Dozens Pedal for Palestine

 

 Dozens of New Haveners cycled and spoke to draw public attention to the catastrophic destruction of life and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank regions of Palestine. The cyclists navigated a 7 mile route through the streets of New Haven. Speakers at 6 stops along the way highlighted the effects on Palestinian civil society in the areas of education, water sovereignty, press freedom and safety, health care, food sovereignty, and access to the sea. At each of the stops, professionals spoke on the effects of apartheid and genocide in their areas of expertise.

The cycling event was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace New Haven.

 

In her remarks, Jewish Voice for Peace member Ellen Rubin said: “Gaza is now the global epicenter of child/family suffering: It has the highest number of orphans, amputees and trauma victims on Earth Over 700 attacks on Health facilities have left more than 96% of Gaza’s hospitals destroyed or damaged

*Healthcare and aid workers have been targeted, killed, detained w/o charge, tortured & even murdered while in prisons”

Tagan Engel and Jamilah Rasheed are two longtime New Haven food and land justice activists who work everyday to protect the fundamental rights of every single human being to have food, clean water, and self determination. They together asked “Can you imagine if 4 times the population of New Haven were literally dying from starvation right now, and all the people in bordering towns had nothing to eat or drink for days on end - all while food and water could easily be brought in from Milford, Cheshire and Branford if the occupying government would allow it?”

The Narrative Project founder and CEO Mercy Quaye spoke to the need for activists to continue speaking truth to counter the silence and misinformation that is so prevalent in American mainstream media in reporting about Palestine.

We call on our members of Congress to sign on to H.R.3565, known as the Stop Arming Israel bill. To date, the legislation has 49 co-sponsors, but none in Connecticut. All of our members must support this critical legislation.

CCAG Demands Health Access be Protected for All

 

If Congress does not act by November 1 to extend enhanced premium tax credits, one third of the people buying insurance on Connecticut's Access Health CT exchange will be forced off, unable to afford health insurance.

At a Hartford press conference with Connecticut Citizens Action Group about HR1, Sen. Richard said the bill, is "Trumpian - cruel and stupid. Cruel in denying people care, and stupid, in making everyone and the system less effective."

"Our entire healthcare system is collapsing under its own weight," said Health Care Advocate Kathleen Holt. When the number of uninsured skyrockets, we will all pay more - and they will resort to emergency rooms for care.

Most of the people whose rates will skyrocket have no idea this is coming, or what is causing it.

"Who can afford these increases?" CCAG's Tom Swan asked. "The very rich people who also got Trump's tax cuts.”

"The cruelty in this bill doesn't just happen in December," he added. "Many of the changes to Medicaid don't go into effect until after the 2026 midterms.

"The Republicans and Donald Trump don't care if people go without care and die....Senator Blumenthal called this policy stupid; I think it's evil. The cruelty is the point. We will do everything in our power to protect access to care for all people."

Medical costs are responsible for most bankruptcies and for people losing their homes, Blumenthal said. "Healthcare costs are rising astronomically, aggravated by the cruel and stupid policies coming out of Washington DC."

CCAG and allies are calling on Governor Lamont and lawmakers to convene a special session of the Legislatione and reject the cruel Trump budget cuts.

Food Service Workers Picket for a Fair Contract and No Strikebreakers on CT State University Campuses

NEW HAVEN, CT—September 17, 2025—Union members and allies rallied on Southern Connecticut State University’s campus to demand a fair contract for Sodexo workers at CT State University campuses. In addition, workers called on university leadership to advocate for a peaceful resolution and forbid all strike-breaking tactics from CT State University campuses.  

At the rally Nicholas McDonald, a food service worker at SCSU, emphasized the hardship he and his co-workers are facing. ““I’ve been talking to my coworkers. We’re all talking about how times are hard and we need a fair contract,” he said. “We’re in this fight and we’re not going to back down, because this is about survival.”

Joshua Stanley, Secretary Treasurer of Local 217, framed the struggle within a broader national conversation about economic inequality. “It is food service workers like those at CCSU and SCSU who are saying enough is enough, we need a fair contract now.” He urged Sodexo to consider the quality of life for its workers.

A huge inflated Scabby the Rat caught students' attention and some took photos after learning about the contract fight of the food service workers who make their meals. Three huge billboards with photos of all the workers were headlined, “We Don't Want to Strike But We Will.”

After rallying in front of Connecticut Hall with union allies, New Haven Rising and elected officials the picket moved across campus for a second rally.

Two hundred and eighty UNITE HERE Local 217 food service workers at SCSU, CCSU, and WCSU have been negotiating a new contract with their employer, Sodexo, since March. The $9 billion multinational company is refusing to meet the workers’ demands of a real living wage and negotiations for a fair contract have stalled.

As a result of these stalled negotiations, hundreds of Local 217 food service workers picketed Sodexo on CCSU’s campus in August to demand a fair contract. Workers and allies sent nearly 1,700 letters to university leadership calling on them to support the workers’ demands for a fair contract. And democratic leaders from around the state reached out to university leadership urging resolution of the labor dispute.

Instead of encouraging a peaceful resolution to the labor dispute on campus, after the August picket university leadership publicly endorsed the company’s “contingency plans” in the event that the company forces the workers out on strike. Endorsing strikebreaking tactics such as the use of replacement workers and meal tickets for outside venues and food trucks encourage a disruptive and wasteful labor conflict instead of resolving it.  

 
Democratic elected officials from around the state have already urged the company to work towards a fair contract and encouraged the university leadership to support the workers.

