, electing pro-worker candidates for state and local government and providing further evidence of growing political momentum for working people.

Last year, nearly half a million workers went on strike across the nation, the largest number since 1986, when the country’s union membership rate was considerably higher (17.5%) than it was in 2018 (10.5%).

A bill that has been introduced in the House of Representatives would simplify the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program for current and would-be participants.

Council 4 is gearing up for the 2019 municipal elections on Nov. 5, 2019.

This is our opportunity to elect pro-union candidates to local offices, from Town Councils and Boards of Selectmen to Boards of Education and Boards of Finance.

Through our member-led Council 4 PEOPLE Committee, we have interviewed and recommended candidates who share our values and have pledged to respect collective bargaining and workers' rights in their local communities.

The latest Council 4 Unplugged podcast takes an in-depth look at the Department of Correction's Employee Assistance Unit (EAU).

Across the nation, women are creating change for working families more than ever before. The Women’s Leadership Academy is ready to train more AFSCME women to be leaders of that change.

Introducing the 2019 Women’s Leadership Academy Online, which is kicking off trainings starting Oct. 16.

Designed for all AFSCME women, the academy will consist of four modules aimed at giving women the skills and support they need to stand tall for workers’ rights and increase political and workplace power on a greater scale.

It’s not a secret that drug prices in the United States are rising much faster than inflation. To take but one example: between 2002 and 2013, the price of insulin, a hormone that saves millions of lives every year, more than tripled.

The “Never Quit” attitude of AFSCME members was on full display in the Town of Ellington on June 10, when the heroic actions of three Department of Public Works employees saved the life of their colleague Shawn Bull.

The day started normally for Bull, a DPW maintainer and member of AFSCME Local 1303-009, but soon veered into disaster when he lost control of his high-powered chop saw while working on a catch basin. The saw kicked back, sliced Bull’s neck open and severed his carotid artery and jugular vein.

Screenshot of wage calculator

AFSCME members have long known one big advantage of joining a union: better wages.

Denise Stevenson, a 33-year veteran of state government and a second generation union member, is not reticent about extolling the virtues of pensions.

“I think that everyone should be entitled to have a pension if you work in the United States,” she said. “A pension is not a fringe benefit. It’s a right.”

Stevenson is a Unit Supervisor for the State Department of Social Services. In addition to serving as a union steward, she is also an Executive Board member of Local 704 (NP-3 Clerical Bargaining Unit).

There’s no avoiding the reality of what’s happening to our environment. Without mitigating measures global climate change will have significant negative economic, environmental and fiscal implications for state and local governments (and the jobs they provide), as well as our communities and residents.

On Sept. 11, 2001, we as a nation faced a tragedy unique in our history. And we promised each other to never forget — never forget those who lost their lives or those who put their lives on the line to save others.

Labor unions are continuing to gain momentum, with the latest proof coming from a new Gallup poll, which shows that 64 percent of Americans approve of unions, a near 50-year high.

More and more people, regardless of political party, view unions as essential to levelling the playing field, providing economic security and unrigging a system that’s for too long favored the wealthy and powerful.

Council 4 is currently seeking to fill the following positions:

Director of Organizing and Field Services
This is a management position within AFSCME Council 4. The successful candidate will be responsible for creating, managing and driving the Organizing program and building an organizing team of staff and members that has the skills and ability to fulfill the mission inherent in the AFSCME Organizing Model.

LAS VEGAS – Corrections workers have become the first group of state workers to ask to be recognized as AFSCME in contract negotiations since Nevada adopted a law in June giving state employees the right to collectively bargain.

The corrections unit filed for recognition Friday with the state’s Government Employee-Management Relations Board after majority of the staff asked to be represented in contract talks as AFSCME Local 4041.

This year’s winner of the Gerald W. McEntee Scholarship is someone who defends workers' rights, supports her community and is deeply involved in her union. 

The 19 presidential candidates who participated in the AFSCME Public Service Forum on Saturday disagreed on a range of topics, but they all agreed on one issue – our country needs a federal law that expands and protects collective bargaining rights for all public service workers.

The work Joe Martinez does for the Los Angeles County Fire Department is emblematic of countless AFSCME members: he’s never in the spotlight and he’s always under pressure while lives are on the line.

