Students Demand Yale Divest from Military Production

Yale students demanding the University's $40 billion endowment divest from military production investments “including those profiting from Israel's genocidal war on Gaza,” have captured national attention.

After gathering for a week of teach-ins, book exchange, poetry and art at Beinecke Plaza in advance of the Yale Board of Trustees weekend meeting, the students erected tents and established an encampment on Friday April 19. Hundreds of students and allies came in solidarity.

On Sunday night students refused an offer to meet with the Trustees because their demand for disclosure of investments and divestment from military production would not be considered.

Early Monday April 22 University police removed and arrested 47 students who received misdemeanors. The protest moved to the busy public intersection of College and Grove Streets, shutting down traffic for a day. New Haven police said they would not interfere with a peaceful protest.

By agreement, the protest moved to Yale's Cross Campus at 5 pm where the protest continues daily. Yale Jews for Ceasefire (J4C) held a “Seder in the Streets” on that first night of Passover calling on Yale and the U.S. government to “stop starving Gaza” and “stop arming Israel.”

Earlier in the week J4C sang “We Shall Not be Moved” in Hebrew. Civil Rights Movement songs and performances of all genres have brought people together alongside beautiful posters memorializing Palestinian academics killed by Israeli arms.

Yalies 4 Palestine, a leader of the encampment and protest, joined in coalition with other campus groups to organize the actions. A large percentage of students have taken part. Conservative campus groups have held counter protests. Some in the Jewish campus community falsely labeled the protests anti-Semitic.

The students are in solidarity with an emerging national campus movement in solidarity with Palestine facing arrest and discipline. Campus protests at Yale in the 1980's led to divestment of funds from apartheid South Africa.

An on-line petition to the Board of Trustees, “Yale Corporation Divest from Weapons and Genocide” has nearly 1,000 signatures. Headlined “It's Your Yale. They're Your Bombs,” the petition questions Yale's $40 billion endowment investments saying, “Our community refuses to let Yale make our education in New Haven contingent on death and destruction abroad. Tell the Corporation: divest from military weapons now “

The New Haven Board of Alders will hold a virtual public hearing on a ceasefire resolution on Wednesday May 1.

Legislature Graded on Equity Agenda

 

The State Capitol was filled this week with labor and community organizations pushing for bills in the Equity Agenda that will raise wages for tipped workers, extend healthcare to immigrant youth, fully fund higher education, protect Uber drivers, fund child care, protect against unjust evictions, expand paid sick days, and more.

They all came together for the Connecticut for All Democracy School held in the rotunda of the State Capitol. Grading the legislators, participants held up PASS or FAIL signs as speakers representing each constituency of the Equity Agenda explained why their bill was urgent to pass this session.

Led by professor Seth Freeman, president of SEIU 1973 that represents community college faculty, FAIL signs dominated, serving as a warning for legislators to act before the May 8 adjournment.

One exception was the victory of Personal Care Attendants in 1199 who won approval for funding to raise their wages to $24 an hour over six years. When this was announced cheers and PASS signs went up.

Many interrupted their lobbying efforts to take part in the Democracy School. Together their collective strength could be felt along with the resolve to continue the fight for all parts of the equity agenda.

When one state senator was approached to support the extension of just cause eviction protections to all renters he repeated the corporate landlord's line that they have to have the ability to remove bad tenants. In fact the law already exists for those over 65 and those with disabilities with no problem.

SB 143, supported by the CT Tenants Union, addresses the crisis created by mega landlords grabbing up properties with the intent of raising rents to get more profits.

Following the Democracy School, an extraordinary press conference was held by Connecticut Students for a Dream with dozens of high school students from Danbury, New Haven and Hartford who took time from their spring break to support expanding health coverage regardless of immigration status for young people up to age 18.

Currently coverage stops at age 15. One 17 year old courageously told her story of needing serious surgery because of the high cost of healthcare without coverage. Rep Jillian Gilcrest pledged to do all she can to get the bill passed this session and to continue next session to win health care for all ages, supporting the demand of Connecticut Students for a Dream and Husky for Immigrants,.

Earth Day: Housing and the Environment

Earth Day gatherings happen every April. But how did it start?

Hidden in the recent ballyhoo over the Oppenheimer film and the Cold War, were the grassroots movements during the 1950s.