Governor Ned Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz attended the picket at SCSU saying “UNITE HERE has always stood up for workers’ rights, dignity, better wages and benefits at the University of New Haven, the Omni Hotel, the Hyatt and more—and from picket lines to rallies, we’ve fought alongside them.”

The went on to say, “ We support the members of UNITE HERE Local 217, who provide quality food service to our university campuses and ask Sodexo to step up and negotiate in good faith. These workers have kept our campuses running during challenging times, ensured students and faculty had access to food and now are simply asking for living wages that catch up with inflation. Let’s get this deal done.” 

Senate President Pro Temp;ore Martin Looney also joined the picket at SCSU. Standing firm for the rights of the workers he said, “Public universities must never endorse strike-breaking tactics that will protract a dispute that would damage the academic community and divide our campuses. Especially when the dispute is between a multibillion-dollar company and workers who pay taxes that fund the universities and live in the university communities,”  

“The universities need to be clear with Sodexo that the only solution to end this labor crisis is to bargain a fair contract with Local 217.” Looney saaid.

Nick McDonald, a food service worker at Southern said, “I’ve been talking to my coworkers. We're all talking about how times are hard and we need a fair contract. We’re in this fight and we’re not going to back down, because this is about survival.”  

“We are sending two messages today,” said Stanley. “First, we want to get this done, but if the company is not ready to do that, we are setting strike votes. Second, public university leadership in Connecticut must take positions in line with the Democratic Party and basic respect for workers by saying no scabs on campus. Saying yes to plans for strikebreakers is not only going against moral principles, it makes a prolonged labor conflict more likely.”  

As negotiations remain at a deadlock, the food service workers are not backing down. They continue to rally for a contract that provides a living wage and better working conditions, asserting their fight is about survival and economic justice.

SCSU food service employees are scheduled to vote on whether to authorize a strike on September 24, 2025.

AFT President Visits New Haven Schools Amid Trump Funding Threats

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers came to New Haven to visit The Sound School and Truman School, showcasing nation-leading career and technical education initiatives under threat of being defunded by President Trump and House Republicans. Their fiscal 2026 budget bill plans to cut $12 billion out of federal education funding as the administration plans to abolish the education department.

The leader of the 1.8-million-member union visited the Pre K-8 Truman School that receives significant support from federal Title I grants which assist students from low income families. In Loles Gomez's fifth grade class Weingarten joined in a bilingual game of musical chairs.

The school features teacher-led lessons with online platforms and iPads, Chromebooks, and interactive projectors, bilingual programs and wraparound services, including a school-based medical clinic and donation closet with clothing for families in need.

Weingarten’s second stop highlighted the work of The Sound School, an interdistrict aquaculture and agriculture science and technology education center (ASTE) designed specifically for aquaculture and marine trades. The Sound School is the first full-time ASTE center in the state focused on these fields, and is a hands-on, career-oriented high school, blending college-prep with strong vocational training.

Leslie Blatteau, president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, and State Senator and AFT Connecticut President Jan Hochadel highlighted the threatened programs, which help students thrive and secure jobs and further study in teaching, medicine, dentistry, veterinary sciences, sports and alternative medicine, nutrition, culinary arts, hospitality and more.

“There’s a lot of struggle going on right now and we still are so very much committed to the work of our public school educators and union members and to the promise of public education in this city and this state,” Blatteau said.

“NHFT is proud to recognize all of our members who consistently go above and beyond for New Haven students, families, and community as we fight for the world class public schools that our students deserve.,” she added.

90 Organizations call for Stronger Trust Act

 

In response to the ramped up seizing and detention of immigrants without due process, 90 labor, community and faith organizations have called upon the Governor and Legislative leaders to hold a special session and strenthen protections to the Trust Act. Excerpts follow:

“We write on behalf of 90 Connecticut organizations committed to immigrant rights, civil rights, human rights, gender rights, workers rights, and racial justice to express urgency and demand that Governor Lamont and Legislative Leadership take action to protect our immigrant communities during the upcoming special session.”

“Armed and masked ICE agents are terrorizing our communities — abducting parents in front of their children, targeting workers, and tearing students from their futures. These actions violate the dignity, safety, and basic rights of our neighbors. This is a campaign of fear, and it has no place in our state.

“Our Call to Action

Immediate and urgent action is needed to prevent our state and local resources from being used to advance the federal government's cruel mass deportation agenda.

● Protect the Personal Information of our immigrant community and all CT residents.

● Prohibit ICE arrests at courthouses, including travel to and from the courthouse, and empower judges to enforce this rule. Provide the option for remote appearances.

● Preserve HUSKY Medicaid for undocumented children and pregnant individuals:

● Make our Communities Safer:

○ Prohibit Connecticut’s National Guard from participating in federal immigration enforcement and prevent out-of-state militias from conducting immigration-related operations within the state.

○ Prevent Local Law Enforcement from Assisting ICE:

“Safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP are being cut to subsidize the tripling of the budget for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and tax breaks to the ultra wealthy. As a result, all working families will struggle more than ever to make ends meet, including undocumented immigrant families. We cannot let Connecticut be complicit. Connecticut must be a safe and welcoming place for all of us, regardless of immigration status.
“We will remember who was silent and complicit in fascism and who stood on the right side of history to confront it.”

Labor Day actions take the streets coast to coast

DETROIT—Roughly 1,000 “Workers over Billionaires” marches and protests were held across the country on Labor Day to oppose the billionaire-backed Trump administration’s attacks on workers, their unions, and their families. The actions across the country included large demonstrations in Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and workers actually walking off the job and striking in Houston and Grand Blanc, Michigan.