After years of debate and delay, Congress has finally passed a bill to ensure that first responders who suffered health problems after responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks will receive health care and other compensation for as long as they live.

With former Vice President Joe Biden confirming his participation on Tuesday, the AFSCME-sponsored presidential candidate forum on Aug. 3 will be the biggest event of its kind in our union’s history.

Today, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to repeal the Affordable Care Act will unfold at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans, where oral arguments in Texas v. Azar will be heard. The case threatens the future of the ACA, which provides health care to millions of Americans.

AFSCME is on a roll. We are notching victories coast to coast – at the bargaining table, in the organizing trenches and in state capitals.

Following a brutal workplace attack in October that left her unconscious and hospitalized, Tina Suckow is speaking out. She and her AFSCME sisters and brothers are raising their voices against her firing by Iowa state authorities and in favor of a federal bill that would help prevent such workplace attacks.

Recent news reports indicate that the recently passed state budget included $450 million in savings related to state employees. It’s important to reiterate that these reported savings are NOT the result of labor concessions.

The General Assembly adjourned its regular 2019 legislative session June 5, providing Council 4 and the labor movement with an opportunity to reflect on significant accomplishments:

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has signed into law a historic bill granting 20,000 state workers the right to collectively bargain.

The bill, which he signed Wednesday, is the largest expansion of collective bargaining rights for state workers anywhere in the U.S. in 16 years, and it will position those workers to better fight a rigged economy that favors the wealthy.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Public service workers across the country lauded the passage of Nevada Senate Bill 135, which expands collective bargaining rights to over 20,000 Nevada state employees – the largest statewide expansion of collective bargaining rights in 16 years.

The bill, expected to be signed into law by Gov. Steve Sisolak, comes at a time when unions are experiencing the highest level of public support in more than a decade.

Last year, after nearly 25 years of working hard at her job at the University of Michigan, Deborah Van Horn was forced out of work by health issues and soon found herself in need of financial assistance.

“I was put on disability, but after a while you only get about 50 percent of your normal wages,” she recounts. “It was important to me to cover general expenses and keep my credit in good standing.”

Editor's Note: The 2019 legislative session adjourned on June 5. Our review is coming soon!

With the legislature drawing closer to its adjournment, Council 4 members made their voice heard in support of workers’ rights at the State Capitol in Hartford.

EMS Week is a time to recognize the sacrifices that EMS professionals make for their communities and to honor these skilled heroes who rush into danger when we need them most. AFSCME EMS professionals play an essential role in the emergency response system, but their stories—and the wounds they suffer on the job—are often overlooked.

Members of AFSCME’s law enforcement community take countless risks to keep our communities safe. When those brave heroes make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, our obligation is to never forget them.

National Police Week is a time to honor fallen law enforcement officers, as well as a time for the law enforcement community to stand in solidarity with each other.

During National Nurses Week, we celebrate the heroes who, with skill and compassion, care for the sick. This year, we’re honoring their hard work and dedication by supporting the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, a bill that seeks to raise the bar on safety standards and protect nurses from preventable incidents of violence at work.
The day after he was released from a hospital, a bruised and swollen Kelvin Chung told a state Senate committee that state employees like him need collective bargaining rights to advocate for safety on the job. “I want you to see my face. We need a voice on the job, so this doesn't happen again to anyone else,” said Chung, a corrections officer.

Every year on April 28 – the date when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was formed – the AFL-CIO and affiliated unions such as AFSCME observe Workers Memorial Day to honor workers killed or injured on the job.

Council 4 held its remembrance on April 26, in front of our AFSCME Workers Memorial Monument, which lists Council 4 member who have died on the job.

Michael Fitts of the Connecticut Council on Occupational Safety and Health joined Council 4 Executive Director Jody Barr in a call to protect workers and hold employers accountable.

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy battered the east coast of the United States, causing billions of dollars in damage across 24 states. The hurricane quickly became known in the impacted region as “Superstorm Sandy.”

Shileen Shaw knows firsthand how the storm got that name.

“We had never seen anything like it,” says Shaw, recalling the damage her East Orange, New Jersey, home suffered at the time.

Workers Memorial Day is this Sunday, April 28, when we honor workers killed or injured on the job. On this day in 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was formed.

For almost half a century, OSHA has been charged with helping to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for men and women across this country. But under the Trump administration, OSHA is failing us. As we observe Workers Memorial Day, it’s clear that we can do more – much more – for worker safety.

