Labor Honors Connecticut Workers Who Lost Their Lives on the Job

 

At noon on Monday, April 28 workers, elected officials, and students gathered at the Workers Memorial in Bushnell Park for the annual Workers Memorial Day ceremony honoring workers who have died or suffered illness or injuries on the job.

In Connecticut, 33 workers lost their lives to work-related injuries in 2023, the latest data available. An additional 31,000 workers suffered on-the-job injuries or illnesses.

According to the AFL-CIO’s annual report, Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 5,283 workers nationally were killed on the job and an estimated 135,000 workers died from occupational diseases in 2023.

That means 385 workers died each day due to job-related injuries and illnesses.

“We are in the fight of our lives to retain health and safety standards throughout our country,” said Kyle Zimmer, co-chair of the Connecticut AFL-CO’s Health & Safety Committee. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in construction, general industry, healthcare or municipal workers. Everyone is affected by the cuts.”

Worker safety and union density “go hand in hand,” said Connecticut AFL-CIO president Ed Hawthorne. Connecticut has the third lowest worker fatality rate and the fourth highest union density in the country.

In accepting her Health and Safety Legislative Award State Senator Martha Marx recounted that, as a union member and working nurse, she has a deeper perspective. She leads the fight for legislation to protect visiting nurses like herself, following the recent killing of a nurse on the job.

“I am the rank and file,” she said. “Rank and file needs to be at the table.” Referring to the quote on the stone monument by Mother Jones, “mourn for the dead but fight like hell for the living,” she said “I have a little bit of Mother Jones in me.”

The ceremony concluded with a bell toll for each lost worker as their name was read. A delegation from the executive board of the Connecticut AFL-CIO then went into the Capitol to deliver a letter to Governor Ned Lamont in favor of SB 8 that would allow workers to receive unemployment insurance after two weeks on strike.

May Day Rallies and March Build Solidarity and Resistance

A Connecticut labor-community-immigrant coalition is mobilizing for a powerful resistance May Day with a march and event on May 1 and a rally on May 3. They celebrate International Workers Day and honor the strength and resilience of workers everywhere.

The May 1 actions will take place at 11 am in Hartford's Bushnell Park sponsored by Make the Road and at 5 pm at the New Haven Green where a statewide march will include many labor, immigrant rights and community organizations.

On May 3 the annual People's World May Day Rally will be held at 267 Chapel St (entrance from parking lot in back on Saltonstall Ave) themed We are Many They are Few. Stop the Billionaire Coup. Spanish interpretation will be available.

The events on May 1 are part of a national day of action being organized in many states uniting working class organizations in ongoing solidarity for union rights, civil rights, human needs and a liveable climate.

The Connecticut call says “Join us as we march to protect our country from the billionaire class and demand transformation and investment in our communities. Together, we will resist and unite to build a better world and a better Connecticut. By taking to the streets on May Day and continuing our efforts in the weeks and months ahead, we will strengthen our resistance.”

The People's World rally on May 3 will include a welcome from youth organizers of the May 1 march along with convenors Leslie Blatteau and Rev. Scott Marks. The program will include a slide show of May Day Around the World. Songs of resistance will be led by Scottieca Marks, Teresa Quintana and Brian Jarawa Gray. Demands for the future will highlight a few of the urgent actions at the state and federal level.

An ebook will be rolled out on the occasion of the 40^th anniversry of Local 34 Unite Here clerical and technical workers union at Yale containing all the People's World stories about that battle written during the 40 years.

Contributions to People's World will be accepted.

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.” 

Billions in Profits, Cuts for Workers: UAW Demands Fair Contract at Electric Boat

 

"Tick tock."  That was the message the 2,500 MDA-UAW Local 571 members sent directly to the profitable corporation General Dynamics Electric Boat.  Earlier that day, the membership voted on whether to authorize a strike.  The votes were being counted in the back room. 

