Teacher Contract Rally Builds the Movement for Fully Funded Schools

 

The future of public education and the New Haven community is being shaped as teachers bargain for a new contract, involving their membes, students, parents and the community in unprecedented ways.

At a contract rally outside King-Robinson School held while the School Board met inside, dozens of teachers raised their hands to cheers, saying this was their first every rally.

“We are fired up and ready to go,” said New Haven Federation of Teachers president Leslie Blatteau. “In a time when democratic institutions are increasingly under attack, it's our unions who are the line of resistance, building the networks we need to organize and fight back.”

The union's contract negotiations team is groundbreaking. Bulletins are issued for every school after each bargaining session to keep members up to date and allow for input. Observers are present at each negotiating session, bringing along their testimonies.

The rally expressed the power of collective action, and showed the love of these teachers for their students. The union explained the demands they are fighting for along side students, parents and community organizations like New Haven Rising.

“NHFT members are committed to real solutions for our kids - Lower class sizes, caseload caps, better maintained facilties, protections for LGBTQIA+ and immigrant students, and academic freedom in our classrooms.” said Blatteau.

“NHFT members also deserve the salary, and the respect, that matches teachers in other districts. We deserve affordable healthcare thru the State Partnership Plan - without the headache of deductibles and the threat of medical debt.”

Despite raises, take home pay for the teachers is less this year because of Aetna's greedy increases in healthcare coverage. Instead of just complaining the union explored other options and found that municipalities can pool resources for health coverage through the State Partnership Plan 2.0

“The city and the BOE make choices with their budgets every year. It's time - this year - that they make a choice that shows they stand with our teachers and our kids. Let's go.,” said Blatteau.

Union Retirees Honor Activists on the Front Lines

“Organize, mobilize, agitate” was the watchword from Alliance for Retired Americans director Rich Fiesta at the packed awards luncheon of Connecticut ARA.

The room was filled with retirees active to protect social security, medicare, medicaid and all hard won rights. A special celebration hailed three years of organizing, initiated by CT ARA, that won repeal of WEP/GPO. No longer would public sector workers be denied full Social Security benefits if they held second jobs. President Joe Biden was introduced at the signing ceremony by CT ARA president Bette Marafino. Appreciation was shown to the leaders of the grass roots campaign at the luncheon. CT AFL-CIO president Ed Hawthorne praised the retirees as the backbone of the labor movement.

Accepting the Charlene Block Award, State Rep Jan Hochadel , also president of AFT Connecticut, reaffirmed her fight for and with seniors and working people.

The Kevin Lynch award was presented to Tom Connolly for his years of leadership in the labor movement. Excerpts of his inspiring call to action follow:

Tom Connolly: Unite, Fight, Win

Dr. Martin Luther King warned us of the possibility of a “native form of fascism in America.” And that is what the Trump/MAGA agenda is attempting

to do.

As we sit here today, someone — somewhere — is being zip tied and taken away by heavily armed masked ICE agents with no due process and shipped off to prison. We have deep cuts coming to SNAP food stamps and Medicaid — so the rich can get richer.

They’re firing and stripping labor contracts from our union sisters and brothers at the federal level, dismantling the NLRB, and threatening the 2026 elections through gerrymandering, voter suppression, and using military force in our cities.

Project 2025, funded by millionaires and billionaires, is designed to hold power — at any cost. Lying, cheating, stripping rights, blocking democracy — it’s all part of their plan.

One thing we know for sure: If we roll over and do nothing — they will roll right over us. We are not going to let that happen. We are going to fight. We are going to unite. And we are going to win.

We’ve already seen what unity can do. On October 18th, over 7 million people took part in the NO KINGS Rally, joined by millions more around the globe. We are not alone.

Look at this tremendous ARA victory — winning the fight to repeal WEP / GPO impacting the lives of hundreds or thousands of people. Many thought it was impossible — but it happened through organizing. When ARA won — they didn’t quit. They reorganized now to protect income security.

Another example is my retiree union, CSEA Retirees Council 400, where I had the honor of serving as Vice President of our 12,000-member organization and now chair our Legislative Action Committee. What holds us together is what keeps us alive — our pensions, our healthcare, and Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

But we also have to look beyond just one contract or one campaign. On the national level, the Trump/MAGA fascist agenda continues. SNAP, food stamps cuts, go into effect next month. That’s why groups like the CT for All Coalition matter. It brings together labor, community, and faith organizations to fight for taxing wealth to meet the needs of multi-racial working-class and disenfranchised — and linking our local fights to the larger national struggle.