Hartford, CT, April 22, 2019 – Members of Local 269 of Council 4 AFSCME who work at the Connecticut Department of Labor are urging Gov. Ned Lamont to reconsider contracting out a proposed paid family and medical leave program to a private company.

To emphasize their point that privatization is not in the public interest, local union leaders today presented the Governor with a petition signed within one day by hundreds of their fellow DOL employees. 

Megha Desai is a public defender in Multnomah County, Oregon. In a given week, she might work upwards of 60 hours. Right now, she has about 145 open cases.

“It's like a conveyor belt. Every day you work on your assigned cases, new ones roll in,” said Desai, a member of Local 2805 (Council 75). “There's a joke in the office: If you don't come in on the weekends, you’re screwed for the next week.”

The first weekend of April was an exception: It was her wedding. 

Breaking News: On April 21, the unions representing Stop & Shop workers reached a tentative agreement with the company to end an 11-day strike that galvanized the broader labor movement. Click here for the story from AFSCME.

Shawn Dougherty is a correctional substance abuse counselor at the Carl Robinson Correctional Institution in Connecticut. He is also a member of Local 391 of Council 4. On Tuesday, he testified on Capitol Hill about the need for lawmakers to fund the Loan Repayment Program for Substance Abuse Treatment Workers.

Click here to view Shawn's testimony.

Using the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME as a jumping-off point, Council 4’s biennial conference served as a call to action to maintain strength and solidarity in the face of stern challenges ahead.

More than 200 members participated in the conference, which took place April 5-7 in Groton, and embraced the theme of “Our Union, Our Future” as we engaged further in the fight to protect our rights and freedoms.

“The Janus decision was supposed to be our funeral,” Executive Director Jody Barr said during his opening remarks to delegates. “But it wasn’t."

All-knowing sources of information. Tour guides to the highways and byways of history. The friendly voice of a morning story time. If that’s all you think of when you think of your library staff, you’d do well to meet some of AFSCME’s library workers, whose reach goes far beyond their libraries’ walls.

Today is National Library Workers Day, when we honor those professionals who keep our libraries running: librarians, technicians and other staff, including custodians, security and maintenance workers.

Fifty-one years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. traveled to Memphis to help rally the community around 1,300 AFSCME sanitation workers who had gone on strike.

In the 1980s, I was living and going to school in Minnesota when women who worked for state government won a big victory. They got the state to increase the pay of women in “female dominated jobs” by passing a pay equity bill. In other words, they put a dent in the gender pay gap. As a student, I researched and wrote about the process of crafting, passing and implementing that legislation. And I learned something that I have never forgotten: the union made it happen. And not just any union. Our union: AFSCME. 

Our union gained more than 9,000 dues-paying members and nearly 19,000 dues-paying retirees in the last year, suggesting that billionaires and corporations are failing in their effort to “defund and defang” public service unions.

Council 4, a union representing 30,000 workers across Connecticut, has donated $2,000 to support Veterans OASIS (Operation Academic Support for Incoming Service Members) at Manchester Community College.

Sandy DeCampos of AFSCME Local 991 (Town of Manchester), a member of the Council 4 Veterans Committee, presented OASIS Program Coordinator Michelle LaBelle with the donation from the union’s Veterans Committee.

Training union members to be strong advocates for their co-workers and defenders of their contractual rights and freedoms is a critical part of the AFSCME mission.

“Our union is only as strong as our activist core,” said Council 4 Education Coordinator Joe Aresimowicz. “That’s why we’re dedicated to providing training that meets the needs of our union members.”

The election of Council 4 AFSCME officers took place on March 15, 2019 at our union headquarters in New Britain, CT.

The results are as follows:

Executive Director
Jody Barr, 17,725 votes
Charles DellaRocco, 3,735

President
Bernie Bombardier, 17,544 votes
Ian Shackleton, 3,169 votes

Judicial Vice President Seat
Dana Beecham-Brown, 17,120 votes
Sotonye Otunba-Payne, 2,625 votes
Charles Marino, 983 votes

Workers in Missouri and New Mexico have chalked important victories against anti-worker laws that would have robbed them of their voices and the right to bargain collectively.

In Missouri, two separate anti-worker measures, HB 1413 and SB 1007, were halted by state courts last week.

