Unions Condemn Lamont Veto of Pro-Worker Bill

 

Over 500 public and private sector union members from across the state gathered outside the Governor's Mansion on July 16 chanting: “What do we need? SB 8. When do we need it? Now!” Their picket line filled both sides of the street, overshadowing a Yankee Institute mobile billboard flashing the message: “Do Not Pass SB 8”

The bill would allow striking workers to receive unemployment insurance after two weeks. Would Governor Ned Lamont side with the workers who make the economy run, or side with the billionaires who seize all that wealth for themselves?

On June 23 Gov Lamont vetoed SB 8 making his choice clear. He said no to Connecticut workers even though workers in New York and New Jersey have long had this protection.

Union leaders from the Connecticut AFL-CIO, IAM Local 700, UNITE HERE, UFCW Local 371, and SEIU District 1199NE immediately responded..

Wayne McCarthy, President of IAM Local 700 at Pratt & Whitney, just coming off a 23 day strike for wages, pensions and job security emphasized “this legislation is necessary in order to ensure that companies enter into negotiations ready to bargain in good faith.”

“If SB 8 was enacted prior to our strike, there would have been a strong chance that the strike could have been averted all together,” said McCarthy. “Minimally, Pratt and Whitney’s executives would have reached out much earlier to resolve our labor dispute.”

The Connecticut AFL-CIO organized hundreds of testimonies, calls, visits and rallies. “This veto sends a clear message: Gov. Lamont is more concerned with protecting corporate profits than supporting the working people who make our economy run,” said president Ed Hawthorne. “I’d like to remind Gov. Lamont that Pratt & Whitney, Electric Boat and other large corporations are not his constituents. The thousands of hardworking people who work there are.”

Underscoring this critical moment Hawthorne added,  “Protecting working people in our state has only become more urgent since the Trump Administration has gutted the NLRB and severely weakened the ability to enforce existing worker protections.”

 

New Haveners Say “Resist this Endless War”

As the news broke last Saturday that Donald Trump had illegally ordered the bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran, peace activists in New Haven and around the country sprang into action.  A noon time rally at the corner of Park Street and Broadway in New Haven included signs that read "Resist this Endless War", "Silence is Not an Option", and "Bombings Spread Terrorism", as well as a picture of Trump with the words "War Head".  The signs and banners received many supportive honks from cars driving by, with a few drivers stopping to cheer, "Trump's gotta go!" and "Peace!".

The rally participants distributed printed copies to passers-by of a statement that the American Friends Service Committee issued on Saturday, June 21st.  "A clear majority of people across the U.S. political spectrum oppose war with Iran," the statement reads.  "Trump's direct attack on Iran has placed U.S. military personnel and citizens at increased risk...Last week, both the House and Senate introduced 'War Powers' legislation to block the executive branch from taking unilateral and unauthorized action.  We need members of Congress to speak out against this act of U.S. aggression and immediately pass these bills."

The urgent call for peace and avoiding a protracted U.S war with Iran comes on the heels of the growing international demand that the U.S. stop funding the Israeli government's wars on Palestine, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.  The only people benefiting from these horrific wars are weapons manufacturers and Trump's billionaire friends. Trump's billionaire budget is before Congress, threatening the largest transfer of wealth from working class people to billionaires in history and devastates funding for all human needs.. 

Demand Grows: ICE Out Of CT

ICE deportation police have been active in Connecticut, abducting children and parents from the street in unmarked vehicles. The communities where they live are calling for ICE to get out.

In Meriden, Kevin, age 15, was detained just before his graduation and flown to Texas. His family and classmates responded to the horror by organizing a walk in solidarity with him.

In New Haven a mother taking her two children to school was forcibly removed from her car and taken away leaving her children in panic. At a rally at the Federal Building later that week her daughter courageously spoke. “I need my mother,” she said, flanked by Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center and Leslie Blatteau, president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers. Mayor Justin Elicker shared his outrage, thinking about his own children of the same age and pledging New Haven will always remain a welcoming city.

In Southington four workers were snatched away from their job at a carwash and arrested. At that moment in Hartford union and immigrant organizations were holding an emergency rally at the State Capitol. It was one of dozens held around the country called by Service Employees International Union demanding the release of their California president David Huerta who was arrested while observing an ICE raid of his workers in Los Angeles. Huerta was released later that day and now faces federal charges of interference.

The rally at the New Haven Federal Building was joined by 150 community leaders, immigrant rights organizations, and allies to denounce this wave of unjust detentions, as well as to oppose attacks on social activists and the growing criminalization of social protest and migrant communities across the United States.

The crowd chanted along with Kica Matos, “We are a city of immigrants. ICE stay out of our city.”

Demands included: An end to ICE raids and the military’s involvement in immigration enforcement; Accountability for all agencies and officials; Protection for the right to protest; ICE out of CT; End Deportations NOW!

