Legislative Action Alert: Public Hearing on PTSD Coverage Set for Nov. 22
On Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, the General Assembly’s Labor Committee will hold an important public hearing on expanding PTSD coverage under workers’ compensation to include Correction Officers and other workers. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Room 1D of the...
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.
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...
“Time to Raise Up Workers!” Connecticut Unions Declare at Start of Legislative Session
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, February 7, 2018 HARTFORD, Conn. – As the Connecticut General Assembly convenes today for the start of the 2018 session, unions representing thousands of Connecticut workers are standing together to demand the passage of bills that would...
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...
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.
Cool Under Pressure
The work Joe Martinez does for the Los Angeles County Fire Department is emblematic of countless AFSCME members: he’s never in the spotlight and he’s always under pressure while lives are on the line.
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...
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...
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...
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...
Protecting Nurses During National Nurses Week
During National Nurses Week, we celebrate the heroes who, with skill and compassion, care for the sick. This year, we’re honoring their hard work and dedication by supporting the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, a bill that s...
Trickster Alert: Anti-Union Forces Coming After Your Privacy and Your Rights
Out-of-state special interests have taken advantage of Connecticut’s Freedom of Information (FOI) laws to exploit your privacy. Funded by anti-worker billionaires, they have sent requests to multiple Connecticut agencies for their employees' names and personal informati...
Unions Are A Riding Popular Wave, Attracting Millennials
Labor unions are continuing to gain momentum, with the latest proof coming from a new Gallup poll, which shows that 64 percent of Americans approve of unions, a near 50-year high.More and more people, regardless of political party, view unions as essential to levelling...
At Last. Congress Authorizes Permanent 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund
After years of debate and delay, Congress has finally passed a bill to ensure that first responders who suffered health problems after responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks will receive health care and other compensation for as long as they live.
They're "Re-Membering" To Stick With Their Union
As more Americans realize unions may be their best bet to reverse economic trends that favor the rich and powerful, the labor movement faces relentless attacks from the very forces that benefit the most from economic inequality. Shadowy front groups funded by billionair...
New Year's Day or Groundhog Day?
During this time of giving and reflection, a new opportunity has emerged to help move toward a more prosperous future for all. Most Connecticut politicians have for the past two years refused to ask millionaires and corporations to pay their fair share to protect and pr...
Council 4 Members Call Janus Case An Assault on Our Freedom
For Immediate ReleaseOct. 23, 2017Council 4 members are responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last month to grant Certiorari in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, which would make the entire public sector “right-to-work” in one fell swoop.
Janus Vs. AFSCME: Get the Facts, Stay Union Strong
Any day now, the United States Supreme Court will issue a ruling on Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. This lawsuit aims to take away the freedom of public workers to join together in strong unions. When the highest court in the nation heard the case on February 26, the nine j...
The Union Label: Council 4 Members Among Endorsed Candidates Who Win Local Races
Winter brings a special set of challenges to the worklife of AFSCME Local 818 member Michael Thompson, who for the last four years has served as the Superintendent of Field Services for the New Britain Department of Public Works.A 31-year veteran of city employment, Tho...