Congressman Jim Himes joins tenants and workers at the Bridgeport Housing Authority to decry buget cuts to to public housing.

Some 300 Council 4 members deluged the State Capitol May 8 to urge legislators to stand up for working families.

Our members will meet at the State Capitol to urge legislators to advocate for the middle class.

Our union is fighting to expand retirement security for all workers as part of our platform to rebuild the middle class.

Council 4 took time out to remember workers who died or were injured on the job during our annual Workers Memorial Day ceremony.

The head of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance brought a special message of union solidarity to the Council 4 conference.

Our thoughts and prayers go to those who lost family members and those struggling with injuries suffered in the Boston Marathon bombing.

The issue of wealth inequality across the United States is well known, but this video dramatically demonstrates the extent of that imbalance.

On March 22, Council 4's Next Wave Committee will screen the classic movie Norma Rae. Our guest speaker is State Sen. and Labor Commitee Co-Chair Cathy Osten.

AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Laura Reyes and New York Taxi Workers Alliance Executive Director Bhairavi Desai will headline our annual Conference.

State legislators created a special fund to help cover the mental health costs of first responders, educators and other workers traumatized by the Newtown school massacre.

Protecting the working middle class was the theme at the AFSCME Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. Catch us on AFSCME TV.

Local 269 members participated in a day-long union steward training to help them mobilize on the job and in their communities.

Why not give your valentine some union-made sweets this Feb. 14? It turns out, there are many union-made treats you can give out on Valentine's Day.

Public service workers are laboring around the clock to help state residents cope with a record snowfall that lashed Connecticut over the weekend.

Find out how you can have a union-made Super Bowl party on Sunday, Feb. 3.

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday holds special importance for AFSCME members like Local 3429's Claudine Wilkins-Chambers.

Salisbury town hall employees vote to join the Council 4 union family.

Bring in the new year using a Made in America, union-made New Year's Eve shopping list from Labor 411.

Call your member of Congress now and tell them to stand up for middle class families.

Council 4 union members across the state are reaching out to support their local communities.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the massacre of innocent children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Sign our online card.

Find that perfect gift this holiday season using our Made in America, union-made gift guide. 

Call your members of Congress today and urge them to protect the middle class.

Corporate fat cats calling for cuts to worker retirement programs are sitting on massive retirement funds of their own.

Tell Congress to protect our future by opposing cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits and making sure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share.

Walmart workers around the country are prepared to strike on Black Friday, November 23.
  Read more >>>

Join the Council 4 Women's Committee for a viewing of A Crushing Love, a documentary honoring Latina activists.

This Thanksgiving, you can show solidarity when choosing the goods that garnish your table. Read more >>>

Help us make the holiday season more joyous by donating to our toy drive. Read more >>>

Nov. 11 is the day we officially honor our nation's veterans, the day when the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council reminds us to say, "Welcome home and thank you."

Council 4 and AFSCME-endorsed candidates swept to victory in the Nov. 6 election, overcoming millions of dollars in outside money from anti-union forces.
  Read more >>>

Read Council 4 Executive Director Sal Luciano's editorial in today's Journal Inquirer newspaper.

Election Day is Nov. 6. Raise your voice and cast your vote for candidates who support unions and the middle class.

Hurricane Sandy will hit our state Monday with violent winds up and tidal surges along the shoreline.

Local 714 member Dwight "DJ" Frederick tells why he is volunteering to canvass the homes of union members heading into election day. Read more >>>

Council 4 and the Connecticut labor movement mourn the loss of our former political coordinator Dennis O'Neil, who died Oct. 12. Read more >>>

New data from the Pew Center on the States shows unions boost economic mobility. Read more >>>

A new report shows the decline in unionization tracks with a decline in the share of income going to the middle class. Read more >>>

America needs good jobs and shared prosperity, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told delegates at the Democratic National Convention.

Esther Rozum of AFSCME Local 818 retires after an incredible 47 years of service to the Town of Seymour. Read more >>>

Unions are central to a middle class economic revival, Council 4 Executive Director Sal Luciano reflects in a new op-ed. Read more >>>

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy named AFT Connecticut union leader Sharon Palmer to serve as Connecticut's new Labor Commissioner. Read more >>>

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson writes that Mitt Romney’s choice of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate confirms his contempt for working people and public services.