We have to come together because if every working person’s boat isn’t lifted, those left behind become easy targets for Trump’s lies — that he cares about them, and unions don’t. We know that’s not true. But we have to show it’s not true — by standing and fighting with others.

There is an even broader fight. Capitalism works for billionaires but it disenfranchises us. If we learned anything from Project 2025 it’s that this system is for the few—it’s not for the many. We the many can win big changes for our rights and future if we organize, and stand in solidarity, we can even put socialism on the agenda.

Back in the 1970s I joined the anti-poverty movement, and stayed in it for the rest of my life. Someone invited me to New Haven to hear a candidate running for Congress on the Communist Party USA ticket — Joelle Fishman. She spoke softly but with conviction: “We have to tax the rich, cut the military budget, meet community needs, protect labor rights, and end racism and other forms of discrimination.” When she finished, I said, where do I sign? That vision — that hope — gives me the strength to see the light at the end of the tunnel to solve some major problems.

I accept this award not just for myself, but for all of us — for everyone who fights, organizes, and believes that we can create a world with true liberty and justice for all. Thank you and let’s continue to take care of each other and go out and MAKE GOOD TROUBLE!

No Kings – No Billionaires Massive CT Turnout

Thousands in Connecticut turned out at 50 No Kings rallies across the state on October 18. From 12,000 in Hartford to several thousands in New Haven, Stamford, Westport, Guilford, Glastonbury, New London, and many smaller towns, a collective voice gave hope.

Speakers from Indivisible, unions, civil liberties, immigrant rights and elected officials urged continued action to block the cruel policies of MAGA / Trump and emphasized the need to get out the vote.

In New Haven, Unite Here leader Rev Scott Marks made a ringing call for solidarity to stop the attacks and move forward for economic and social justice. Leslie Blatteau New Haven Federation of Teachers president drew from the lessons of the African American civil rights movement.

In Hartford, SEIU and AFT members and CT Students for a Dream marched to the Capitol with postcards to the Governor demanding spending priorities for the people not billionaires, in support of immigrant families and protecting the social safety net They joined a massive and peaceful crowd.

In New London, Ed Hawthorne, CT AFL-CIO president, said unions are the answer to the war on workers. Pointing to the dockyard across the Thames River, Hawthorne congratulated the UAW for standing up to Electric Boat, being ready to strike, and winning historic wage increases. This “bottom up” organizing was the way to build a better society.

3,000 people rallied under the Soldiers and Sailors Monument to tell Trump he is not a king, and say no to dictatorship and war. They want peace, democracy, and human rights. As the square filled, people stood across the street and high above in the parking garage.

Hung between two street lamps, a banner read “WE THE PEOPLE!” A young student read the Declaration of Independence citing the invasion of our cities, the lawless and violent attacks on our immigrant communities to say Donald Trump is more lawless than King George.

Rep. Courtney and Sen. Blumenthal decried Trump's reckless attacks on democracy. The audience thundered with applause when Blumenthal said he would hold the line to defend healthcare.  More than ever, it was important to remain united.

Food Service Workers Win a New Contract

 

Foodservice workers at Southern Connecticut State University and Central Connecticut are celebrating a major win after successfully ratifying a new union contract with Sodexo. The agreement, reached after intense negotiations, delivers substantial improvements in wages, benefits, and job protections.

Over the four-year life of the contract, workers will receive a total of $8.18 in wage increases. In addition to the pay bump, the deal includes access to union-sponsored health insurance, an upgraded dental plan, a pension, and strengthened job security provisions, marking a significant step forward for the campus’s foodservice team.

The path to this agreement wasn’t easy. Bargaining began early in the day and stretched late into the night, finally concluding around 2 a.m. when Southern and Central union stewards and representatives from Local 217 UNITE HERE reached a formal agreement with Sodexo’s leadership. The new contract sets the tone for labor relations at Southern for the next four years.

This is a historic victory for the Southern workers," said Steward Nicholas McDonald. "We faced down Sodexo and proved we won't back down, we fought for our dignity and respect and we won better wages and benefits for our future.”

This hard-fought victory is resonating beyond Southern’s campus. Foodservice workers at Western Connecticut State University, who are currently in their own contract talks with Sodexo, are drawing inspiration and momentum from Southern’s success. The newly ratified agreement signals that meaningful gains are within reach for other unionized Sodexo employees across the state.

