Retirement Security

State Employees Defend a Voice for All Working People

Tue, 02/28/2017 - 5:00pm
Thousands of union members last week packed the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Hartford to express their opposition to a dozen bills threatening a voice for all working people. The legislation — all sponsored by Republican lawmakers — drew condemnation from a diverse cross-section of the state's labor movement. Public employees in particular turned out in force to denounce the most egregious proposals jeopardizing their fundamental collective bargaining rights.
 
Click here for press reporting on the legislative hearing.
 

Public Sector Compensation Myths Debunked

Thu, 12/15/2016 - 1:00pm
A respected non-partisan research organization has exposed a deceptive attack on Connecticut public employees designed to diminish the effectiveness of the vital services they deliver. An Economic Policy Institute (EPI) study released last week discredits oft-repeated claims by anti-union special interests that public-sector workers in Connecticut are “overcompensated."
 
Click here for the study.
 

Agreement Reached to Shore Up State Employees' Retirement Security

Fri, 12/09/2016 - 12:30pm
Representatives of the 15 unions in the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) yesterday reached agreement with the administration of Governor Dannel P. Malloy to restructure state employee pension fund payments. The agreement does not impact members' retirement benefits or require increased employee contributions; it does, however, stabilize pensions by ensuring obligations to current and future retirees are fully funded.
 
Click here for the signed memorandum of understanding (MOU).
 

Assistant Attorneys General Unite for a "Voice and a Seat at the Table"

Wed, 10/19/2016 - 10:30am
Hartford - Assistant attorneys general (AAGs) by a nearly 2-to-1 margin have voted in favor of union representation in an election overseen by the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations (SBLR). The ballots cast by the bargaining unit of 179 legal professionals employed by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) were counted yesterday following two weeks of voting by mail.
 

Labor Day 2016: Why America Needs a Strong Movement for Working People

Mon, 09/05/2016 - 12:30pm
Our national union president in her annual Labor Day message reminds us how a strong labor movement has helped workers, our communities, the economy and our democracy grow and thrive. Randi Weingarten additionally uses the occasion to call on all our members to join her in taking action to support policies that make it easier, not harder, to join a union:
 

Attorneys Organize for a More Stable, Secure Future

Fri, 09/02/2016 - 5:00pm
The week before Labor Day, assistant attorneys general (AAGs) and public defenders (PDs) filed petitions for union representation with the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations (SBLR). Approximately 200 AAGs in the Office of the Attorney General have recently begun organizing with AFT Connecticut's assistance. At the same time, approximately 172 PDs with the Division of Public Defender Services have united with Council 4 AFSCME's help.
 

Spotlight: Retirees Demonstrate "Senior" Activism

Sat, 08/20/2016 - 10:30am
Retired members of AFT Connecticut-affiliated unions do not fit easily into popular, preconceived notions of life after employment; particularly those who remain engaged in the labor movement. Tomorrow is National Senior Citizens Day, and we're taking time to spotlight a few who not only defy stereotypes, but who exemplify "seniority" in both knowledge and experience.
 

A New Years' Message to Our Members

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 4:30pm
As we enter 2016, I find myself looking for positives in the labor movement and it's easy to become discouraged. I hear politicians and big corporations blaming the poor, people of color and immigrants for the disappearance of the middle class and worsening income inequality. The real issues we face are obscured by political sideshow.
 

Comments on GOP Legislators' Alternative State Budget

Fri, 04/24/2015 - 3:00pm
Melodie Peters, president of AFT Connecticut, made the following remarks in response to state budget proposals announced today by Republican legislative leaders:
 

Is There a Public Sector Retirement Crisis?

Fri, 03/13/2015 - 4:30pm
A panel of nationally known experts on pensions -- particularly, on retirement plans for public employees -- gathered this week at AFT's national headquarters to debate the question of whether there is a pension crisis in the country. The event was the latest installment in the Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education Conversation Series, sponsored by the AFT and the Albert Shanker Institute.
 
Click here to watch the introduction to the March 11 event.
 
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