Labor leaders around the country spoke out against the capitalist class and their bought-and-paid-for political cronies in Washington, D.C. for “rigging the government and economy” against workers—immigrant and non-immigrant, organized and unorganized—the dismantling of trade union rights, collective bargaining agreements, job safety programs, as well as cuts to renewable energy jobs, Medicaid and critical institutions for workers such as the National Labor Relations Board.

“This is a government that is by, and for, the CEOs and billionaires,” declared AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler at a massive Labor Day march in Los Angeles. 

At Detroit’s Labor Day march and rally, several thousand trade unionists and their allies marched down Michigan Avenue to the historic Michigan Central Station in Corktown. The Michigan Building Trades Council, along with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Service Employees (SEIU) were flanked by the Teamsters, Nurses, Letter Carriers, Teachers, Firefighters, Government Employees, Postal Workers, and a hundreds-strong “Labor for Palestine” contingent.

Shawn Fain, president of the UAW, spoke out fiercely against rampant corporate greed, so-called “free-trade deals,” and the billionaire corruption of our political system.

Connecticut

Labor Day in Connecticut kicked off on Friday as the annual Labor Day Breakfast hosted by the Connecticut AFL-CIO, filled the Operating Engineers hall in Hamden with scores of union members and leaders, allies and elected officials. The IAM, CWA, Marine Draftsmen and 1199 spoke of their recent strike struggles and victories and called for solidarity in the face of escalating attacks against the right to a union.

Following the breakfast, a press conference with Sen Richard Blumenthal magnified the message. Pledging to fight for workers' rights and calling for mass protests, Blumenthal said, “It is unprecedented in the history of the United States of America that so many rights and protections have been rolled back, lawlessly and recklessly, to the detriment not only of the working people directly affected, but also their families and other workers. Eliminating collective bargaining rights is not only illegal, it’s immoral.”

“President Trump is attempting to silence workers because he knows when workers have a voice, they’ll push back against his authoritarian agenda,” said CT AFL CIO president Ed Hawthorne. “But he’s not going to win this fight, because the American people know that union workers in the labor movement don’t just stick up for ourselves, but fight for everyone.”

New Haven Federation of Teachers president Leslie Blatteau emphasized, “Schools are the pathways to opportunity and the building blocks of a just society. That’s why we are collectively demanding that all elected officials stand with workers and students, not billionaires.”

On Monday, the teachers joined other unions and community leaders with CT for All to knock on the doors of working families in the town of Meriden.

Across the state dozens of Workers over Billionaires protests were held from New London to Stamford with the largest at the State Capitol organized by Indivisible and 50501.

Chicago

In Chicago, over 5,000 workers rallied at the Haymarket Monument, then marched for three miles including at Valor Equity Partners, headed by Antonio Gracias, who heads the DOGE Immigration Task Force, and Target in support of the Target boycott.

On Labor Day, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) joined the national boycott call of Target after the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU-AFT Local 1) passed a resolution last week, joining the boycott. 

“This movement comes at a crucial moment—when American workers find themselves at the whim of billionaires and board rooms that are more invested in money over people,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, at the Chicago demonstration. 

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union member and shop steward, spoke out with a call for “No Troops in Chicago” which the crowd shouted back to him. Then “Invest in Chicago” which the crowd of workers and their allies also chanted back.

Rev. Jamal Bryant flew in from Atlanta to be with the workers in Chicago, he said, indicating that the struggle is a national fight. He said he wanted to support the “most fearless leader in America,” the mayor of Chicago.

“If you want to fight for safety, don’t send in the National Guard—send in the teachers,” said Bryant. He highlighted the inequity when ICE agents make more than teachers. He then excoriated Target, which is on the receiving end of a national boycott for reneging on their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies after Trump got reelected. 

“When you mess with our workers,” he said, “you mess with America.” He pointed out that the price of Target shares had dropped and the CEO was compelled to resign. He then went on to call the giant corporations Target and Tesla “enemies of the people.”

“We reject a billionaire’s attack on our city, taking from Medicaid and education,” said Stacey Davis Gates, President of the CTU. “Solidarity is the antidote to white supremacy…Lincoln didn’t free us, we freed ourselves, workers! We built the United States as we’ve known it and now workers will protect it.”

Many religious and community organizations also joined the rally and march, including the Chicago Club of the CPUSA. Elected officials, city council members, Congress members, Cook County Commissioners, State Senators, and State Representatives were also present. 

Houston

In Houston, hotel workers organized with Unite HERE Local 23 launched a first-ever hotel strike at Hilton America’s in Texas, demanding a basic $23 an hour minimum wage, safety improvements, more staffing, and better quality food, among other demands. 

“Last year, Hilton America’s revenue increased by more than 15% to $3 billion,” the union said. “But workers are still struggling to make ends meet…We will be on the picket lines for 9 days to demand better wages because one job should be enough!”

“The workers are feeling this need urgently, so that’s why the decision was made,” said Franchesca Caraballo, President of Unite Here Local 23. “We have to take it up several notches here to turn up the pressure on this company.”

Tenant Unions Join Forces against Mega Landlords

New Connecticut Tenant Union chapters in Avon at Avon Place and in New Haven at Park Ridge have been fighting hard to bring their landlords to the bargaining table—and now, they've succeeded. And they aren't fighting alone. Tenants all across the country are joining in the struggle against landlord greed.

Big news is being made as several new tenants unions in properties for seniors owned by New York based Capital Realty Group are jointly negotiating with their landlord. New Haven's West Hills and Park Ridge Tenant Unions along with Detroit. Michigan's River Pointe Tower Tenants Union came together and held a zoom meeting with Capital Realty Group management demanding pest control. mold removal, repair of HVAC systems and more.