The Civil Rights movement led the way. The We Charge Genocide petition presented to the United Nations in 1951 exposed to the world the lynching and the police brutality of African Americans in the USA.

The Ban The Bomb petitions and movement were also gaining speed. Peace groups circulated petitions on the streets.

Quietly stirring among environmental groups like the Audubon Society was concern over pesticide use. Some chemicals were having a deadly impact on birds.

It was Rachel Carson who brought the dangers of pesticide use to a broader audience. In her book Silent Spring, she helped readers understand that what was happening to some wildlife were due to chemicals that would also negatively impact them and their children.

Carson taught us to look for connections between land, water, wildlife, company profits, and people. One such connection being made by activists now is between housing and climate mitigation needs.

This is particularly true with the desperate need for affordable housing. At least 68% of Connecticut renters spend half their income on rent. This crisis leads to evictions and generates homelessness. Connecticut is the tenth least affordable housing state.

Climate change is manifesting itself in Connecticut with severe storms and flooding. Connecticut is particularly vulnerable with 61% of our population living along the ocean. The effect inland is shown by a flood in Naugatuck that cut off a multiracial working class housing complex from emergency services.

Housing and environmental activists are looking for corrective win-win solutions. They are discussing how to save passive open space that takes in carbon and also support affordable housing.

Three bills before the state legislature would move all land, air, water, climate justice and housing struggles forward.

The Connecticut Environmental Rights Amendment (ERA) Senate Bill 193, would add to the State Constitution the fundamental rights to a clean and healthy environment for all residents.

Climate House Bill 5004 would reduce greenhouse gas emissions with investments in renewable energy and a green economy to mitigate climate change.

Senate Bill 143 would expand just cause eviction protections to all renters.

Most important is to be at Earth Day activities and raise these solutions.

UNH Workers Demand Decent Contract

 

On a sunny Monday afternoon, the University of New Haven campus echoed with the passionate voices of workers, organizers, and union supporters. Their demand? A fair union contract that addresses the critical issues: increased wages, comprehensive paid healthcare benefits, and robust job protection for all facilities workers.

This spirited rally marked the second time in recent months that these dedicated individuals came together to advocate for their rights. The negotiations involve not one, but two contracts, one with the university’s union facilities workers and another with Sodexo, the food service subcontractor whose workers are also represented by Local 217 Unite Here.

The union has been in discussions with the University of New Haven since last August when the facilities workers voted to join the union. However, despite six months of negotiations, their core demands remain unmet. Safety concerns persist, and the call for better pay reverberates among the dedicated workers.

Recently, the union faced setbacks during the contract negotiations process. The university challenged the union’s assertions about job security, leading to a tense situation. Remarkably, 94% of facility workers authorized a strike. Picket signs at the rally said, “We don't want to strike but we will.” and “Union busting is disgusting.”

Over 100 people gathered in front of the campus chanting, “No contract, no peace.” Their unwavering commitment to improved working conditions and benefits resonated throughout the crowd. Solidarity was visible, as they received support from local unions, the  Connecticut AFL-CIO, New Haven Rising, state representatives, and community members.

One critical issue raised during the rally is the university’s use of subcontractors to replace union facilities workers. “The workers had seen, over the past 14 years, the number of facilities workers go down from 52 to now 35 at the same time that the university has expanded by 50 percent,” said Local 217 director Josh Stanley

Rev. Scott Marks, director of New Haven Rising, told the union workers that if they are forced to strike for a decent contract, the community will be with them. “You’re talking about people’s lives, and we’re not going to stand down until we get what we need to take care of our families,” said Marks.

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As the sun started to set, the voices of these determined workers echoed across the University of New Haven campus, a testament to their resilience and unwavering pursuit of fairness and justice. 

$23 an Hour Approved for Home Care Workers

 

Over 12.000 home care workers were approved for a $23 minimum wage by the State House and the State Senate this week. The new union contract covers independent Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) who are members of SEIU 1199NE.

“Congratulations to all the union members of SEIU 1199NE for winning one of the best PCA contracts in the nation,” union president Rob Baril said on Monday. “Today’s victory to finalize this contract with the approval of the General Assembly provides a path for sustainable home care PCA services in Connecticut, supporting elderly and disabled individuals to live independently at home,” added Baril, acknowledging support from House and Senate leadership and the Governor.