Feb. 19, 2019: Leaders of the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) issued this response to Gov. Lamont's proposal to reduce future pension benefits:

Governor Lamont will deliver his first proposed budget to the General Assembly February 20th. In advance of that, union leaders, frontline workers – including an AFSCME Council 4 member – and community allies held a press conference on Feb. 11 urging him to reject years of austerity measures that have devastated working families.

They called on him to take a high road approach to build an economy that works for everyone.

Mark your calendars for the biennial Council 4 Conference, April 5-7, 2019 at the Mystic Marriot in Groton, CT.

We've got a busy and informative weekend planned. Highlights include workshops, our Member Recognition Dinner and our Women's Committee Gift Basket Charity Auction, which will benefit Safe Futures of New London, a shelter that helps victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

A pension is more than a promise to current and future retired workers. It’s a great way to attract and retain workers to public service. Just ask State Parole Officer James Long of AFSCME Local 1565 (NP-4 Department of Correction Bargaining Unit).

“A defined benefit plan is a much better retirement tool than a defined contribution plan,” he says. “It’s one of the main benefits that attracted to me public service.” 

New Britain, CT, Dec. 23, 2018 – AFSCME Local 1565, the union representing more than 1,900 front line prison employees raised concerns about safety and security after an inmate assaulted two correction officers at Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville.

The assault took place the evening of Dec. 22 at Corrigan, which is a level 3-4 high security prison. The injured correction officers received serious injuries which required hospitalization and have been released.

LAS VEGAS — More than 160 AFSCME members gathered in Las Vegas last week to lift up the voice of public service workers and move our union forward.  

At the AFSCME Volunteer Member Organizer Rise Up conference, VMOs from around the country attended skill-building training sessions and visited Nevada state employees to share the vision of improving the quality of public services and the lives of those who provide those services. 

Council 4 and other labor organizations are making it clear it’s time for the Commission on Fiscal Stability Economic Growth to move on after its privately-funded attacks on working people and collective bargaining failed to gain legislative session in 2018.

A federal court has ruled in favor of working families and against wealthy special interests in Danielson v. AFSCME Council 28, a case out of Washington state.  

LOS ANGELES — As fires burned in Northern and Southern California and the death toll continued to rise; as smoke engulfed nearby cities, prompting health warnings to stay indoors; and as survivors relocated to makeshift camps and hoped for the best, the best often

Pamela Knight, a child protective investigator with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Service (DCFS), was sent to check on the welfare of a child last fall. When she arrived at the child’s residence, the father viciously attacked her. She died months later as a result of the injuries she sustained during the attack.

This summer, I joined thousands of union members at a rally in Philadelphia to speak out against the Trump administration’s family separation policy. I was there to represent our union’s vision and values. We reject an immigration policy based on fear and cruelty. We embrace an immigration policy based on our common humanity, one that treats everyone with decency and dignity.

Council 4 will be collecting new, unused and unwrapped toys, and gift cards  through December 13, 2018.

We will donate toys and gift cards to the United Labor Agency, which helps Connecticut’s working families in need. (If you’d like to make a monetary contribution, please make your check payable to the United Labor Agency.)

All locals, individual members and employees of Council 4 who wish to participate in this effort may bring donations to Council 4 in New Britain. 

The best spokespeople for anyone running for elected office are everyday Americans spreading the word to their neighbors, co-workers, friends and relatives. That’s why public service workers who are AFSCME members came out this year across the nation to help elect candidates who support working families.

And we won big.

We won at every level of government and in almost every state. AFSCME members made our voices heard, helping our partners in For Our Future knock on 7.5 million doors and hold 925,000 conversations in targeted states.

Election Day is November 6, 2018. The stakes are higher than ever.

Council 4's legislative and political action program is geared toward defending our pay, benefits and voice on the job -- all of which are under attack by the same ultra-wealthy and corporate special interests that bankrolled the Janus v. AFSCME case, in which the Supreme Court nationalized "Right To Work For Less."

Larry Groh, Jr. is a retired Council 4 union member who wants to bring a working person’s perspective to the Connecticut General Assembly as he seeks to represent the 51st House District (Killingly, Putnam and Thompson) in the Nov. 6 election.