In the meeting Capital Realty made a verbal commitment to recognize and meet in good faith with any tenant unions within the Capital portfolio, to honor tenants right to organize, to sign a non-retaliation notice and hold a follow up meeting to negotiate a formal agreement., set for September 8.

Now Capital Realty Group tenants in Louisville, Kentucky are organizing at the American Village for seniors.

Meanwhile the Avon Place Tenant Union, a chapter of the Connecticut Tenants Union, began collective bargaining with their NYC-based landlord company, Empire Realty. The union’s bargaining committee met with a representative, established terms for the bargaining process, and scheduled a second session with the principal owner, Ahron Rudich.

This was just weeks after tenants first announced their super-majority tenant union.  “My neighbors and I are proud of the work we’ve done to get to this point—to form our union, stick together through intimidation and retaliation, and bring our landlord to the bargaining table with us,” said Amy Arlin, chapter vice president.

Empire Realty (under its property-specific shell company, Avon Place LLC) currently owes the Town of Avon over $1.6 million in unpaid taxes, sewage assessment fees, and tenant relocation costs. The Avon Place Apartments have fallen into significant disrepair and neglect under Empire’s three years of ownership

Esdras comes home and Avelo Boycott expands

This Labor Day weekend highlighted the release of rising Wilbur Cross junior Esdras Zabaleta-Ramirez after his illegal abduction by ICE, and an expanded campaign to boycott Avelo Airlines for their deportation flights.

In an extraordinary victory, Esdras Zabaleta-Ramirez has won his freedom from the Department of Homeland Security, averting deportation. He is now home with his family and able to continue his education after going through a traumatic nightmare.

Esdras, an active participant with CT Students for a Dream, was illegally abducted while working at a carwash. His classmates, teachers and elected officials immediately rallied to his defense. Funds were collected, and a lawyer obtained.

Just as Isdras was about to be deported from a detention facility in Louisiana, legal intervention brought him back to a detention facility in New England and now back to his home and family. DHS is not appealing the decision ordering his release. Esdras received a huge welcome back and will be able to attend his classes and activities at Wilbur Cross High School.

Attentions are turned to the dozens of migrants being abducted throughout Connecticut and detained for deportation, overwhelming the capacities of immigrant rights organizations to obtain legal assistance and help the families affected. A call has been issued for volunteers as the assault by ICE and the Trump administration escalates.

Boycott Avelo Airlines

At a Boycott Avelo information table with New Haven Immigrants Coalition during the annual Labor Day roadrace, Leslie Blatteau, president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers said, “We as a teachers’ union believe that we should not put profits over people and that we should not engage in cooperation with a business that is separating families. We want our students and families to feel safe to come to school every day.”

The Boycott Avelo campaign has been expanding. Foxon Law, patrons of New Haven's annual Labor Day road race, declined sponsorship of Avelo Airlines this year refusing to become complicit in the deportation flights harming the immigrant community in the interest of corporate profits.

The City of New Haven has cut all business with Avelo as has the Yale Department of Athletics. Pressure is now being placed on Yale to end all travel with Avelo.

The economic pressure has caused Avelo to close some operations on the west coast. In cities across the country the Boycott Avelo campaign has been picked up by immigrant rights groups until the airline stops all deportation flights and their complicity in separating families.

Food Service Workers Demand Livable Wages

 

On Labor Day week, food service workers at Connecticut's public colleges picketed on Central Connecticut State University’s campus in New Britain demanding a new union contract that provides a living wage and a 40 hour work week.

UNITE HERE Local 217 cafeteria workers at Central, Southern, and Western CT State Universities, employed by the $9 billion multinational food services company, Sodexo are struggling to make ends meet the rising costs of housing and other necessities. Accounting for inflation, they are far poorer now than in 2020.

Carly Ortiz, a food service worker at SCSU, said “I’m a mom of three and my youngest has special needs. My wages haven’t gone up fast enough to cover all the expenses..” She explained that “Every month I’m forced to choose: How much can I pay of my gas bill? How much can I afford to spend on groceries? I’m being forced to choose between necessities. When do I get to breathe?”

  

Many workers at CCSU, SCSU, and WCSU are forced to get second and third jobs, despite working full-time. In one of the nation’s wealthiest states, food service workers at public universities should be able to support their families with one full-time job.

With widespread public support, they stand together to demand a livable wage in their ongoing negotiations for a mew contract. The contracts between the union and Sodexo have expired at CCSU and SCSU. The contract between the union and Sodexo at WCSU expires on September1. 

  

“We have been negotiating for five months now. Our members just want to continue doing what they do with pride every day – feeding the students of Connecticut’s state universities – and get back on their feet with a 40-hour week that lets them pay all their bills and provide for their families,” said Josh Stanley, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 217. “But if it’s going to take a fight to get back to the 40-hour work week so people can live with dignity, we’re up for it. We’re used to fighting.”  

Trump “Stop Work” on CT Offshore Energy Project Condemned by Labor and Climate Groups

 

Immediately following a stop work order by the Trump administration halting construction of the Revolution Wind offshore energy project designed to power 350.000 homes in Connecticut and Rhode Island, demands to continue work came forward from the labor movement, Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs and elected officials. 

“We call on the Trump Administration to reverse this order immediately and let union workers finish the job of building America’s energy infrastructure,” said CT AFL CIO president Ed Hawthorne and Rhode Island AFL CIO president Patrick Crowley adding that “this project is 80% complete, has already created over 1,000 union jobs and 2 million hours of union work, and was fully permitted under federal and state law. Halting it now leaves hundrfeds of workers unemployed and thousands more at risk.”

