One Month On Strike at Sunrise; Strike Vote at Frontier

 

Rally Marks One Month On Strike at Sunrise Inc.

Marking their first month on strike, SEIU 1199 group home and day program care givers rallied at Sunrise, Inc to demand livable wages, affordable health care and a pension.

Strike lines gathered ed in Hartford with community partners and elected officials on Thursday November 11. Most Sunrise workers are Black, brown and white working women currently making less than $17 an hour, with a family health insurance premium of more than $6,000 monthly and no pension for retirement after providing decades of service.

Connecticut AFL-CIO president Ed Hawthorne and executive vice president Shellye Davis, will address the rally. Davis, also president of the Hartford Federation of Paraprofessionals, AFT Local 2221, is the first Black woman elected as the second-highest ranking officer of the Connecticut AFL-CIO.

The group home and day program caregivers are demanding that like other employers, Sunrise Inc. must come to the table and sign a new union contract that reflects the $184-million in additional funding won by the workers and approved by Gov Ned Lamont.

The caregivers are asking for support on their picket lines and contributions to the strike fund: "L199 Strike & Defense Fund" at 77 Huyshope Ave, Hartford, CT 06106.

CWA Workers Picket Frontier Communications

Last week, Communications Workers of America Local 1298 held an informational picket calling on Frontier Communications to negotiate a new contract that includes job security, fair benefits, and access to the jobs of the future expanding Frontier’s network.. Over 97% of CWA members voted to authorize a strike if Frontier refuses to bargain a fair contract.

As essential workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and Frontier’s bankruptcy, CWA members stepped up to provide critical broadband service to the residents of Connecticut.

Frontier Communications had announced very positive 3rd quarter earnings. “We gained strong momentum in the quarter and delivered record results on two of the most important drivers of our transformation – building and selling fiber,” said Nick Jeffery, President and CEO of Frontier.

In response, Dave Weidlich Jr, president of CWA Local 1298 said, “CWA members must be recognized with a fair agreement. We are the employees that make Frontier successful. We are committed to building and selling fiber to the residents of Connecticut”