Peoples Center Re-opens Jobs and Unemployed Committee

 

Even before the threatened MAGA billionaire budget's massive cuts, as many as 40 percent of people in Connecticut have been living on the edge, struggling with food, housing and financial insecurity. A report from Data Haven shows the emergency need for more funding for basic needs, not less.

Addressing this crisis, the Peoples Center has re-opened its Jobs and Unemployed Committee. During the pandemic the Committee prepared and publicized information about increased federal funding that was available. Now, the information being amplified is where to go as funds are cut.

A Know Your Rights flier issued this week asks, “Worried about cuts to human needs funding? Looking for resources that can help? Turn fear into power. Know your rights. Organize.”

Information about how to “Make Your Voice Heard” features an appeal to call Connecticut Senators Blumenthal and Murphy to demand that everything be done to stop the people-hurting budget now before the US Senate.

The flier lists Resources for housing, food security, healthcare access, immigrant rights and diversity-equity-inclusion. Recognizing that the agencies and organizations attempting to bridge the gap have limited capacity, the Committee is pledged to help navigate resources with those in need as possible.

At the same time the Committee is geared to bring people together to demand fully funded state and cities by taxing the rich and cutting military and deportation funds.

Listed emergency Resources include:

CTLawHelp.org which provides self-help materials on housing, your rights, and how to file a Fair Rent Commission complaint in your town: Call 1-800-453-4420

Connecticut Food Share which has information about local food pantries and community kitchens and applying for SNAP Call 203-469-5000

The Office of the Health Care Advocate assists with accessing affordable health insurance or services, including Medicare, Husky, Access Health CT, Employer-Sponsored Insurance, and TRICARE. Call 866-466-4446

CT Immigrant Rights Community Resources has know your rights videos, legal resources, family preparedness, resources for schools, public events calendar. On-line at https://sites.google.com/view/ctimmigrantcommunityresources/home

State of Connecticut Judiciary Branch has information about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion rights. 1-800-833-8134

Contact the Peoples Center Jobs and Unemployed Committee at 203 624-8664.

Students and Teachers Demand Fully Funded Schools

 

New Haven Public School teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians, art educators, union leaders, parents, and students turned out in force to Monday night’s Board of Education hearing to use their voices, and powerful moments of silence, to show opposition to the devastating teacher cuts being proposed for next school year.

Trump's sweeping elimination of social programs and massive cuts to the Department of Education are making their direct impact on New Haven.  The national cuts, and Connecticut Governor Lamont's resistance to releasing the state's "rainy day" funds into educational spending, are leaving New Haven with a $16.5 million deficit for its school budget in the 2025-2026 academic year.  

New Haven's Superintendent of Schools made it known this past April that 129 teaching and coaching positions are at risk of being eliminated in the fall of 2025.  This would include 29 art teachers, 25 literacy and math coaches, 25 school librarians, 19 paraprofessionals, 4 clerical staff, and 27 other teachers.  Many of these positions, including all 25 school librarians in the district, have already been proposed for elimination.  

One teacher, who has served New Haven for 31 years, explained that between New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport, these three districts serve 49 percent of all Black and Brown students in the state, and all three of these districts have proposed librarian and reading coach layoffs.  “It is a question of equity,” she said in her powerful testimony.  New Haven Federation of Teachers Executive Vice President Jenny Graves emphasized that "management has not faced cuts to their wages or positions, while our student-facing teachers are in this unimaginable situation."  She also explained that a number of buildings that are not in use could be officially closed to save costs and save teachers' jobs.  

The New Haven paraprofessionals union, AFSCME Local 3429, took a particularly moving series of actions  during the hearing.  Union members signed up to testify, and whenever one of the local’s members was called up to speak, their entire union delegation approached the podium and stood in silence for the full three minutes of allotted time, holding up signs that said: “We Support Every Child.”  Their action was repeated at least 8 times during the hearing.

High school senior, student member of New Haven's Board of Education, and organizing leader Juan Carlos Serana Musser was given a standing ovation for his leadership in the battle to protect funding for New Haven’s Schools.  Juan Carlos and other high school students have organized hundreds of their peers in the last four months to testify at the capitol (March 19th), turn out to union and May Day rallies (May 1st and May 3rd), face arrest in civil disobedience (May 21st), and participate in coordinated school walkouts (May 30th), demanding the funding that they deserve for their education and supporting their teachers. 

Other students testified on Monday night about the profound impact that their teachers have had on their lives, and how angry they feel that their teachers are being targeted by the budget cuts.  The students' efforts have gotten legislators' attention, and have demonstrated their mature solidarity with the labor movement.  

The bottom line?  As Trump and his billionaire friends continue to completely devastate our country's resources for every day working families, the people continue to fight back.  New Haven's Public Schools and community are standing strong and unified in the face of unprecedented attacks.