Plans Advance to Defend Migrant Families

 

Immigrant organizations, school boards, mayors and state officials have been meeting with comunities across the state to put into place protections for immigrant families in advance of Trump's promised deportation raids.

Attorney General William Tong has made it clear that Connecticut's values of protecting all residents will be upheld including the Connecticut Trust Act which prohibits government workers from cooperating with federal immigration officials.

In addition to neighborhood community meetings being held by organizations such as Semilla Collective in New Haven and Deportation Defense in Hartford, an Immigration Town Hall in New Haven on December 5 with Tong, New Haven Mayor Elicker and School Superintendent Dr. Madeline Negrón indicated that multi-lingual “know your rights” materials, additional school counselors, and outreach to nearby towns are being put into place as part of a coaalition-building effort.

In New Haven a General Order also prohibits city personnel from cooperating with immigratin authorities.

On December 18, International Migrant's Day, immigrant led organizations held a press conference at New Haven city hall as part of a national grassroots day of action and solidarity including Unidad Latina, Hamden Action NOW!, Peoples Center, NDLON, NILC, Greater New Haven Peace Council and CT Shortline Indivisible, in collaboration with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON).

In a statement NDLON said, “As the incoming Trump administration advances its threats of mass deportations, immigrant committees and worker centers are convening actions big and small to unify immigrant communities, local and national partners.  In the face of the many attacks against indigenous migrant communities and the threat of deportations by Donald Trump

“Our adversaries wish and expect our immigrant communities to disappear in the silence of night.  That is because they know nothing of our courage.  But we know of the courage in our communities,” said Pablo Alvarado, Co-Executive Director of NDLON.  “They want to instill fear in us, with their extremist rhetoric and policies. But all they will do is fan the flames of our indignation.  And we will turn this indignation into action.” 

At the Immigration Town Hall Tong, who is reaching out to Attorneys General in other states, called on all community organizations to become engaged saying the experience of struggle gives hope. “It is only possible if we fight for each other.”

Union Sues to Hold PURA Accountable

 

Communication Workers of America Local 1298 (CWA) filed suit in Connecticut Superior Court against the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to halt its interference in CWA’s collective bargaining agreement with Frontier Communications.

CWA’s labor contract protects job security and limits Frontier’s use of non-union contractors. Recent PURA decisions purport to compel Frontier to use contractors for vital utility pole repair work, however, in violation of a state statute that prohibits PURA from interfering with labor contracts.

Jordan Cozby, a law student intern in the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School, which represents CWA Local 1298, stated, “Without legal authorization, PURA has gone to extraordinary lengths to undermine union jobs in Connecticut and make utility poles less safe. This is the kind of behavior we’re accustomed to seeing from corporations who ship jobs overseas, not from a state government agency. By holding PURA accountable in this lawsuit, CWA Local 1298 will protect Connecticut jobs and infrastructure.”

Collective bargaining agreements have always been central to protecting Connecticut telecommunications workers’ jobs, wages, benefits and safety. This protection strengthens the local economy and investment in skilled workforces.

That is why, when the Connecticut legislature created PURA’s predecessor in 1911, it explicitly barred PURA from interfering in contracts between public utilities companies and their employees. The law remains in effect today, and is supposed to protect CWA’s collective bargaining agreement with Frontier from interference by PURA.

Despite this law, PURA has issued a series of decisions since 2021 that mandate Connecticut public utilities employers outsource telecommunications work long protected by CWA’s collective bargaining agreement to contractors.

CWA petitioned PURA in April 2024, asking it to respect state law and cease its interference in CWA’s collective bargaining agreement. In October, PURA refused, concluding that its actions were above the law and immune from the review of courts.

CWA is now asking the Connecticut Superior Court to hold PURA accountable and to prevent reliable, good-paying union positions from being replaced with exploitative contractors in violation of state and federal law.

“CWA members work day-in and day-out to expand telecommunications access and provide safe infrastructure across Connecticut. PURA’s decisions have violated state law and put the jobs of 1,400 CWA members in jeopardy,” said CWA Local 1298 President David E. Weidlich, Jr. “The men and women of Local 1298 will not allow this agency to operate with impunity and take away our jobs.”

PURA’s attempt to insulate its anti-union decision from review is a threat to democratic accountability and essential workers across the state. PURA implemented this mandate only after the General Assembly considered and rejected a similar proposal to require the use of third-party contractors in recent legislation.