With over 1,200 members packing the hall, the message from union president Bob Louis and the response from members was clear - members are disgusted by the corporation's refusal to bargain collaboratively.  Despite being flush with over $13.3 billion in profits over the last three years, the company is crying poverty.  Pensions for all?  The company claimed this $2.5 million cost would cripple the business and would not be possible.  Profit sharing?  The company claimed this would dig into the $7.5 billion in shareholder buy-backs that the company has taken from the workers since 2022 and could not happen.  Cost-of-living increases?  No.  Equal leave time for all workers?  No.  The "best and final offer" for the workers is paying 26% more for healthcare and step increases that no current worker would be eligible for for over 5 years.

Before Bob could finish his remarks, the vote tally was rushed onto the stage:  over 65% of members voted to authorize a strike.  At any moment the Union's negotiation committee could call for a work stoppage.  MDA-UAW Local 571's members occupy critical positions at every stage of the ship building process.  The chemists who make sure enclosed areas of ships are safe for other works can now go on strike.  The technicians who set the lasers on the yard that map out where massive steel parts must be lowered and secured into place by other workers can now go on strike.  The list goes on and on.  Bob asked members if management could do their job.  The rancorous response from members made it clear that the answer was a clear hell no.  A strike of these workers would grind production on the dock yards to an absolute standstill. 

When UAW President Shawn Fain took to the podium he recapped the numbers that the negotiations committee had detailed.  General Dynamics is a federal contractor with no competition.  Over the last three years they have made $13.3 billion in profits, gave $7.5 billion to the shareholders, spent $188 million on executive pay, and paid their CEO $67.6 million.  For 125 years, union workers have been building ships in New London and Groton.

But, despite this flood of working class value, the company wants concessions from the union.  They want the union to gladly agree to pay more for healthcare, to have a tiered system that stiffs new-hires from access to leave time, that bucks industry standards for COLA increases and profit sharing.  In short, the company wants the union "too old to work and too young to die."  Fain was adamant:  the UAW does not deal in concession bargaining.

Fain shared that the work being down by Local 571 is building off the incredible work of the Stand Up strike at the Big Three auto manufacturers.  Fain also shared that the fight being waged by the union on the yard floor is being closely watched by other builders, specifically builders in Maine who are fighting for their fair contract, but also by other unions more close to home, like the Wellesley College union of non-tenure-track faculty who's been out on strike in Massachusetts since March 27. 

The work stoppage, he shared, is the most powerful tool in the working class arsenal.  When work stops, the world stops.  As this was being explained, the energy in the hall - full of men and women, young workers and retirees, began to swell, breaking out into colorful language for management and the shareholders.  The company claims it can weather a strike for 6 months with its contingency plans.  The members laughed.

He continued, saying that the company thinks time is on their side.  But when a UAW local votes for a strike, time is out for the company, the clock is ticking.  The clock is ticking on corporate greed.

The marine draftsmen are not alone. Across Connecticut workers are voting to go on strike if the company does not offer wages, healthcare, pensions, and job security.

The 2025 IAM workers at Pratt-Whitney seeking job security voted by 99% to authorize a strike if a new contract isn't approved by May 4 when their current agreement expires. The 1400 CWA workers at Frontier whose contract has expired voted by 95% to authorize a strike if necessary as negotiations continue. There is the possibility SEIU 1199NE nursing home workers may strike in the spring as they negotiate for living wages.

Ongoing strikes include Teamsters at iHealth who remain on strike for a first contract since December 2024, and Ironworkers at Jesscraft in Oxford who have been on strike since April 7 for union recognition.

Wealthy corporations feel empowered by the White House vicious attacks on union rights. The strike line raises working class consciousness for those on strike, and also for the community. These workers are standing up against entitled corporations and objectively they are standing up against the MAGA agenda.

Tax Day Message: Fund People's Needs not Billionaires

 

As increasing wealth inequality makes it harder and harder for working class families to make ends meet, pressure is building at the state legislature to enact measures that increase spending on people's needs and gain revenue by taxing the rich.

The Legislature's Tax Equity Caucus addressed these needs at a press conference followed by a march with the Connecticut for All coalition to the Office of Policy and Management to make their point on Tax Day.