They concluded that “This stoppage undermines energy security for New England families, raises energy prices, and denies economic opportunities for years to come.”

The Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs (CRCJ) also strongly condemned the order saying, “ The loss of the Revolution Wind project would be catastrophic for Connecticut, particularly for the workers who have been training for this industry and counting on the paychecks and job security Revolution Wind was supposed to provide.

“Revolution Wind created hundreds of union jobs for infrastructure improvements, and over 100 long-term jobs marshaling and assembling turbines at our very own New London State Pier. The project was on track to power 350,000 homes across Connecticut and Rhode Island, providing stable electricity prices locked in for 20 years, and securing New England’s energy future.

“Instead, this abrupt stop-work order threatens to derail years of progress, jeopardize billions in investment, and devastate working families across the region.”

They concluded, “We must not shy away from energy technologies of the future, but double down in our commitment to building them with a strong union workforce. Connecticut workers remain committed to building a resilient, pro-worker clean energy future, and in coastal states like ours, this must include offshore wind. Federal leaders should honor their commitments and allow this nearly finished project to deliver the clean energy and union jobs our region was promised.”

Opposition to ICE Raids Grows in Connecticut

 

Outrage at increasing ICE abductions at courthouses and work sites by masked, unidentified agents is bringing immigrant rights organizations together along with elected officials and other allies across the state, and a federal investigation launched by US Sen Richard Blumenthal.

In recent days groups of armed, masked agents have taken people outside the courthouses in Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford, and also at a carwash in Newington. Observers demanded to see a court ordered warrant, and asked for the identity of the agents, and to know where those kidnapped were being taken. No replies were given.

Immigrant rights groups in Danbury, Norwalk-Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Middletown and Hartford have been organizing support for affected families and have formed Rapid Response teams to let the community know if ICE is spotted in the area.

When Stamford Rep. Corey Paris posted a message for the community to “remain vigilant, stay aware of your surroundings and, above all, prioritize your safety.” and check on concerned neighbors, it was distorted by extremist right-wing groups who falsely claimed he was interfering with ICE and called for his arrest. Paris and his family have been harassed including death threats.

Lt Gov Bysiewicz, the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus of the State Legislature and other lawmakers convened a press conference to denounce the harassment, uphold the legitimacy of Paris' actions and to call on ICE to stop aiding and abetting extremist groups and threatening elected officials.”

A formal investigation into the enforcement tactics being employed by ICE has been launched by US Sen Richard Blumenthal, ranking member of the Congressional Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Committee. He is seeking documentation on methods that may result in “over-arrests, unjustified detention, excessive use of force and other potentially abusive tactics,” citing “flash bang grenades, physical violence, tasers, or simply the detention without formal arrest.”

He said the investigation comes following reports of ICE “exceeding its power, using unwarranted and excessive force, unidentified and unmarked agents wearing masks, seizing people who may be in this country, completely lawfully, doing nothing wrong, detaining them.”

“We need every politician, from local to national levels, to stand with immigrants,” Tabitha Sookdeo with CT Students for a Dream said. “This is a moment that demands moral courage, because every day that passes, more families are torn apart, and in Connecticut, we are feeling this deeply.”

“I do not regret choosing compassion, vigilance, and safety for all who call our community home,” said Rep Paris. “While I may carry the weight of criticism at this moment, our friends and neighbors who are immigrants carry the weight of being targeted, silenced, and made voiceless. They live with the constant fear that their families could be targeted, disrupted, or torn apart.”

SOLITUDE

 

by Jahmal Henderson

ln rooms of words, a silent pact I make, Turning pages for a future’s sake. The world outside, a muffled, distant sound, As wisdom’s seeds in solitude are found.

The sun dips low, and starlight takes its place, I walk alone, in time and open space. The old resistance, stubborn, strong, and slow, Fights every step, but cannot stop the grow.

With every line, I shed a past belief, Each starlit stride, a moment of relief. To learn, to know, to mend what was undone, A new self forged, beneath the moon and sun.

Park Ridge Tenants of Capital Realty Group Unionize

New Haven, CT — On August 6th, elderly tenants at the Park Ridge Apartments announced the formation of their tenant union, representing nearly 60% of residents in the 72-unit building, and affiliated with the Connecticut Tenants Union.

Their building is owned by the national corporate landlord, Capital Realty Group (CRG). Tenants described problems with plumbing, electrical work, boiler noises, heating, air conditioning and carpeting. They are the ninth tenants union to officially register with the City of New Haven Fair Rent Commission.

After their press conference, a delegation drove to CRG’s headquarters in Spring Valley, NY to deliver a letter requesting a meeting to collectively bargain and a response within one week. They were met with a sign saying the firm had moved, but the address was an empty office. Finally the tenants taped the letter on the door after being threatened by a tow truck.

At an August 14 press conference to update the public on the union’s efforts to bring their landlord to the negotiating table, Senator Richard Blumenthal called on Capital Realty Group to negotiate in good faith with the union, citing their misuse of federal funds

Capital Realty Group, described as a “leading private equity real estate group,” is a major player in the for-profit affordable housing industry. They benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars in federal mortgages and rent subsidies. They frequently employ a cash-out refinance strategy that depends on cutting expenses and increasing rents at their buildings—worsening living conditions while generating huge profits for themselves and their investors.

.Capital Realty Group has received $7.1 million in federally-backed financing for Park Ridge and also receives HUD-subsidized rent payments monthly for each occupied unit. 

