The Civil Rights Committee of AFSCME Council 4 understands the history of combining civil rights, labor and taking care of community. In that spirit, Black, Indigenous and union leaders of color who work in municipal and state public services have been gathering carload after carload of groceries to feed those in need in New Britain, home to their local union hall.
As the world marked the anniversary of the official start of the coronavirus pandemic Thursday, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law and offered words of hope to a weary nation.
Labor activists earlier this year began collaborating with community organizations to help fellow residents recover from the economic fall-out of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. That led to the formation of a new coalition, "Recovery for All," initially focused on securing a state budget in the General Assembly's 2021 legislative session that puts people first.
Council 4 AFSCME is a partner in these efforts, and is mobilizing members to move lawmakers and the governor to "do better."
AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the House of Representatives for passing the American Rescue Plan on Saturday and urged the Senate to follow suit as soon as possible.
Council 4 Executive Director Jody Barr issued this statement in response to Gov. Lamont's Feb. 22 announcement regarding changes to the State's vaccine rollout plans.
Yesterday, the Governor announced that Connecticut's COVID-19 vaccine rollout will focus on age groups and educational personnel, a change that eliminates priority status for many essential workers.
That means that AFSCME members and their families can earn a bachelor’s degree for free, making an even wider choice of career options a possibility for more people.
Black History Month is a time to reflect on the contributions Black people have made to the strength and vitality of our nation. It is also an opportunity to consider how the labor movement – and public employee unions in particular – have created a pathway to the middle class for so many Black families.
We asked four members of Council 4 to share their personal reflections on Black History Month and the role unions can play in strengthening that connection between economic justice and racial justice.
Here’s a sure sign of new leadership in Washington. There’s a renewed push to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, an idea that went nowhere when the Trump administration and anti-worker members of Congress were in power.
