Politics

"Ensuring a Brighter Future" through Equitable Investments

Wed, 05/24/2023 - 4:30pm
Despite a record state budget surplus, Governor Ned Lamont's proposed fiscal blueprint calls for destructive cuts to public higher education. Louise Williams (middle, in photo below), the president of our affiliated CSU-AAUP in a recently published opinion piece warned of the consequences; faculty and staff layoffs, student tuition hikes, program cuts and campus closures. She urged action so that "Rome does not have to burn in 21st-century Connecticut:"
 

Securing 'Hero Pay' for Unprecedented Service

Thu, 04/27/2023 - 12:30pm
The global COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly the greatest collective challenge our union members have faced in their lifetimes. Securing adequate compensation for the risks taken by frontline "essential" workers has been a daunting and often frustrating challenge. Our latest collective bargaining report highlights how public employee members tapped the power of "Union YES" to move a neutral arbitrator and state lawmakers to show appreciation for their sacrifice.
 

Advocating for those Who Have Been Historically Under-Resourced

Thu, 03/30/2023 - 5:30pm
Effectively teaching and supporting students, whether in PreK-12 or higher education settings, requires the entire school or college community to embrace a “whole child" approach. That is one of the central themes of a recently published op-ed by Christopher Trombly (speaking in photo, below), a member of our recently affiliated CSU-AAUP. It drives his demands for state elected officials to invest the resources needed to fund our state’s future on behalf of the students he and his colleagues serve:
 

Demanding Retirement Security for All

Fri, 02/24/2023 - 11:30am
Nearly 40 years ago, two provisions in the Social Security Act were created with the intent of equally treating workers who pay Social Security taxes throughout their careers and those who do not on all of their earnings. However, the provisions—the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO)—have caused nearly 2 million American workers to be denied benefits because they chose to enter public service. 
 

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

Tue, 01/31/2023 - 5:30pm
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.
 

Heeding the Warnings of a Care Catastrophe

Thu, 01/12/2023 - 3:30pm
Members of AFT Connecticut-affiliated local unions representing health professionals are raising awareness of dangerous conditions in their hospitals, clinics, school and community-based facilities. Danbury Nurses Union Unit 47 member Amanda Hutchins Warren, RN (in photo, below) in a recent opinion piece called out her employer's role in fueling a worsening patient care crisis. As chair of her facility's staffing committee, she also urged a more "holistic approach" than individual unit fixes:
 

Urging Solutions to the Student Learning Crisis

Thu, 12/08/2022 - 12:30pm
Everyone deserves a secure retirement - particularly those who have devoted their careers to the common good. Hartford Federation of Teachers - Retired chapter member Margaret Ricks (left, in photo below) and AFT Connecticut President Jan Hochadel (right) propose this shared value as foundational to solving the nation’s school staffing shortage. Together in a recent op-ed they urged elected officials to take action for our state’s students who "need and deserve highly qualified teachers at the head of their classrooms:"
 

Rejecting the "New Normal" of Gun Violence

Fri, 11/18/2022 - 5:30pm
For public school students and the teachers and education personnel who provide and support their learning, active shooter drills have become routine. Tiffany Moyer-Washington (in photo, below), a capstone and English Electives educator at Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy in a recent op-ed spoke for many of her colleagues in demanding better. The Hartford Federation of Teachers union member urges action because “this is not the world we want to live in:”
 

Report: Troubling Healthcare Staffing Crisis Detailed

Thu, 11/17/2022 - 11:30am
AFT, America's fastest-growing healthcare union, unveils a new report that includes strategies to improve the nation's healthcare facilities and concrete examples of successful implementation.
 

Taking Action to Resolve Windham’s Patient Care Crisis

Fri, 09/16/2022 - 2:30pm
Caregivers in the state's "Quiet Corner" are joining the growing chorus of their colleagues across the nation calling strikes when provoked by heartless health chains. Local AFT Connecticut-affiliated union leaders in a joint commentary explained how members reached this difficult decision. Windham Federation of Professional Nurses President Andrea Riley, RN, (left photo, below) and Windham Community Memorial Hospital (WCMH) Employees United President Heather Howlett, CA (right photo) collectively urged support from "all who share our concerns:"
 
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