Local 217 UNITE HERE praised the determination and solidarity of Southern’s workers, emphasizing that their persistence helped secure a contract that reflects their value and contributions to campus life. As negotiations continue at other Connecticut state universities, Southern’s breakthrough stands as a powerful example of what collective action can achieve.

Tenants Uphold Right to Organize at Sunset Ridge

 

New Haven, CT — Tenants from the Sunset Ridge Apartments spoke out at a press conference urging their corporate landlord, Capital Realty Group (CRG), to cease union-busting and intimidation tactics at the sprawling, 312-unit complex.

The Sunset Ridge Apartments are home to hundreds of New Haven residents, mostly workers not earning enough in wages to afford market-rate rentals. The complex is designated as low-income housing tax-credit property (LIHTC), so most tenants pay a slightly below-market rent but do not benefit from income-based rent subsidies.

April, who has lived in the complex for 21 years, took the mic to recall how beautiful it was when she first moved in, kid friendly and well maintained. Never was there a mouse or roach problem, she said, until five years ago when Capital took over. Now, pests are out of control. When her 93 year-old mother's apartment flooded repeatedly. Capital told her to move.

"Their answer to fix something is just move. At 93 years." exclaimed CT Tenants Union organizer Luke Melonakos.

Juan said his rent has kept going up, but repairs like replacing a carpet in bad condition, are not taken care of. “If they raise the rent they've got to fix it.” he declared.

Along with community allies, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker stood in solidarity with the tenants seeking to organize a union, sending a message to Capital Realty Group that the right to organize is fundamental and in New Haven, it is still respected! In 2022 New Haven was the first city in Connecticut to adopt an ordinance establishing a process to recognize tenant unions.

Issues uniting the tenants include mice and roach infestations; widespread mold; water leaks and sewage problems; heat/hot water outages; repeated false claims of owed rent; and predatory towing without notice.

Like the recently organized union at Park Ridge Apartments, also owned by Capital Realty Group, some tenants receive rapid repairs while others are left for weeks or months with unsafe conditions. 

In escalating attempts to stop tenants from unionizing. Capitol Realty Group staff have: called the police on tenants speaking with their neighbors about forming a union. They have accused union organizers of “being with ICE” and blamed the widespread pest infestations on “tenants being dirty”. Two CT Tenants Union representatives visiting residents were served “no trespass notices” among many other acts of intimidation.

While banning CTTU organizers and journalists from speaking with the residents and creating an environment of surveillance and intimidation to discourage tenants from speaking with each other, Capital Realty Group has openly supported, encouraged, and funded (including a bouncy house and large meal) a so-called “Sunset Ridge Tenant Union.” This “tenant union” is run by an un-elected board that includes at least one confirmed CRG employee.

This attempt by a corporate landlord to establish a “company tenant union,” is from the playbook of corporate tactics used to bust labor unions and prevent workers from forming their own organization.

Despite the environment of intense repression, Sunset Ridge tenants are fighting back. They seek to join the nationwide movement of tenant unionization at CRG-owned properties in their fight for dignified housing. Renters in Detroit, Kansas City, Billings, and Louisville, and across town in New Haven, have already formed majority unions and are pushing for a bargaining process with the principles of CRG—Moshe Eichler and Sam Horowitz—over the deteriorating conditions of their homes.

Hannah Srajer, president of the tenants union, repeated that Capital Realty sends one message to tenants: Dont get together to solve your problems. She said very soon the union would enter its next organizing stage: Tenants getting their neighbors to sign union cards. "We support the drive until we go all the way. This will be the 8th union across country."

Peter Fousek, secretary treasurer of the union explained why we were out here.

“We are here,” said Peter Fousek, Secretary treasure of the union, “because tenants have to have one, two or three jobs, and work 70 hours per week to pay their rent, yet suffer health threats in their apartments.”

Despite the mice and roach problems the rent keeps going up. “We are here, he said, “to celebrate tenants fighting.”

When tenant union leaders met with the owner Moshe Eichler., he welcomed tenants negotiations and agreed to no retaliation to union tenant union organizers.

“He forgot what he promisedm” said Fousek. “We are here to remind him what he said. That means not following tenants. Not telling tenants who they can bring into their apartments, their friends, neighbors, or the press. Freedom of speech means we can talk. We are ready to take Eichler up on his offer for good faith negotiations.”