Current minimum wage for Connecticut’s independent PCAs is $18.25 per hour. Hourly rates will rise to $23 by Jan 1, 2026, making Connecticut a national leader in the compensation provided to PCAs serving Medicaid recipients in similar home care programs.

During the pandemic these health care workers risked their lives, but it became known that due to low pay some were living in their cars, unable to afford rent.

“We’ve fought so hard to do our job and provide quality home care for our consumers and their families. I love this job because I feel that I’m making a big difference in someone’s quality of life. But I also need to survive. This contract shows the progress we can achieve when we stand together and fight for justice,” said Winsted PCA Mike Sundberg after the new contract was voted into law at Connecticut’s State Senate and the House of Representatives.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects “684,000 openings for home health and personal care aides” each year, one of the fastest growing job sectors nationally for the next decade, in service of the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

“I am so happy for my union sisters and brothers, and for the people we care for every day. Black, Latina and white working-class women make up the majority of the home care workforce, so this will be a boost for many women that are struggling to survive from paycheck to paycheck. We need to continue to raise standards for all nonprofit and long-term caregivers in Connecticut,” said New Haven PCA Amarilis Cruz.

CT Unions Join in Support of Sustainable Offshore Wind Energy

Labor leaders presented a pro-worker vision for generating sustainable offshore wind energy along the Southern New England coast as a virtual press conference, Friday, March 15, 2004. This effort unites organized labor, the environmental movement, coastal communities and elected officials.

“Every climate job should be a good job. We can't build our way out of the climate crisis with low-paying, exploitative jobs,” said Connecticut AFL-CIO President Ed Hawthorne.

The national significance of this commitment was highlighted by introductory remarks from Liz Schuler, President of the American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial organizations (AFL-CIO). Labor leaders from the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are supporting their state governors efforts to create a multi-state approach to develop the offshore wind energy industry. These labor leaders represent state AFL-CIOs and State Building Trades Councils with hundreds of thousands of union members.

Building trades unions were early supporters of the new offshore wind energy industry creating support at the state level in collaboration with environmental groups and representatives of coastal communities.

These new collaborative efforts include working to build the industry supply chain, create new job opportunities through apprenticeship and technical high school programs, and ensure that women and people of color are involved with these training programs and are employed in this growing industry.

Connecticut AFL-CIO president Ed Hawthorne provided an overview of organized labor's approach to this developing industry. He called for fighting climate change with a combination of environmental and economic job benefits that will help transition to a greener economy. He also called for a jut transition that will provide prevailing wages, project labor agreements, fight climate change and lift up communities.

The approach to fighting the climate crisis and creating jobs that benefit workers, their families and communities is part of the federal effort by the Biden administration to jump start offshore wind energy production along the U.S. Coastline. This includes manufacturing turbines and related components, assembling and maintaining wind farms, and connecting to onshore power grids.

The press conference illustrates the labor movement's commitment to provide a leading role in building a broad coalition united in fighting he climate crisis, creating good paying union jobs, benefiting women and communities of color, and strengthening coastal communities.

Tenants Join Union for Stable, Affordable Housing

From new tenants unions across the state to pushing for expansion of Just Cause eviction protections at the Legislature, the Connecticut Tenants Union (CTTU) is enabling renters to win stability and affordability in the midst of the housing crisis..

Tenants in East Hartford are the latest to join the CTTU. They want a collective bargaining agreement with their mega landlord to stop leaking, and guarantee heat which they lacked this winter. Like other tentnts, they realize the only way to have decent living conditions is to join together and negotiate as one group.

The CTTU hopes to orgaize all renters in the state so they can gain power as tenants and also gain political power to guarantee their rights.

Currently those over 62 years old and those with disability are covered by Just Cause eviction protections which prohibit landlords from evicting tenants if they have paid their rent and kept up the property. SB 143 would expand those protections to all tenants.

Hundreds of tenants and their allies turned out to testify before the Housing Committee last month. Speaking on behalf of the Connecticut Communist Party, Joelle Fishman warned, “The ability to have a stable place to call home is shrinking away for thousands of hard working people including families with children whose education is being disrupted as a result.”