Meanwhile, other tenants of Capital Realty Group are unionizing across state lines. The River Pointe Towers Tenant Union in Detroit, Michigan publicly announced their unionization on August 19th. CRG tenants in New Haven at Park Ridge are hosting a watch party of the media coverage from Detroit and will celebrate CRG tenant solidarity across state lines with a luncheon at their building.

Social Security celebrated on its 90th Birthday

 

The Dixwell-Newhall Senior Center at the Q House in New Haven was decked out with a big sheet cake for the 90^th birthday of Social Security and 60^th birthday of Medicare. The room filled with retirees concerned that Social Security be preserved and expanded, not privatized or shut down and Medicare / Medicaid be fully funded not robbed to pay for tax cuts for the super rich, mass deportations and war in the Billionaire Budget Betrayal.

Alliance for Retired Americans Regional board member Roger Boudreau and national staff member Tommy McLoughlin traveled to New Haven from Rhode Island to discus the attacks on these programs and encourage the retirees to make their voices heard.

The celebration at the Dixwell-Newhall Senior Center was one of many across the country. Another celebration at the Senior Center in East Hartford was hosted by Rep. John Larsen.

The ARA, with 59,000 members in Connecticut, has been in the forefront of the fight to preserve and expand Social Security for the 737,000 retirees, survivors, children and people with disabilities in Connecticut who depend on Social Security to make ends meet. These benefits contribute more than 1.5 billion dollars to the Connecticut economy every month.

The manufactured crisis created by the Trump administration and DOGE puts all this at risk. “This is nothing less than a calculated cruel plan to weaken Social Security and pave the way for benefit cuts or privatization,” emphasized the ARA emphasizing it is not about waste, fraud and abuse.

“The Alliance for Retired Americans is calling on every member of Congress to act,” they said. “and pass legislation that preserves field offices, safeguards our personal data and ensures transparency and accountability.”

Social Security Strong demands included: “Fully staff the Social Security Administration to reduce wait times and ensure high quality service delivered by professionals, not machines. Protect the private information that millions of Americans have entrusted to the Social Security Administration. Make the rich pay their fair share so that we can expand Social Security and keep it strong for the next 90 years.

Unity Rally for a Fully Funded City: When We Fight We Win

Over 1,000 rallied on the hottest day of the year at Scantlebury Park in New Haven, organized by New Haven Rising and Unite Here unions to call for racial and economic justice at a time when billionaires and billionaire institutions have increased their wealth while working people struggle to stay in their homes. Excerpts from a few of the powerful remarks are below.

“I've been a member of 217 for 20 years, I’m a college food service worker, Vice President of our union and I also believe one job should be enough,” said Stephan Alderman, Vice President of Local 217–UNITE HERE, “But as a single father of four with seven grandchildren, I'm finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet. For the first time in my life, I had to apply for energy assistance because of this failing economy.”

New Haven Rising Organizer, Abigail Feldman called for a city that provides opportunities for all, “Just a few years ago we came together in our city and we pushed Yale to contribute $52 million more to the city. That wasn’t a gift. That was our power of coming together and refusing to be quiet. That’s the money we are owed. That’s the taxpayer money that has subsidized Yale for years! Now is the time to fight for the people’s endowment! If Yale made different decisions, our city could be fully funded. We could have world class schools here alongside other cities of Connecticut.”

Wilbur Cross High School student, Jonaily Colón, argued, “Our zip code should not determine the quality of education we receive. The color of our skin should never determine our destiny. Students of New Haven schools deserve top education like every single student in this country.” She and Tabitha Sookdeo, leader of Connecticut Students for a Dream, called out ICE for detaining a Wilbur Cross student and noted that the resources dedicated to deporting our residents could be allocated to education and generating opportunity. New Haven Rising Director, Rev. Scott Marks, joined the students in the call to stop deportations and focus on providing economic opportunity for all residents.

Citing similarities of working-class struggle in her Kentucky hometown, Norah Laughter, who is running for Alder of Ward 1, took inspiration from the ways that working people in New Haven have long fought back. She said, “Our wins come from organizing to leverage our strength in numbers as the working class. My message tonight is simple: students must be part of the fight for race and class justice because when we fight together, we win.”

CT Demands: End ICE Dep;ortations, Boycott Avelo

 

In the wake of stepped up kidnappings of immigrants by masked ICE agents with no warrants, the community, city and state officials are demanding an end to this racist violence. Last week when New Haven Wilbur Cross High School student Esdras R was taken during a workplace raid his classmates, teachers and city officials stepped forward, funds raised and a lawyer retained. Esdras had been removed to Louisiana for deported to Guatemala when his lawyer located him and succeeded in his return to a facility in New England while his case is argued.

In the next days six people were abducted in New Britain, where organizing for their defense is underway.

This is a story about racism and profits for the private prison industry. It is a story about robbing communities of $170 billion for jobs, housing, healthcare and education in order to fund mass deportations, wars, and enormous tax cuts for the wealthiest few.

In its drive for profits, Avelo Airlines, based in New Haven, contracted with the Department of Homeland Security to transport immigrants without due process to other countries. In April when this became known the New Haven Immigrants coalition launched a boycott which is now nationwide.

A post from Our Revolution reports: “Public pressure works. After a major backlash over secret ICE contracts, Avelo Airlines is abandoning all West Coast routes. A grassroots campaign in Burbank. California forced their retreat—and the movement is spreading. Over 100 protesters just rallied near BWI airport to expose Avelo’s role in ICE deportations. No state should do business with airlines that profit off immigrant detention and deportation.”

