Power at the bargaining table is built in the workplace, at city hall and in the community long before negotiations begin. Our latest quarterly collective bargaining report highlights how one PreK-12 affiliate used year-long organizing and tactical escalation to secure a major victory on the brink of arbitration. Their story offers tangible lessons for labor activists seeking to build the rank-and-file power necessary to make long-term economic gains and worksite improvements.
Leaders of our AFT Connecticut-affiliated New Haven Federation of Teachers launched their campaign with a clear goal: engage members at an unprecedented scale to settle before the statutory arbitration deadline.
“We see opportunities for hands-on learning in everything we do, and this most recent round of negotiations was no exception,” said local union President Leslie Blatteau (front row, third from left, in photo above). “That is why we opened up the process. We started last January, meeting regularly and surveying over 80% of our members to ensure that it’s not just union leadership at the table. The voices, needs and concerns of our members – and our students – were front and center.”
Talks began in September with support from both AFT Connecticut Field Representative Emily Demicco and legal counsel Eric Chester. Despite the union’s proactive approach, district administrators stalled, rejecting reasonable proposals designed to improve both student learning environments and educator working conditions.
By mid-December, after months of district foot-dragging, the negotiating committee declared an impasse. They took the fight to the public, holding a City Hall press conference to demand that elected officials avert mandatory arbitration.
“We must do better – and we can do it together if we act fast,” Ben Scudder (second from left, back row, above) told a crowd of city and district officials, reporters and union members. “There is still a chance for us to negotiate a contract that truly reflects the best interests of our students. New Haven cannot afford to lose hundreds of teachers – like me. But if we don’t negotiate a fair contract, we will. And it will be our students who pay the price.”
The political pressure worked. Days before arbitration was set to begin, the committee and the district reached a tentative three-year agreement.
Key wins in the new contract include:
- General Wage Increases: Raises above the state average with annual step movement for all members.
- Healthcare Savings: A shift to allocation rates that reduce employee costs over the life of the contract.
- Work-Life Balance: Preserved workday schedules, pre-holiday early dismissals, and protected time for itinerant members and pre-school preparation.
- Future Protections: A commitment to meet in year two to address class size and enrollment issues.
“We also know there is still a lot of work to be done,” said local union Vice President Jenny Graves (front row, second from left, above). “In the richest state in the richest country in the world, our students should receive a world-class education and safe and welcoming schools that are fully staffed. However, we are the unfortunate characters in the tale of two Connecticuts where wealthy communities thrive, and communities like New Haven struggle to make ends meet.”
Union members overwhelmingly ratified the pact earlier this month. The contract, subsequently approved by the Board of Education, takes effect July 1.
Since our October report, five more affiliates have announced collective bargaining wins:
- Meriden Federation of Teachers
- West Hartford Federation of Residential Counselors
- Meriden Federation of School-Based Registered Nurses
- North Branford Federation of Teachers
- Salem Federation of Teachers
Two additional pending and finalized settlements, as well as a grievance case win, will be included in a future update.