Front-line blood collection workers at the Red Cross are standing up to the company's heavy-handed acts of retaliation and discipline. Read more >>>

Happy 77th birthday, Social Security. As we celebrate Social Security's anniversary, let’s remember it has never missed a check.

Read more >>>

Columnist Harold Meyerson says journalists have it wrong when reporting municipal union contracts as the reason for municipal bankruptcies.
 

AFSCME President Lee Saunders speaks with National Public Radio about the threats to public service employees and how we're responding.

Find out which candidates for political office have received our endorsement, and how you can help those who are running in the Aug. 14 primary. Read more >>>

Watch the new video spoof calling out "The Boehner Bunch" and tell Congress to get to work on fixing the economy.

Read more >>>

Unions are vital to the preservation of the American Dream, writes state employee and Local 562 member Patrick Kilby in a Journal Inquirer editorial.

Check out the AFL-CIO's Made in America blog series and celebrate the contributions of U.S. workers to our economy. Read more >>>

Connecticut AFSCME unions praise the Supreme Court's historic ruling on the Affordable Care Act.

Local 538 President Dawn Tyson helps galvanize AFSCME members at our union's 40th International Convention in Los Angeles.

Our commitment to the labor relations process resulted in the settlement of several D-SNAP fraud allegation cases involving our members.

Our members have begun mobilizing for the 2012 election campaign, starting with a special kick-off at Council 4. Read more >>>

Join us Saturday, June 30 for Labor Night at the New Britain Rock Cats. Read more >>>

Nearly 5,000 AFSCME delegates will convene in Los Angeles June 18-22 for our national union's 40th Convention. Read more >>>

Check out the story and photos from our annual CT Veterans Picnic. Read more >>>

The 9th Connecticut Veterans Memorial Picnic is set for Saturday, May 26, 2012 at the State Veterans Home in Rocky Hill, CT. Read more >>>

Council 4 members contributed to the fight against breast cancer by taking part in the CT Race in the Park in New Britain. Read more >>>

A year after joining Council 4, West Haven library workers have their first collective bargaining agreement in place. Read more >>>

Ask your State Senator to support legislation that would establish a task force to study creating a voluntary pension system for employees.

Council 4 members and staff honored the memory of Local 1026 member Nick Yetishefsky and all workers who have died and suffered on the job. Read more >>>

Nearly 200 members convened in East Hartford April 21 to help Council 4 chart its course, including the election of a new Executive Board. Read more >>>

Norwich public service workers are officially part of the Council 4 family after choosing our union in a representation election.

City workers in Bristol are standing up for quality public services as they take on ill-considered attempts to privatize operations.

The cost for state employee and retiree health insurance will remain flat in 2013, according to Comptroller Kevin Lembo, setting a positive trend as more municipalities explore joining the state pool.

Tell your representative in Congress to vote No on the GOP budget plan introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

Learn more about our union's push to rebuild the middle class by expanding retirement security for all workers. Read more >>>

Council 4's Annual Conference is Saturday, April 21 in East Hartford. We've got a great day planned, so be sure to check out the agenda online.

Council 4 is a proud supporter of the 5th annual New London Irish Parade on Saturday, March 17, 2012 in downtown New London.

Norwalk elected officials join members of AFSCME Local 2405 as they rally against efforts to privatize public trash collection.

A panel of experts warns against efforts to diminish retirement security for working, middle class Americans.

Visit the new site created by the AFL-CIO to celebrate the work we all do.

Council 4 mourns the passing of two former staff representatives who served our union, Jeff Moore and Joel Schweidel.

AFSCME Local 391, representing state correctional employees, is supporting a unique campaign by Simsbury students to honor Dr. Martin Luther King.

Growing income inequality is a threat to improving our fragile economy and reviving the middle class.

Find out what happened during the 2012 legislative session that adjourned May 9.

Council 4 welcomes Governor Malloy's proposal to stabilize the state pension fund.

More than 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called the American Dream "a dream yet unfulfilled." Our AFSCME union says it's time to pull together to find real solutions to our nation's problems.

School cafeteria workers in the town of Burlington are standing up for the quality of their jobs by voting to join the Council 4 union family.

Across Connecticut, our members and their unions are supporting the communities where they work.

The Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations ruled in Council 4’s favor when it dismissed the effort of a Massachusetts-based business seeking to represent our NP-4 Corrections Bargaining Unit.

Council 4 mourns the loss of our friend and colleague Rich Sivel, who died suddenly Dec. 18.
 