The Tax Equity Caucus initiated by Rep. Josh Elliot, aimed to inform the public and make sure that the leadership in the legislature is strong in their negotiations with Governor Ned Lamont, who has consistently opposed taxing wealth.

The Caucus stressed the need for comprehensive tax reform that holds the wealthiest individuals and large corporations accountable, insisting on policy changes that prioritize fairness, address growing economic disparities and send a clear message: it’s time for a tax system that works for everyone.

“Working families pay more than 30% of their income on rent and almost 40% of their income in taxes, while the top income tax bracket pays only 7.3% of their money in taxes,” explained Constanza Segovia, Organizing Director for Connecticut For All, “And then we have corporations like Amazon, the largest company in the world, with reported profits of over $10 billion in 2018 and an effective tax rate of -1%.”

Connecticut Citizens Action Group (CCAG) joined in the press conference and the march for tax equity that followed. CCAG and Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) released a report that morning showing that the collective fortune of Connecticut’s 14 billionaires has grown by $33 billion, or 61%, since the Trump-GOP tax law was enacted in 2017. 

As Human Service Committee co-chairs Jillian Gilchrest and Matt Lesser pointed out in the report, “extending Trump’s tax breaks for oligarchs is doubly offensive because it means cutting critical healthcare and services for working families.”

Families in the top 5%, who make more than $320,000 a year, are the ones who will benefit from extending the 2017 federal tax cuts according to the Center on Budget Policies and Priorities.

The Trump-Republican Congress is seeking $880 billion in federal budget cuts to help pay for it, requiring that funds be slashed for Medicaid, special education, food stamps and other programs.

“We have ultra-wealthy residents who don’t just have the ability, but the responsibility, to pay their fair share of taxes,” said State Senator Gary Winfield, “Even if we didn’t have the threat from the Trump Administration, we would still have people outside of the Capitol demanding more because they are drowning and it’s our state policies that are failing them.”

The previous week, before a crowd of more than 800 residents gathered at Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford, House Speaker Matt Ritter announced that legislative leaders are moving to suspend Connecticut’s restrictive fiscal guardrails.

The event, hosted by the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance (GHIAA) and Connecticut For All (CTFA), brought together faith, labor, and community leaders to demand bold public investments in education, housing, healthcare, and infrastructure—and to push back against the artificial austerity imposed by outdated budget constraints. This  announcement marked a major turning point in the fight for equitable investment in communities across the state, but is only a part of the solution that Connecticut needs.

Speaker Ritter’s commitment follows months of sustained grassroots advocacy and organizing led by CTFA and GHIAA, and their allies. While this development signals meaningful momentum, advocates emphasized that it must be the beginning—not the end—of bold fiscal action. With more than $2 billion in urgent needs across the state, residents cannot afford a “wait and see” approach. Suspending the guardrails is a critical step, but it must be followed by real investment in the programs and services that strengthen Connecticut’s communities.

“One job is no longer enough,” said Johannah Alabi, SEIU 1199 New England member and Certified Nursing Assistant at Avery Heights and Governor’s House, “I now work two full-time jobs, over 80 hours a week, just to make ends meet. Eighty hours a week, I work every single day. This was not my reality before, or even during the pandemic. Back then, my paycheck was enough to support my family. But now? My paycheck is not going as far as before, and I struggle to support my family. Five years later, we have become forgotten.”

“These services have been important to me and are vital to thousands of youth across the state,” said Elijah Hechevarria, a Youth Leader from Our Piece of the Pie and student at Manchester Community College, studying Social Work, “My life has transformed with OPP. Every youth at OPP has the opportunity to achieve their goals. Programs like this change young people’s lives.”

Calling for urgent action at the Tax Equity Caucus press conference Rep Josh Elliot emphasized “Our state cannot begin to address the crisis of need plaguing our communities without addressing our upside down tax structure. And despite the resounding popularity of tax fairness, Connecticut continues to give the ultra-wealthy a free pass while our working families are collapsing under the pressure. We must enact smart policies that support our investment needs through stable and equitable revenue streams.”