This City of New Haven has banned use of any public funds for Avelo Airlines flights, marketing, branding, advertising or promotion. “Travel should be about bringing people together, not tearing families apart,” said Mayor Justin Elicker. “Avelo Airlines' continued participation in and profiteering from the Trump Administration’s inhumane and often illegal immigration policies and ICE’s deplorable tactics is antithetical to our values as a city, and not something we will support with city funds or taxpayer dollars.

Sign the pledge, “We Won't Fly Avelo,” at https://www.change.org/p/we-won-t-fly-avelo-until-they-stop-ice-flights-no-volaremos-con-avelo

.

CT Rallies for Families Over Billionaires

 

150 union workers, students, immigrant rights and community activists gathered with Connecticut for All outside New Haven's Brennan Rogers School, closing due to lack of funds, with a clear message: the Governor and Legislature must stand up for working families now.

The national day of action to put Families First over Billionaires was initiated by Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The massive cut to human needs wee accompanied by huge increases in funds for mass deporations and wars.

“We choose families not corporations. We will not be divided, and We Will not Back Down,” said emcee Seth Freeman president of SEIU Local 1973 – 4C's, calling on the legislature and governor to hold a speciall session “to stand up and protect Connecticut residents from death and destruction coming from the Trump administration. and increase taxes on the ultra wealthy by implementing the Finance Committee’s progressive revenue proposals.”

Healthcare workes, students and immigrant youth spoke passionately of the harms these cuts will bring to them and their communities.

“Hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents will be directly harmed by these cuts, but ultimately every resident in our state will be harmed, because gutting and shredding the social safety net hurts all of us,” said Freeman.

“Our message to every legislator in our state, is that if you are not in favor of raising revenue – raising state taxes on the same individuals that Trump just gave a tax break to - then you are supporting Donald Trump’s agenda.” he said to loud applause.

“Our message is that if you are not going to stand up now – while ICE is terrorizing our communities, abducting mothers in front of their children – then when are you going to stand up?

'Our message is that if you not going to stand up now – while Yale New Haven and CT Children’s Hospital announced cutting youth gender-affirming care - then when are you going to stand up?”

Families First rallies were held in ten Connecticut towns.

Demands Grow: Bring Esdras Home. ICE Out of CT

 

Last week 18 year old Wilbur Cross High School student and Students for a Dream activist Esdras R. became the latest victim of ICE abduction in New Haven, taken by masked men in unmarked uniforms and cars. Fellow students, educators and city officials are taking legal action and organizing a movement to Bring Esdras Home.

In each abduction case, no required court order has been shown, as the individuals have been “disappeared” to the horror of their family and community.

Esdras was abducted by federal immigration agents while at work. It took days for his principal to discover that he was taken to a detention facility in Massachusetts, then moved to New Hampshire and was not possible to find again until he had been removed to Louisiana.

City officials, Unidad Latina en Accion and Connecticut Students for a Dream are organizing legal support, letters from teachers, and more. The students held a rally outside Wilbur Cross High School, with the support of the principal.

Speakers included his classmates, teachers, State Sen Gary Winfield, and clergy. All had tne same message: Esdras should be in school, not in a detention center far from home. A common commitment was made to stay together in unity until Esdras is returned home and all those detained are released, to uphold New Haven as a welcoming city, and remove ICE from New Haven and Connecticut. Contributions to a legal defense fund can be made at https://giving.classy.org/campaign/710739/donate

Mayor Justin Elicker and School Superintendent Negrón called the detention of Edras by ICE “unconscionable” describing him as a ​“hard working student and a fine young man.”

Edras submitted testimony to the state legislature to expand Husky health coverage, saying ​“This matters to me since I am an immigrant and I am one of the many people who do not have health insurance. We all deserve to live with well-being and without unnecessary suffering, and access to medical care is crucial for this.”

Last month in New Haven, masked ICE agents in unmarked cars seized mother and factory worker Nancy Martinez from her car while she was giving her children a ride to school. Her daughter spoke at a press conference saying “I need my mother,” as the demand was clearly placed “We don't want ICE in New Haven. ICE out of New Haven.”

After weeks in dentention, Martinez was flown in shackles and removed to Mexico, separated from her family.

In response to this expanding tactic by ICE, funded by he Billionaire Budget Betrayal, twenty four state senators sent a letter to the Connecticut Congressional delegation urging support for the “No Masks for ICE Act,” a bill by New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez that would bar ICE agents from wearing face coverings in public and require uniforms displaying their name and agency affiliation.

“One month ago, while masked and without any identification, ICE agents detained multiple Danbury residents outside the Danbury Judicial District building, with the incident appearing to witnesses like dozens of kidnappings.,” said said State Senator Julie Kushner.

“Seeing masked men grabbing people on our streets is very terrorizing - not just for the people being detained, but for the general public as well. It’s reminiscent of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany. In my opinion, Congress cannot pass this bill soon enough.”

A companion bill introduced into the US Senate by Senators Alex Padilla and Corey Booker with 12 co-sponsors including Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

The same illegal tactics are being deployed in towns across the country. People's World article, “ICE agents arrest Oregon doctor as he drops off kid at preschool,” reports a similar case at Guidepost Montessori school in Beaverton, Oregon .

“Dr. Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, 38, a chiropractor, was driving to drop off his kid at Guidepost Montessori, a kindergarten daycare program. “

“Witnesses described seeing ICE agents wearing vests and face coverings pulling up in unmarked vehicles.