Our members who work as state public safety dispatchers are questioning the wisdom of a proposal to consolidate operations and its impact on public safety.

Join us December 6 in New Haven for the "We are the 99%" rally and march. And sign our "9 Demands of the 99%" to get our country back to work and back on track.

Our members in AFSCME Local 3145, representing Red Cross blood collection workers, ratified a new collective bargaining agreement after working nearly three years without a contract.

Newt Gingrich wants to fire union workers and hire kids to clean schools. Take action and tell Gingrich his "idea" is outrageous.
 

Council 4 union members are helping to ease Connecticut's growing "food insecurity" problem with holiday contributions to area food banks.
 

AFSCME Local 3145, representing blood collection workers at the American Red Cross, has reached tentative agreement on a new contract.

Council 4 and Local 2663 successfully fight to get 37 laid off social workers rapidly re-employed after they were let go by the top-heavy Department of Children and Families.

Red Cross blood collection workers from AFSCME Local 3145 are on strike. Learn more about their struggle and how you can help. 

Council 4's popular Night at the Movies returns Oct. 27 at 7:00 p.m. with "North Country," based on the true story of women coal miners who fought sexual harrassment.

Council 4 members journeyed to Washington, DC, where they dedicated the Martin Luther King National Memorial and marched for jobs.
 

AFSCME Local 1186 President Jim Amato says his city of New Britain and all of Connecticut would benefit from President Obama's American Jobs Act.

AFSCME Local 2663 members are calling on Gov. Malloy to rescind the layoffs of 37 DCF employees.  Take action to support our workers.

Council 4 members and retirees mourn the passing of former Executive Director Dominic Badolato, who successfully fought for the rights of working people.
 

Our NP-4 Corrections Bargaining Unit leaders say inmate overcrowding in Connecticut's prison is a threat to public safety.

AFSCME Corrections United recognized Local 391's Michael Whitehead as its national correctional officer of the year.

Local 2663's Jeanette Morrison and 13 other union-backed candidates swept to a stunning victory in the New Haven alderman primary.

Three Connecticut police officers from AFSCME Local Unions were among the many public service workers who answered the call on 9/11. Watch their story in a new video.

DCF Commissioner Katz is choosing to lay off 37 union members who were not permanent on July 1, 2011. Click here to contact Commissioner Katz and ask her to keep all front line staff working.

New Haven Dispatcher and Local 884 member David Mancini helps save a four-year-old boy from drowning.

AFSCME Local 1522 members who work for the City of Bridgeport and the Board of Education have ratified a new contract that protects public services and provides savings.

Read Council 4 Executive Director Sal Luciano's response to the latest effort to distort the facts about the state employee health plan and SustiNet legislation.

Council 4 members are trying to stop layoffs and legislative efforts to weaken collective bargaining rights and prevent layoffs.

Our members who work at the Mid-CT trash-to-energy plant in Hartford are fighting CRRA's effort to privatize the facility and lay off 71 workers.

Join Council 4 for Organized Labor Recognition Night at the New Britain Rock Cats on June 25. We've got free tickets for Council 4 members.

Hundreds of Council 4 members and retirees descended on the State Capitol in Hartford May 18 to stand up for the middle class during our annual Lobby Day.

West Haven Public Library workers stand up for their services by voting unanimously to join the Council 4 union family.

The unions representing front-line state prison employees are questioning the wisdom of shutting down prisons and releasing inmates.

Council 4 members issued a call to Rebuild the American Dream during the May 1 "Enough is Enough!" rally at Bushnell Park in Hartford.

The 1,300 sanitation workers who participated in the historic 1968 strike in Memphis, Tennessee -- members of AFSCME Local 1733 -- were enshrined into the U.S. Department of Labor's "Labor Hall of Fame" on April 29, 2011.

Council 4 will honor the memory of AFSCME Local 1026 member Nick Yetishefsky at our Workers Memorial Day ceremony April 27. Read more >>>

Check out some recent profiles of our members, including MSNBC's feature on Ken Gilbertie, a Town of Westport dispatcher and vice president of AFSCME of Local 1303-387.

Our AFSCME Local 3145 members who work on the front lines of blood collection for the American Red Cross marked the second anniversary of working without a contract.

Council 4 members are among the thousands who crowd New Haven's streets to remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

March 25 marks the 100-year anniversary of the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist fire in which 146 young, mostly immigrant women, were killed and comes at a key moment for our nation.