“Since the pandemic, investment firms have been gobbling up properties in my city of New Haven and in cities across the state,” she said. “They have no interest in the renters, they are only looking at maximizing profits. They are quick to issue eviction notices to tenants who pay their rent and keep up the property, so they can make a few cosmetic repairs and then hike the rents exorbitantly for the next family.”

The Housing Committee approved SB 143 with all Democrats voting yes and all Republicans voting no. The bill must now win majority approval in the Senate and House. The CTTU is calling on tenants and allies across the state to share their stories with their legislators..

Expressing appreciation for the CTTU, Fishman urged passage of the Just Cause bill because, “It will prevent families from crisis and homelessness, and will hold mega landlords accountable.”

“Ultimately, bigger solutions will be needed to guarantee decent, affordable housing as a human right,” she concluded.

Women Demand Paid Sick Days for All

Honoring women in March, She Leads Justice along with a large coalition is organizing to win expanded Paid Sick Days so all women and families in Connecticut are covered.

A long struggle for Paid Sick Days resulted in Connecticut being the first state to establish such coverage in 2011, but it did not include everyone.

“Carveouts in Connecticut’s current law exclude 88% of our workforce from the guaranteed right to paid sick days This amounts to 1.6 million workers without the time they need to heal, recover, or care for their families,” says She Leads Justice, formerly known as CWEALF..

The language of the current paid sick days law disproportionately leaves out low wage workers, many of whom are women of color. Only those who work for an employer with 50 or more workers, and who have worked more than 680 hours are covered. Eligibility is limited to certain service occupations, excluding nearly three quarters of Connecticut workers.

Paid sick days is part of the Equity Agenda of the Connecticut for All coalition. It is an important component of ending the two Connecticuts, one of great wealth and the other, the vast majority, struggling to make ends meet.

“Workers of color are over represented in industries that do not provide paid sick days and are far more likely to lack access,” says She Leads Justice.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic women and people of color were  over represented in front line jobs, but continue to lack critical support like paid sick leave.”

Dozens of women testified at the state capitol this month in support of SB 7 to Expand Paid Sick Days, telling their stories to underscore why Paid Sick Days is pivotal to their well being and the well being of the entire community..

The proposed legislation would cover all workers by removing the employer size threshold and lengthy definition of “service worker” to require all employers, regardless of size or industry, to provide paid sick time. It would begin eligibility 100 days after employment starts and for a minimum of 40 hours per year.

It would expand the definition of family to allow paid sick days to care for a child of any age or immediate family member It would extend access to safe days to cover care for a family member who experiences family violence or sexual assault

“Black Voices for Peace” Inspires Hope

Speaking at a packed Black History Month event, “Black Voices for Peace – Gaza to Connecticut,” CPUSA co-chair Joe Sims recounted the remarkable story of his grandmother Pauline Taylor, paying tribute to her and other stalwart freedom fighters in the struggle for peace, racial and economic equality.

Sims' story culminated an exciting and inspiring standing-room-only program at the New Haven Peoples Center. He called for stepped up efforts on behalf of a ceasefire in Gaza as necessary to expand democracy and defeat the fascist minded MAGA forces in November's election.

The event marked the 50th annual People's World Black History Month celebration, featuring a youth competition, song, drumming, a workers' rights panel and Sims address.

Welcome drumming by Brian Jarawa Gray and friends, paid tribute to Edie Fishman, who passed away just four days earlier at the age of 102, honoring her tireless commitment to the working class struggle.

Emcee Mary Thigpen, Local 34 retiree and an organizer with the Connecticut CPUSA welcomed everyone. The entire crowd joined in with Scotticesa Marks Miller's performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”.

Arts & Writing Competition winners got tremendous applause with a seventh grade class dance performance including Rep Cori Bush's call for ceasefire and peace..

A Workers’ Rights Panel, moderated by Connecticut CPUSA organizer Jahmal Henderson, included Seth Freeman, President, 4C’s SEIU, Pam Reed Johnson, Executive Board, 1199 SEIU, and Stephanie Deceus, Vice President, 1199 SEIU.

Johnson, who works at Oak Hill School in Hartford, highlighted 1199’s courageous statewide strike for improved wages and healthcare benefits last year.

Freeman denounced the devastating budget cuts at Connecticut State Community Colleges causing elimination of cafeteria services, student support and class offerings, disproportionately impacting Black and brown students. He said his union overwhelmingly passed resolutions for a ceasefire and to shift militry funding to human needs out of concern with everyone, not just their own isssues.

