House Bill Simplifies and Fixes PSLF, Overhauls Higher Education
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.
A Decade Later: Four Ways Working People Are Still Paying for the 2008 Financial Crisis
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.
Never Quit: Ellington DPW Crew Saves a Fellow Member's Life
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 an...
Caught in Limbo: AFSCME Member Struggles with Student Loan Forgiveness
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 sha...
AFSCME Helps Donate Water Filters to Puerto Rico
More than a month after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, nearly 1 million Americans (of the 3.5 million who live on the island) still have no drinking water. In a sign of how desperate the situation is, residents have resorted to collecting water from contaminate...
2020 Minimum Wage Hikes to Benefit 7 Million Working People
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.
AFSCME Local 1303 and AFSCME Local 818 College Scholarships Now Available
Two of Council 4's union chapters are offering scholarships for the children of members who plan to attend college in 2018-19:AFSCME Local 818, representing municipal supervisory employees throughout Connecticut, will be awarding three $500.00 scholarships this year to...
Local 1303-085 Members in Middletown Mark National Library Workers Day
The staff and administration of Russell Library in Middletown took time out April 10 to mark National Library Workers Day.“There is no better time than National Library Workers Day to salute the contributions of our dedicated employees who make this institution a vibran...
Candidates Endorsed for Feb. 26 Special Elections
The Council 4 Delegate Assembly has endorsed the following pro-union candidates for the upcoming special legislative elections on Feb. 26:
Across the Nation, Workers Are Striking Like It’s 1986
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%).
Workers Memorial Day: "Pray for the Dead, Fight Like Hell for the Living"
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 Apr...
An AFSCME Strong Victory for Injured CT Police Officers
Three years ago, Bridgeport, Connecticut, Police Lt. Paul Grech of AFSCME Local 1159, Council 4 suffered a broken neck on the job when a civilian motorist crashed her car into his city vehicle.“Without surgery, I’d have been in a wheelchair,” the 19-year veteran said ab...
Council 4 Members Dedicated to Protecting A Vital Lifeline
It’s hard to imagine nearly 700,000 Americans going hungry, but that’s the anticipated impact of a harsh rule change imposed by the Trump administration for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).In Connecticut, Council 4 members like Bill Seedman of AFSCM...
Angelo Callis: An Advocate for Norwich Youth and Unions
Council 4's Meet a Member profile focuses on AFSCME Local 2422 member Angelo Callis, who retired last month after 34 years with the City of Norwich. If you know a Council 4 member you'd like to see featured, please contact Larry Dorman at ldorman@council4.org.
Memphis "I AM 2018" Journey Inspires Correctional Officer
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 impactfu...
Court Case Threatens Health Care for Millions
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 prov...
Groton City Police Vote To Join Council 4
Council 4 is pleased to welcome the nearly 30 members of the City of Groton Police Department to our union family.“We were impressed with everything we saw about Council 4,” said Sgt. Steven Smith, the Local Union President. “The depth of this organization will provide...
Council 4 Delegates Convention Affirms Fight for Our Freedom
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 helpe...
Public Service Loan Forgiveness: A Broken Promise
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 L...
Council 4 Conference Charts Path Forward In Post-Janus World
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...
Mobilizing for the 2019 Municipal Elections
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 PEOP...
The Numbers Are In: AFSCME Members Are Sticking with Their Union
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.
State Public Defenders Got Their Union. Now They Have a Contract.
Two years after forming a union through AFSCME to gain a voice in their workplace, Connecticut’s public defenders now have a collective bargaining agreement to cap their organizing efforts.
New Contract Boosts New Haven Housing Authority Workers
The power of collective bargaining to improve the lives of union members can be witnessed in New Haven, where the members of AFSCME Local 713, representing clerical and maintenance employees at Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of New Haven (HANH), recently ratifie...