Be a part of something special when workers, the unemployed, the faith community, students and many more join together for the We Are One March and Rally on March 30 at 5:30 p.m. in downtown New Haven.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has signed a bill to strip away collective bargaining rights from most of the state’s 175,000 public service workers, including 60,000 AFSCME members.

In the latest assault on workers' rights and the middle class, Wisconsin Senate Republicans rigged a vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to eliminate public employee collective bargaining from the budget bill.

Join national civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton and AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Lee Saunders for a rally to support New Haven public service workers on March 14, 2011 at United Methodist Church in New Haven.
Take action: Sign our petition to Mayor DeStefano

Be a part of Council 4's annual conference, which is coming April 1-3, 2011 in Groton, CT.

Hundreds of people thronged to the State Capitol Feb. 23 for our solidarity rally in support of Wisconsin workers fighting Gov. Scott Walker's attack on the middle class.

Join us on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at the State Capitol in Hartford, CT as we rally in solidarity with Wisconsin workers and our Campaign for the Middle Class.

Our members who work at the Metropolitan District are fighting to stop CRRA from privatizing the the Mid-CT waste-to-energy plant.

Learn about our effort to rebuild the pillars of Connecticut's middle and working class economy.

We will roll out our "Campaign for the Middle Class" at our Legislative Conference on January 28.

MSNBC's Ed Shultz interviews filmmaker Robert Greenwald about the attacks on public service workers.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a strong connection with the labor movement and that connection lives on today as we remember the man and his dream.

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich explains the right-wing plan to pit working people against one another.

Council 4 is calling on Gov. Malloy and state legislators to create good jobs, grow the middle class and value the role of public services.

Council 4 members are reaching out during the holiday season to remember those who need a helping hand.

Tuesday Dec. 7 is a day of online solidarity with America's long-term jobless workers. Take action and let jobless workers know you’re on their side.

Rebuilding Connecticut's economy won't be easy, but state public service workers hope to partner with the incoming Malloy administration.

While nearly 27 million U.S. workers are either jobless or in need of full-time work, America’s corporations are sitting on record profits that could be used to put people back on the job.

The Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans honored Council 4's Lois O'Connor at the organization's annual awards banquet Nov. 15.

Council 4 members mobilized to elect candidates who will respect workers and support public services. Now it's time to hold them accountable.

Hundreds of New Haven public service workers marched on City Hall to air their concerns over Mayor John DeStefano's effort to slash services and jobs.

An arbitrator's ruling allows Alternate Retirement Plan (ARP) participants within some of our higher education bargaining units to transfer from the ARP to the State Employees Retirement System (SERS). The deadline for such a transfer has been extended to May 31, 2011.

Join New Haven public services workers for a march and demonstration in front of City Hall that coincides with Mayor John DeStefano's "Mayor's Night In."

Leaders of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) criticized Gov. Rell's proposals for reducing unfunded pension and healthcare liabilities, describing her proposals as political grandstanding.

Wall Street greed and double-dealing sparked much of the nation’s recent near-financial collapse, yet many in the chattering classes instead are attacking public employees for this rolling recession.

We are saddened by the death of of Robert Upson, who helped organize our NP-4 Corrections Bargaining Unit and then served our members for 26 years as a Council 4 representative.

AFSCME members just won a huge victory in Congress that will save tens of thousands of our jobs and the public services we provide.

The Teamsters union and the Cirigliano family of Newington have established funds to honor the memory of workers who died in the tragic shooting at Hartford Distributors. 

Delegates to AFSCME's 39th International Convention pay tribute to former Secretary-Treasurer William Lucy, a giant of the labor and civil rights movements.

Our members in New Haven are fighting the DeStefano administration's efforts to destroy good jobs in the community.

Members of AFSCME Local 1378 sponsored a successful book drive to boost summer reading and literacy program in New London.

Our union members ushered in the Memorial Day 2010 weekend May 29 with Council 4's annual Veterans Picnic at the Connecticut Veterans Home and Hospital in Rocky Hill.

State correctional officers applaud lawmakers for passing a bill that regulates inmate access to staff personnel records under FOIA statutes.

The state's controversial rest stop deal with the Carlyle Group is the Rell administration's latest failure to implement contracting standards created by law.

Congratulations to Laura Johnson, who has been awarded an AFSCME Family Scholarship. Laura is the daughter of Maria Johnson of Local 2267.