Groh is a retired member of Local 1565, one of three AFSCME bargaining units representing the NP-4 Department of Correction employees.

“I believe in unions and the right to organize,” he said. “I will support those rights at the General Assembly.”

As more Americans realize unions may be their best bet to reverse economic trends that favor the rich and powerful, the labor movement faces relentless attacks from the very forces that benefit the most from economic inequality. Shadowy front groups funded by billionaires spend millions of dollars attacking unions in the courts, in the media, and at the ballot box. 

At a time when our country needs real investments in infrastructure, education and public services, congressional leaders are doubling down on tax cuts for the rich.

It was 10 years ago this month that the 2008 financial crisis kicked into high gear. When storied Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers shut down, bankers walking out of the building carrying cardboard boxes of their possessions made the perfect image for TV cameras.

No politician running for office today would openly advocate for more wealth inequality in our country, where the richest 1 percent of the population owns 40 percent of the wealth. Even candidate Donald Trump in 2016 promised to stand up for the “forgotten men and women of our country,” who feel betrayed by a rigged economic system that benefits a small minority at their expense. Yet every single day, President Trump and congressional leaders seem determined to do more to increase wealth inequality than to alleviate it; do more for corporations and the wealthy than for single parents working two or three jobs to make ends meet.

The 2016-2021 collective bargaining agreement between the AFSCME NP-4 Corrections Bargaining Unit and the State of Connecticut is now available online.

Scroll down to view or download your copy:

Roughly 1,500 miles separate Hartford, Connecticut from Angola, Louisiana, but if one Council 4 Corrections Officer’s journey is any indication, those areas are closer than you think – especially in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s anti-union decision in Janus v. AFSCME.

Be sure to watch the brief video on this page featuring Leighton's reflections on why "Right to Work for Less" is harmful.

Members of the Council 4 Delegate Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a recommendation from our PEOPLE political action committee to formally endorse Ned Lamont in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

Delegates to our special June 12 meeting also accepted recommendations to endorse William Tong for Attorney General, Shawn Wooden for Treasurer, Jahana Hayes for Congress in the 5th District and several candidates for State Senate and State Representative.

A Republican legislative leader last week launched a politically motivated media attack on gains made by state employee unions. At issue are contractual bonuses due later this month as part of a 2017 agreement to protect jobs, extend benefits and preserve services. In reality, the true targets are the collective bargaining rights that secured them — rights which face an uncertain future in the wake of a recent U.S.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday issued its long-anticipated ruling in the Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 lawsuit — one that favors billionaires out to destroy America's labor movement. The 5-4 decision overturned a four decades-old precedent and has long been the goal of a shadowy network of deep-pocketed political operatives.

Any day now, the United States Supreme Court will issue a ruling on Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. This lawsuit aims to take away the freedom of public workers to join together in strong unions. When the highest court in the nation heard the case on February 26, the nine justices essentially heard arguments for and against Right to Work For Less for public sector workers across the nation.

AFSCME Local 1565 President Michael Tuthill issued this comment regarding the death of an inmate at Garner Correctional Institution being ruled a homicide:

When he first took a job at the Centralia Correctional Center in Illinois, Keith Kracht knew that a career in public service wouldn’t make him a millionaire. But then again, that’s not why he went into public service.

Out-of-state special interests have taken advantage of Connecticut’s Freedom of Information (FOI) laws to exploit your privacy. Funded by anti-worker billionaires, they have sent requests to multiple Connecticut agencies for their employees' names and personal information. They will likely initiate the same maneuver with municipalities and boards of education.

Rocky Hill, CT, May 26, 2018 – Council 4 union members kicked off the 2018 Memorial Day weekend as they have since 2003: with a big “thank you” to state military veterans.

 Their thanks came in the form of the Council 4 Veterans Picnic at the State Veterans Home in Rocky Hill. This year marked the 15th anniversary of the event, which over the years has raised nearly $200,000 to improve programs and facilities on the Rocky Hill campus and to help other veterans’ organization around the state.

Marine veteran Ron Coveney expressed appreciation for Council 4’s efforts.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders lashed out at the Trump administration after President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders to make it easier to fire federal workers and weaken their unions.

CEO pay for major companies in the United States rose nearly 6% in the past year, as income inequality and the outsourcing of good-paying American jobs have increased. According to the new AFL-CIO Executive Paywatch, the average CEO of an S&P 500 Index company made $13.94 million in 2017—361 times more money than the average U.S.