“A parent of another child at the school, said: 'Our principal came outside and asked for identification, badges, a warrant, that information, and they did not provide any identification or any of that other information, and then proceeded to put hands on our principal.' ” 

“Khanbabazadeh reportedly went through all the hoops of the U.S. immigration system only to end up detained by ICE agents with face masks and unmarked vehicles who refused to provide badges, identification, or a warrant. Rather than taking Khanbabazadeh to the nearby Portland ICE facility, they instead sent him 150 miles away to the Tacoma, Wash., detention center, making it harder for family and attorneys to gain access to him.

The letter to Congress from Connecticut's State Senators urges: “It is of the utmost importance to our democracy, to the future of this country and to the welfare of our citizens, that this unprecedented use of intimidation tactics be severely curtailed immediately.”

Yes to Job Corps

 

Yes to Job Corp, no to Trump’s attack on working class programs!  Inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal work relief programs, the Job Corps has successfully and reliably provided jobs, training, and education to millions of young workers aged 16 to 24 throughout the country since its first campus opened its doors in 1965.

Job Corps in Connecticut has campuses in New Haven and Hartford.  For decades, about 300 students graduate each year and go on to contribute skills and leadership to their communities.

Today, the largely African American and Latino students of Connecticut’s Job Corps programs are in the crosshairs of the Trump Administration’s shameless war on workers.  For months, the Trump Administration has used loopholes and disingenuous legal theories to shutter this successful program.  

Just a few short weeks ago, the program and its allies pushed back in federal court and won an injunction protecting the program.  But, because of a super-majority of conservatives on the Supreme Court, it is not clear how long this injunction will hold.

The young people who are training at Connecticut’s Job Corps are not waiting to see what the Supreme Court will do.  They recognize that public action is necessary to protect Job Corp. They have the support of federal, state and local elected officials and the community.

The Jobs and Unemployed Committee of the New Haven Peoples Center is circulating a petition in support of the 149 New Haven students whose future is threatened by possible funding cuts from the Trump administration.

Standing outside the New Haven Campus, next to Senator Richard Blumenthal, Nahjayiah Munoz, the foreman of the campus carpentry program, shared that she would not have gotten a career without Job Corp, adding “we learned everything we need to do safety-wise, because on the job site, there’s not a guarantee that you’re safe - [Job Corps] makes sure we will be safe.”

Troy Sanders, who became employed as plumbing apprentice through Job Corps, said, “Job Corps is helping me out a lot, to get a good trade.  I know a lot of people that need Job Corps.”

Connecticut Sues Trump over $53 Million in School Funding

 

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 25 states in suing the Trump Administration over its unconstitutional, unlawful, and arbitrary decision to freeze $6.8 billion in funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education, including over $53 million for Connecticut schools alone.

Loss of this funding will cause immediate and severe harm to schools nationwide. Already, ongoing summer learning programs have been left unfunded. Tong and the coalition ask the court to declare the funding freeze unlawful – as courts have repeatedly done in other cases filed by Connecticut and the states– and to block any attempts to withhold or delay this funding.

“The White House has dropped an unnecessary and cruel bomb on students and their families. All Connecticut students - not just those most in need - will be jeopardized if local districts are forced to make up the difference. No one voted for starving children of their opportunity to learn. The White House should immediately back off and allow the resources Congress has already appropriated to be directed to classrooms here in Connecticut and across the nation,” said Mary Yordan, AFT Connecticut Vice President.

“Trump and Linda McMahon are stealing from Connecticut schools to fund tax cuts for billionaires, and its our kids and our teachers who are paying the price. We are talking about over $53 million already built into local school budgets in nearly every district in Connecticut for computers and technology, afterschool enrichment and field trips, social workers, English language instruction, teacher training, adult education and more,” said Tong.

“We stopped Trump when he tried to defund Head Start, when he tried to defund disaster relief and energy assistance, when he tried to defund our police, cancer research, and our libraries. We are back in court yet again to make sure our schools and our kids get every penny that our tax dollars paid for,” he added.

The lawsuit seeks both declaratory and injunctive relief—to declare the funding freeze unlawful and block Trump from withholding these critical funds.

Childcare Funding Makes History

 

Connecticut made history this month as the first-in-the-nation to comprehensively address all the challenges in early childhood, offering relief to families across the state.

With families earning under $100,000 eligible for free child care — and costs capped at 7% of income for everyone else —thousands more children will gain access to affordable, high-quality early learning — and for many families, that means free child care for the very first time.

Beth Bye, the state Early Childhood Commissioner, called the legislation a model for the nation

The suite of groundbreaking child care bills, collectively known as the Early Childhood Education Endowment is fully funded at $300 million, unlocking transformative investments in child care and pre-K.

In addition to capping child care costs, the bills raise wages and establish a new health insurance subsidy for early educators, and create a new hospital pilot program to connect new parents to resources.

Make no mistake,” said Childcare for CT Coalition Director Eva Bermudez-Zimmerman, “This win is the direct result of advocacy, organizing, and relentless pressure from parents, providers, and people across the state!” The 1000 grass roots activists calls and emails to lawmakers and 14 childcare rallies led to passage of the 2025 Connecticut Childcare Bill.

“The legislation isn't just a win for families and providers — it's a win for Connecticut at large! When we prioritize early childhood, we prioritize CT's future,” said Bermudez-Zimmerman. “We're building a future where every Connecticut family has access to quality, affordable childcare, where parents can join or remain in the workforce while setting our kids up for a bright, successful future.”

The Office for Early Childhood and Child Care for CT will host information town halls across the state.

“This is a huge win for children, parents and child care providers across Connecticut. From day one, our members have been clear about what we need: affordable and accessible childcare for families and systems that work for both providers and the parents we serve,” said Maria Reyes, CSEA SEIU Local 2001’s Childcare Council President.