Biologist Becky McClain, who blew the whistle on Pfizer Inc. for exposing workers to a dangerous virus, headlined Council 4's annual Worker Memorial Day on April 28.

Council 4's annual Workers  Memorial Day remembrance will feature Becky McClain, who took on pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for exposing its workers to dangerous viruses and other biohazards.

Thanks to his perseverance and a strong union, AFSCME Local 681's Tyrone Douglas is back at work for the City of  West Haven.

Our members at the Hamden Public Library say National Library Week is a good time to remember the important role libraries play in our communities.

Griswold residents apokw out at a public meeting and successfully turned back efforts to slash services provided by the members of our town hall bargaining unit.

Union members in Middletown, including AFSCME Local 466, have partnered to create the Kleen Energy Family Fundraiser on April 17, with all proceeds to benefit the families of the workers who lost their lives in the tragic blast. 

The 7th annual Council 4 Picnic for Veterans takes place Saturday, May 29, 2010 at the State Veterans Home in Rocky Hill, CT.

Wall Street has treated Main Street as a giant ATM—gambling with the economy and coming back with their hands out for help. People are fighting back.

Council 4 members help achieve passage of the U.S. Senate bill that that provides $26 billion for public services and jobs.

Council 4 and the AFL-CIO joined with legislators to call for new federal investments in public services and to release a report showing how Connecticut would benefit.

Our hearts go out to the workers and families affected by the fatal explosion at the Kleen Energy Plant in Middletown.

Our members who work for the Stamford Housing Authority are fighting layoffs and service cuts. And the residents stand behind them.

Employees of the Manchester Housing Authority said "Union, Yes!" when they voted to join Council 4.

Council 4 members like those from AFSCME Local 184 (Metropolitan District Commission) are mobilizing to support earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

Paraprofessionals and security officers at Woodstock Academy voted unanimously to join Council 4.

Our union members in the Vernon Department of Public Workers excelled in statewide and regional snow plow safety competitions.

Enough is enough! Please join us for a rally to protest Gov. Rell's latest proposed ervice cuts on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 at 11 a.m. outside the State Capitol.

Our members who work in state prisons say the governor's proposal to close Webster Correctional Institution in Cheshire is a public safety risk.

ENFIELD — Correctional employees are organizing a raffle next month to benefit one of their brethren, a former correctional officer who was stricken with brain cancer earlier this year.

Members of AFSCME Local 749 are organizing efforts to keep open the Norwalk Courthouse that Governor Rell wants to close.

On the heels of a national report questioning the Red Cross's commitment to donor safety, the Connecticut Blood Services Region lays off 19 front-line blood collection workers.

Check out the inimitable Stephen Colbert and his satiric take on a prison privatization proposal in Arizona. It's called "The Green Mile," and it sends a strong message about the absurdity of privatizing public services.

Hartford school custodial and maintenance workers say staff shortages and a lack of cleaning supplies compromise the health of students and staff.

Calling for real health care reform with a public option, Council 4 members join AFSCME nurses in the "House Calls for Health Care" program.

A new report raises concerns about donor safety and the security of the nation’s blood supply at the American Red Cross, the country’s largest supplier of blood and blood products.

Council 4 Staff Representative Nick D'Andrea retired Oct. 1 after a 40-year career in the Connecticut labor movement, including the last 25 at our union. Nick is seen here with legendary farmworkers union president Cesar Chavez at a 1973 rally in Waterbury.

Council 4 union and health care activists protested at Aetna's headquarters in Hartford. Our message: We're sick of Big Insurance trying to scuttle reform.

President Barack Obama had a strong, inspiring message for delegates to the 2009 AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh: We’re going to make this country work again. Catch the video here.

Today young workers are less likely to have health care or economic security than they were 10 years ago, and one-third live in their parents’ home, according to a new national survey released by the AFL-CIO.

There were no shout-downs or death panel hysterics as the Council 4 Retirees held their own town hall-style meeting with Congressman Chris Murphy (D-5th).

Our members from AFSCME Local 3145 recently rallied to protest the anti-worker, anti-donor practices of the American Red Cross-CT Blood Services Region. Our blood collection workers say the company is putting profits ahead of safety.

Grass roots action paid off for state correctional employees represented by Council 4 as the NP-4 Corrections arbitration award became an enforceable contract on Feb. 13, 2009.

Although our state workers' cost-savings agreement provides two years of job security while saving more than $700 million for taxpayers, services the public needs more than ever are still at risk.