Politics

Rejecting the Failure to Deliver Shared Prosperity

Fri, 05/19/2017 - 5:00pm
The governor and lawmakers from both parties this past week released three separate proposals for narrowing wider state budget gaps anticipated in the next two fiscal years. These political leaders once again failed to offer long-term solutions that would grow the economy or commonsense strategies to stop endless cycles of deficits. Instead, their latest proposals rely heavily on austerity policies that would unfairly balance the budget on the backs of working families.
 
Click here for a side-by-side comparison of the proposals.
 

Spotlight: Serving Her Community as Nurse and Councilor

Thu, 03/30/2017 - 4:00pm
Despite providing the majority of direct and supportive patient care in the field, women historically have not held an equivalent share of leadership positions in hospitals or healthcare organizations. A similar imbalance exists in American politics and is evident in elected offices ranging from local school boards to Congress. During the month in which women's history month is celebrated, we're spotlighting a union member bucking these trends and "trailblazing" within the labor movement, in her industry and her community.
 

Demanding Answers from Judge Gorsuch

Fri, 03/17/2017 - 5:30pm
The Senate's Judiciary Committee on Monday will convene confirmation hearings in Washington, D.C. for President Trump's nominee to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS). The impact of the eventual vote on Judge Neil Gorsuch's bid cannot be overstated. That's why union members are joining with consumer, social justice and women's rights advocates to ensure federal lawmakers fulfill their constitutional "advice and consent" duties.
 
Click here to urge Connecticut's U.S. Senators demand Judge Gorsuch reveal where he stands on the issues.
 

Protecting Immigrant Students, Educators and Caregivers

Sun, 02/19/2017 - 12:45pm
In classrooms and on campuses across the nation, undocumented youth, from preschoolers to college students, are terrified. Young people with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status as well as visa-contingent educators and healthcare professionals fear that changing policies could jeopardize their safety. In an increasingly  hostile political climate, national, state and local union leaders have stepped up to defend communities, demand fairness and corral resources to help.
 
Click here for our national union's resources for immigrant communities.
 

Time to be "All In" for Better Choices at the Capitol

Wed, 02/08/2017 - 6:45pm
The governor in his annual state budget address today presented numerous proposals that will have significant implications for every one of our union members and their families. His plan to close shortfalls in the 2018-19 fiscal year won't just impact teachers and classroom aides, higher education faculty, nurses and caregivers, probation officers and revenue collectors. Students, patients and all who depend on our members will also feel the effects of funding changes and cuts for vital state and local public health, education, and safety services.
 
Click here for the governor's full speech to the General Assembly.
 

Taking Our First Stand to "Keep Us Covered"

Wed, 01/25/2017 - 12:30pm
Tens of thousands of advocates, caregivers and elected officials earlier this month rallied in cities across the country to stand up to renewed threats to gut Americans' healthcare coverage. The nationwide protests were the first step to oppose attacks by congressional Republicans and the new president on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and vital supports like Medicare and Medicaid. Members of AFT Connecticut-affiliated unions braved the cold on January 15 for a demonstration quickly organized at the State Capitol in Hartford.
 

Raising Our Voices Together in 2017

Wed, 01/04/2017 - 4:45pm
Everyone in Connecticut will be impacted by the issues raised today at the Capitol in Hartford in Governor Dannel P. Malloy's annual "State of the State" speech. For our union members who provide education, health, safety, and other vital public services that depend on lawmakers to adequately fund them, his words carried particular resonance. That's because the budget the governor proposes next month will have significant consequences for their students, their patients and their communities.
 
Click here for the governor's full speech.
 

The Challenge of Precarious Labor in Higher Ed

Fri, 12/23/2016 - 2:00pm
The landscape of America's working world continues to shift, with the number of unstable — and, often, part-time — jobs, low pay and exploitative conditions increasing at a rapid rate. At a daylong Washington, D.C., conference earlier this month, union leaders, policy experts and academics examined the contingent labor force and how to ensure fair working conditions for all. Much of the discussion centered on the issues impacting higher education adjunct faculty and graduate student employees; two groups participating in a "day of action" next month here in Connecticut.
 

Urging the President-Elect to "Stop the Hate"

Wed, 11/23/2016 - 4:30pm
Labor, civil rights and faith leaders are calling on President-elect Donald Trump to unequivocally denounce hate-fueled acts of harassment, vandalism and even assault taking place since his election. More than 100 groups, representing more than 10 million Americans, have signed on to a November 18 letter from our national union and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
 

Standing Up to the Swindle of Public Services

Fri, 10/14/2016 - 5:30pm
The now-infamous scheme by pharmaceutical firm Mylan to squeeze profits from patients through predatory price hikes on its life-saving EpiPens is widely known. Less well known is the company's tax avoidance scam two years earlier, part of a growing trend among corporations to exploit loopholes and enable politicians to push harmful austerity policies.
 
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