Don't fall for the scam.

NEW BRITAIN, CT — Members of the Council 4 Delegate Assembly tonight elected Jody Barr to be Executive Director of the union representing more than 30,000 public service workers in Connecticut.

Barr, a member of AFSCME Local 2836 (State University Organization of Administrative Faculty) received 25,284 votes to 1,756 votes for Charles DellaRocco, a member of AFSCME Local 749 (State Judicial Branch and Division of Criminal Justice.) The Executive Director's term is four years.

When AFSCME members stand together, we have power in numbers. Together, we can defend our freedom to take our loved ones to the doctor when they get sick and retire with dignity some day. Together, we have the power to make our voices heard at work and in our democracy. That’s our AFSCME Agenda.

Public service workers across the country are losing their foothold in the middle class. So says an article in The New York Times this week that serves as a reminder of why labor unions are more needed now than ever.

Against a backdrop of legislative and judicial attacks aimed at destroying the rights and freedoms of unionized workers – including the forthcoming Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 – more than 200 members of affiliated local unions and chapters helped chart a path forward during Council 4’s biennial business convention on April 14 in Farmington, CT.

Convention highlights included keynote remarks by Danny Homan, President of AFSCME Council 61, which represents public sector workers in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.

AFSCME Local 1565 member Leighton Vanderburgh was among the thousands of people who marched in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death and the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers’ strike.

“It was quite impactful,” Vanderburgh said. “People from all over the country came together to honor Dr. King and to reflect on the taking of his life. But they also came together because of the fights we have today and the attacks on labor.”

Less than three months after its inaugural meeting, the legislative Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth last Friday released its recommendations to the General Assembly. Considering the panel's domination by corporate executives, their proposals are unsurprisingly heavily tilted in favor of the ultra-rich. Still, their plan to silence the voices of Connecticut's working men and women are cause for genuine concern — and a call to action.

“Our union. Our choice. You’re not gonna take away our voice.”

That was the rallying cry of more than 200 union workers and community allies who rallied on the steps of New Haven City Hall today to protect the rights and freedom of workers to negotiate together and fight for decent and equitable pay, affordable health care, quality schools, and vibrant communities.

Leaders of Connecticut’s labor movement took a strong stand against attacks on working people in a wide-ranging presentation to the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, advocating an approach that invests in public services and structures, makes Connecticut's tax structure fairer, and provides workers with the security and purchasing power needed for sustainable growth.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
 

HARTFORD, Conn. – As the Connecticut General Assembly convenes today for the start of the 2018 session, unions representing thousands of Connecticut workers are standing together to demand the passage of bills that would support working people and strengthen communities in one of the most economically divided states in the nation. Together, union workers are supporting statewide bills that would provide:

During this time of giving and reflection, a new opportunity has emerged to help move toward a more prosperous future for all. Most Connecticut politicians have for the past two years refused to ask millionaires and corporations to pay their fair share to protect and preserve our state's quality of life. But passage last week of massive, permanent federal tax cuts for the nation's rich and powerful offers hope in 2018 for reclaiming needed resources on behalf of working families.

Our latest Council 4 Unplugged podcast takes on the topical issue of sexual harassment.

Our guests are Tanjorie Godwin (AFSCME Local 1565) and  Cathy Osten (CSEA-SEIU), who were among the union members who fought back against the culture of sexual harassment cultivated by Department of Correction management more than 12 years ago.

Godwin, who retired from DOC in 2015, and Osten, a three-term State Senator, say their unions made a big difference in advancing their fight for justice.

AFSCME members across the country, including Correctional Officer Matt Quigley from Local 1565 of Council 4, offer insight into how a Supreme Court case called Janus v. AFSCME threatens the rights and freedoms of all workers, union and non-union alike.

  • Click here to learn more from Matt and other AFSCME members, and join the fight to stand up for our union.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 7, 2017

Collin Provost, President of the Connecticut State Prison Employees Union, AFSCME Local 391 issued the following statement in response to the Department of Correction’s announcement today that it plans to close Enfield Correctional Institution:

For Immediate Release
Oct. 23, 2017

Council 4 members are responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last month to grant Certiorari in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, which would make the entire public sector “right-to-work” in one fell swoop.