Recounting the story of Pauline Taylor, Sims shared the tragic story of her grandmother, beaten to death at age 35 for refusing to carry water, and a strike in Alabama in 1920 attacked by 5,000 troops where poor whites broke the railroad tracks to help the miners escape. Going north during the Great Migration, Taylor supported a steelworkers organizing drive attacked by police in 1937. She toured the country on behalf of peace during the Korean War and supported the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa..

50th Annual People's World Black History Month Event

 

50th Annual People's World Black History Month Event

BLACK VOICES FOR PEACE - GAZA TO CONNECTICUT

Sunday Feb 25 at 4 pm (doors open 3:30)

New Haven Peoples Center 37 Howe Street

RSVP:  https://actionnetwork.org/events/black-voices-for-peace-gaza-to-connecticut

Can't come in person:  Attend the Livestream:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1102390814435094

PROGRAM

Workers Rights Panel

Seth Freeman, President 4C's SEIU

Pam Reed Johnson, Executive Board and Stephanie Deceus, Vice President 1199 SEIU

Moderator: Jahmal Henderson

Special Guest Speaker

Joe Sims, lifelong civil rights and peace activist and organizer

Co-chair CPUSA

Arts and Writing Competition prizes awarded

Drumming by Brian Jarawa Gray and friends

Songs by Scotticesa Marks Miller

Emcee:  Mary Thigpen

The event is hosted by the CT People's World.  Donations

will be accepted for the 100th Anniversary Fund Drive.

For more information leave a message at 203 624 8664 or

reply to this email at ct-pww@pobox.com.

Working Class Demands Resound at the State Capitol

A whirlwind week at the State Capitol brought together an unprecedented collaboration between organizations supporting each other's needs in a quest to win an Equity Agenda for higher public education funding, just cause eviction protections, HUSKY for immigrants, paid sick days and unemployed benefits for striking workers.

Rallies and press conferences, packed hearing rooms and zoom participation marked the week as unions, community and faith groups turned out in numbers and submitted hundreds of testimonies.

On Tuesday afternoon community college and state university students and faculty were joined by Connecticut for All member organizations for a spirited rally before going into the hearing room demanding $250 million in the budget to reverse tuition hikes and fully-fund higher public education.

The Housing Committee began its hearing at 11 am and was still going strong at 11 pm. Dozens of tenants made the case to expand no cause eviction protections to all renters. Legislators were urged to take action against unsafe living conditions and evictions without cause by mega landlords who seek higher rents from the next tenant.

Husky for Immigrants was featured on Wednesday calling for an increase in eligibility from 15 to 18 years old for children to receive HUSKY regardless of immigration status.

Thursday's Labor Committee hearing focused on expanding paid sick days, led by She Leads Justice, and on allowing striking workers to access unemployment benefits after two weeks, led by the CT AFL-CIO.

All of these issues are part of the Equity Agenda of the 60 member Connecticut for All coalition, which calls for taxing wealth and circumventing the spending cap to meet the needs of multi racial working class families.

“As the wealthiest state in the country, Connecticut should be a shining example for the nation–a place where every family has what we need to live a good life.  But we have a state where hundreds of thousands of working people are struggling to raise families here, even while a handful of wealthy corporations and wealthy residents are getting even wealthier.,” said CFA.

“But it doesn’t have to be that way. Together we have the resources to create a state where every single kid has what they need to get the best start in life.  A place where everyone has good healthcare to lead healthy lives, a good job to support their families, and a safe place to call home. “

Equity Agenda Offers New Vision for Connecticut

 

A strong message demanding funds for higher education and other people's needs reverberated through the State Capitol as the Equity Agenda of the Connecticut for All Coalition was unveiled on the day before the legislative session opened.

 

The 60 member coalition of labor, faith and community groups preempted Governor Lamont's State of the State address with their own State of the People, calling for easing the spending cap and raising more revenue by taxing wealth to meet peoples' needs.

Senator Gary Winfield and State Representative Jillian Gilchrest joined advocates from across Connecticut to deliver the message along with testimonies depicting daily hardships faced by working class people alongside a huge surplus, claiming Connecticut is not in good fiscal health.

