WORKERS RALLY AT CAPITOL, DEMAND PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 8 TO RESIST BILLIONAIRE AGENDA

 

HARTFORD, CT – April 19, 2025 – Union members and supporters rallied outside the Connecticut State Capitol Building on April 19, demanding passage of Senate Bill 8 (SB 8), legislation aimed at supporting workers in contract negotiations amid federal attacks on workers’ rights. 

The rally, sponsored by UNITE HERE Connecticut, highlighted the growing disparity between the wealthy and the working class. Speakers addressed the need for SB 8 to help workers achieve a life of dignity and security. 

“We were here today to push for a working class agenda against a billionaire agenda,” declared Josh Stanley, Local 217–UNITE HERE Secretary-Treasurer. “The working class is under attack from billionaires. Years of inflation and now fears of a recession have put working people in jeopardy—while the dismantling of the National Labor Relations Board and the growing influence of the wealthiest people on earth have meant that bosses are more emboldened than ever.” 

SB 8 would allow striking workers to access unemployment insurance after two weeks on strike, a crucial support system that would level the playing field during labor disputes. The bill is similar to legislation already in force in New York and New Jersey, and pending in 13 other states. 

“I need SB8 because I need the security of a good contract for my children,” stated Carly Ortiz, a food service worker at Southern Connecticut State University and mother of three. “I know SB 8 will help us keep stability during these turbulent times.” 

Jose Sanchez, a food service worker at Trinity College, said “I’m here to champion SB8 because I see family members and co-workers working three or four jobs to make ends meet, while the billion-dollar companies and their owners get richer and richer. We need to pass S B8 so we can even the playing field and get back to a life of dignity.” 

Samantha Cedeno, a food service worker at Central Connecticut State University and mother of five, spoke about her children: “Why should I have to choose between drowning and fighting for what’s right while billionaires in this country get to do whatever they want? What makes my family less important than theirs?” 

The rally served as a powerful demonstration of solidarity and a demand for economic justice. 

“This is a bill for equality and dignity,” Stanley added. “And it comes at a cheap price for the state. Think about this – if it had been law for the past four years, it would only have cost the state $232,000 a year. The result would be progress toward a fairer state economy. Those who oppose this bill are not opposed to it because it costs too much. They are opposed because they don’t want things to be remotely fair – they want all the power on one side. All that has led to is growing inequality. We need a change across Connecticut and across this country.”