Despite a record state budget surplus, Governor Ned Lamont's proposed fiscal blueprint calls for destructive cuts to public higher education. Louise Williams (middle, in photo below), the president of our affiliated CSU-AAUP in a recently published opinion piece warned of the consequences; faculty and staff layoffs, student tuition hikes, program cuts and campus closures. She urged action so that "Rome does not have to burn in 21st-century Connecticut:"
The global COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly the greatest collective challenge our union members have faced in their lifetimes. Securing adequate compensation for the risks taken by frontline "essential" workers has been a daunting and often frustrating challenge. Our latest collective bargaining report highlights how public employee members tapped the power of "Union YES" to move a neutral arbitrator and state lawmakers to show appreciation for their sacrifice.
Effectively teaching and supporting students, whether in PreK-12 or higher education settings, requires the entire school or college community to embrace a “whole child" approach. That is one of the central themes of a recently published op-ed by Christopher Trombly (speaking in photo, below), a member of our recently affiliated CSU-AAUP. It drives his demands for state elected officials to invest the resources needed to fund our state’s future on behalf of the students he and his colleagues serve:
Nearly 40 years ago, two provisions in the Social Security Act were created with the intent of equally treating workers who pay Social Security taxes throughout their careers and those who do not on all of their earnings. However, the provisions—the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO)—have caused nearly 2 million American workers to be denied benefits because they chose to enter public service.
It is often said that contractual gains cannot be made at the negotiating table alone; they additionally depend on workplace, community and political collective action. This complete formula is particularly important in order to overcome many historical and structural impediments embedded in many fields and industries. In this collective bargaining report, we're highlighting a landmark contract victory where by choosing “Union YES,” members helped resolve some of modern healthcare’s biggest challenges.