New Haven Federation of Teachers president Leslie Blatteau emphasized, “Our focus is to work together to strengthen our multi- racial working class coalition across the state. We are here to present our lived experience and remind elected officials that “Two Connecticuts” is no longer acceptable.

“We have over 1,300 paraeducator vacancies across Connecticut and our higher education system is facing hundreds of millions of dollars in deficit,” said Victoria Ceylan, a Danbury Paraeducator, “As a para working since 2014, I still don’t make $18 per hour and my coworkers who have been paras for over 20 years are barely making $20/hour. Governor Lamont, are you going to let a silly thing like the fiscal guardrails prevent us from spending the billions we have in surplus on critical investments like paras and higher education?”

“Let’s remind ourselves of our joint vision of the mission of our public higher education system,” said Oskar Harmon, a UConn Economics Professor, “It is a tool to lift up entire communities, to address racial and economic disparities and to set us up for a strong and stable economy.  It is an economic engine of growth.”

In addition, the Equity Agenda would raise new revenues with a 5% surtax on capital gains, dividends and taxable interest for individuals earning $500,000 and joint filers earning $1 million or more and robustly fund public institutes of higher education to enhance instructional quality and expand affordable access to post-secondary education.

“Every Connecticut resident deserves access to an affordable college education that provides them with the skills to succeed, regardless of their income level and location,” says Connecticut for All.”

Climate March Kicks off Legislative Session

A march of 200 winter soldiers wound their way through downtown Hartford on February 2. The winter cold bit at their noses. Some had signs declaring a climate emergency, others wore Palestinian scarves. 

The March to Keep Connecticut's Climate Promise, endorsed by 28 organizations, called upon state leaders to “keep their climate promise and honor everybody's right to a safe, healthy and sustainable Connecticut.” Initiators included the Sierra Club, CCAG, Third Act, the Global Council for Science and the Environment,  and 350.org. 

 

A specific focus was climate justice, acknowledging that challenged communities are impacted more severely than others.

Marchers stopped at Eversource, DEEP, Travelers, and the state capitol. Letters were dropped off demanding an Environmental Rights Amendment (ERA) in the State constitution.

The march was one of several actions as the Legislature convenes On Feb 10 the 60 member Connecticut for All coalition unveiled its equity agenda challenging “guardrails” limiting needed funds for public education and other services.

 

The talk at the climate march brought one point out clearly. No movement can win alone, especially with the fascist threat to our country. A coalition of green groups is not enough. It takes an alliance. The Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs is one such alliance. 

 

SEIU/CSEA union members, Black Lives Matter, Ct Peace Council, and the Northeast Organic Farming Association were sprinkled along the march.  Leading the march were students from Suffield High.

 

One peace activist said wars and the gigantic military budgets feeding them exist, in large part, to maintain a fossil fuel economy, stressing the imperative that climate activists oppose the climate-bashing militarized economy. Many military invasions have been about oil.

 

NAUGATUCK: SOUTHWOOD APTS

 

In mid-January, one multiracial neighborhood in Naugatuck found out that climate change involved more than Arctic melting. 

 

Two streams that curse under the main artery of Rubber Ave. flooded. It cut the road in two. On one side toward town were ambulance services and fire stations. On the other side was Southwood Apts. where hundreds of people live. 

 

If those services were needed that night, it would have taken extra time to reach the Apts. Time, as emergency workers will tell you, is crucial to save lives. Climate change was very much here and now.

 

You can help by supporting H.B. 5004 declaring a climate emergency and no interstate pipelines for fossil fuels.

50th Annual Event: Black Voices for Peace – Gaza to Connecticut

Excitement is growing as this year marks the 50^th annual People's World Black History Month celebration which is headlined “Black Voices for Peace – Gaza to Connecticut.”

The occasion includes an arts and writing competition for students in grades 8 to 12, and a family program on Sunday, February 25 at 4 pm at the New Haven Peoples Center 37 Howe Street, and live streamed.

Guest speaker Joe Sims, lifelong civil rights and peace activist, who co-chairs the Communist Party USA, helped lead a national peace conference last fall.

The conference held in November highlighted the demand for a ceasefire as key to both achieving a just and lasting peace in the Middle East and to redirecting funds from the military budget to meet the needs of Black and Brown and working class communities at home.

Quoting W.E.B. DuBois, “Peace is not an end to be achieved, but the gateway to a new civilization,” Sims said, “We are walking, marching, dancing toward that gate. And the gate is working-class power.”

A panel at the event will include members of 1199 health care workers union who recently went on strike for living wages and benefits and the 4C's community college teachers union in a battle for state funding of public higher education. Both unions have called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

A drumming circle by Brian Jarawa Gray and friends will also highlight the program.

Students will present their winning submissions to the high school arts and writing competition. All entries will be recognized. Submissions can be artwork, essay, poetry, rap or song and must be received by February 16. For more information contact ct-pww@pobox.com.

The competition announcement quotes Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death," and notes that the speech, 'Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.' “has great meaning today, as civil rights groups speak out for a permanent ceasefire to end the destruction of Gaza, humanitarian aid and release of hostages.” In the speech King spoke out against hate and called for “a radical revolution of values” to overcome “the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism.”

Donations to the People's World 100^th Anniversary fund drive will be accepted.

100 Rally to Support Food Service Workers at UNH

As Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up" blared loudly through the speakers, over 100 Unite Here Local 217 food service, hospitality and cafeteria workers joined by Unite Here Locals 33 and 34, CT CPUSA clubs, and union members from across the state, gathered to support the facilities workers at University of New Haven’s campus.

They picketed the University to demand fair wages and benefits and settle a good contract with the workers who keep UNH functioning day to day.

The target of the demonstration was the private contractor that runs UNH’s food service operations.

“We demand that they pay their workers a living wage, and good benefits" said Isadora Munoz, an organizer for Hotel and Restaurant Workers Local 217, which represents the UNH cafeteria workers.

Soon after, UNH workers took the podium to address the crowd and spoke about the challenges they face on the job, and how the employees in the UNH food service facilities make considerably less than their Local 217 counterparts at other Connecticut universities. Twenty-year employee Carlos Santiago and other facility workers made it clear that “without us, there is no UNH.”

The huge crowd, charged up and ready to march, walked up the stairs onto the university, circling through the campus holding picket signs that said Sodexo at UNH has no contact with Local 217, while the large group chanted “When I say Union, you say Power, Union (POWER!),Union (POWER!)” gathering support from students and faculty as they handed them pamphlets along the way.

The crowd proceeded to stop in front of the university’s campus headquarters where Joshua Stanley, Secretary Treasurer of Unite Here Local 217 grabbed a megaphone and shouted out to the crowd about the importance of union solidarity.

He said that together the union members from across the state can all win good contracts, have their voices heard and demands met by having unity adding that it’s inspiring to see workers come together and fight for their rights.

The action fell on the eve of Rev. Martin Luther King's birthday which gave the crowd even more morale, knowing that King dedicated his life to the fight for racial and economic justice and was a devoted supporter of the labor movement.

The rally was a reminder that we continue his legacy by fighting for equality for all working people.

Funds and Protections Demanded in Housing Crisis

As the housing and homeless crisis grows, tenants and advocates are raising their voices for immediate funding of services and protections for tenants. According to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH) over 3,000 people including 500 children are without housing in the state.

It is “a moral failure,” said State Sen. Saud Anwar during a press conference last month calling for $20 million in ongoing “stable, consistent funding,” a small part of the $300 million needed to fully address homelessness according to CCEH.

Gov. Lamont, who does not support allocating funds, citing his strict interpretation of the spending cap, has formed a Connecticut Interagency Council on Homelessness to bring all relevant agencies together in collaboration and draw upon successful initiatives..

While greeting this development, advocates say that for the Council to be effective it will take funding.

“We are concerned that Governor Lamont’s rigid application of the spending cap will prevent the Council from offering any real solutions.,” said the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) made up of 15 public sector unions.

“Solutions require services and services require spending.” they said citing under funding and under staffing at the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) both vital to the new Council.

Lack of funding has a disproportionate impact on communities of color, warned the Connecticut for All coalition saying, “Governor Lamont's unwavering commitment to fiscal guardrails neglects the urgent need for targeted investments in racial justice initiatives to combat homelessness effectively and ensure a better future for Connecticut."

At a public forum held by the Connecticut Black and Puerto Rican Caucus of the State Legislature, over 100 testimonies addressed a wide array of issues including funding for services and expanding protections for renters from evictions.

Addressing the need to curb the greed of corporate landlords who are evicting families in order to raise the rent, members of the Connecticut Tenants Union testified in favor of expanding “no cause” eviction protections to all renters. Legislators responded favorably to the proposal that protections now covering disabled and senior tenants be expanded to cover everyone.

This proposal builds on advances made in recent legislative sessions in response to public demands, including the right-to-council requiring legal representation for tenants in housing court, requiring fair rent commissions in municipalities and establishing an Eviction Prevention Fund that stopped nearly 3,800 evictions in its first year.

Calls for Peace and Justice Mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

Calls for unity and calls for ceasefire in Gaza marked events held on Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday weekend in Connecticut.

“2024 is a pivotal year. We can be divided and conquered, or we can come together with unity in action and win more than ever before,“ says the call to the annual gathering of New Haven Rising, themed Unity in Action, to be held on Monday, January 15 at Trinity Temple,. 285 Dixwell Ave. in New Haven at 6 pm.

Upholding King's legacy, the event publicity highlights his remarks to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) on March 30, 1967:

“The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and racism,” said King. “The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power."

More specifically, King warmed, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

That message linking the peace and civil rights movements was central to King's courageous speech“Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” delivered at Riverside Church in New York on April 4, 1967.

The relevance of that message to the growing movement for ceasefire was emphasized at an annual community reading of the speech on Friday January 12 hosted by the Greater New Haven Peace Council along with the City of New Haven Peace Commission, Veterans for Peace and the Connecticut Peace and Solidarity Committee. 

 

Held in the atrium of New Haven City Hall, the reading was dedicated to lifelong peace and justice leader Al Marder who passed away at 101 in December. His final message was a call to demand a ceasefire in Gaza to stop the slaughter as over 20,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children have been killed by US-funded Israeli bombs since the October 7 attack by Hamas killed 1,200 in Israel.

 

Participants signed postcards to Congress calling for support of an immediate and lasting ceasefire and uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza. They also signed a petition to the New Haven Board of Alders supporting a resolution for ceasefire as other municipalities have done. On January 2 the Bridgeport City Council became the first in Connecticut to pass a ceasefire resolution.

 

SEIU 32BJ Building Cleaners Win Historic Wages and Protections

Over 3,000 commercial building cleaners, members of SEIU 32BJ in Connecticut, are starting the year with historic increases in wages and expanded benefits instead of having to walk the strike picket line.

Two contracts, one covering cleaners in Hartford and New Haven counties and the other in Fairfield county, were won after overwhelming strike votes, rallies and support from elected officials.

The central Connecticut agreement with dozens of companies in the Connecticut Cleaning Contractors’ Association provides 1,600 workers unprecedented wage increases between 15.9 and 17.7 percent over four years. Two more paid days-off, including Juneteenth, and improved contributions to the pension fund were also won.

The 32BJ members clean Hartford’s commercial buildings, from the Hartford and Travelers Insurance companies to state and municipal buildings like New Haven City Hall and the State Capitol, the UConn campus in Hartford and UConn Health Center, and major manufacturing locations like Pratt & Whitney.

“This contract secures wage increases that allow our members to keep up with inflation, and it extends some important new benefits, like the Juneteenth holiday.  After the trials of the pandemic, which took many members’ lives and threatened countless more, it takes a big step toward ensuring a brighter future for them, their families, and their communities.” said 32BJ SEIU Vice President Rochelle Palache, who leads the union in Connecticut.

This Central Connecticut contract is part of the union’s campaign to win strong new contracts for over 70,000 building cleaners across the East Coast, including the new Tri-State agreement covering 1,400 cleaners in Fairfield County, plus 8,600 more in the Hudson Valley, Long Island, and across New Jersey where a strike was also averted.

It is the first combined labor agreement covering 10,000 cleaners in three states in a single contract and includes an average 4 percent wage increase each year over four years, expanded access to pensions, protections against workforce reduction and sexual harassment, and Juneteenth as a paid holiday.

“Thanks to all the support we received from members in all three states, we have achieved a fantastic tentative agreement,” said Esther Alamias, a 32BJ SEIU bargaining committee member and a cleaner in Greenwich, Connecticut. “We got the wage increase that we need to stay ahead of inflation, additional paid-time off, including the important holiday of Juneteenth, and an extension of retirement benefits, which is a great victory for future workers, too.”