Legislation

Council 4 AFSCME consistently fights for and secures the best wages, benefits and working conditions for our members. We work closely with our police union affiliates to represent your interests in local government, the Connecticut General Assembly and in Congress.

Here are some highlights of recent activity:

Police Accountability Bill (HB 6004)

  • Language that would revoke an officer’s pension if he/she has been found to have committed excessive force that is deemed a crime (which could mean a misdemeanor).  This was blocked from the bill.
  • Language that would have studied and pushed to take road work away from police officers.  This was taken out of the bill. 
  • Language that would have eroded municipal collective bargaining.  The Republicans were upset that there was no language further limiting collective bargaining rights and making it easier to fire officers at a chief's discretion.  This was blocked from the bill.
  • Language that would have allowed POST to decertify or suspend an officer without pay for “conduct that undermines public confidence in law enforcement.” This language could have easily allowed retaliatory firings by management.  able to help change it so that POST must first come up with a list of behaviors that would meet this category of discipline.  Now our members will know what behavior “undermines public confidence” and what does not.

Other Legislative Issues/Outcomes

  • In 2019 Council 4 helped stop the shooting standard from passing
  • Killed a bill to give five day investigation in deadly force incidents where State’s Attorney must render a verdict of suspended with or without pay
  • Council 4 played a major part in restoring PTSD for police officers in 2019
  • In 2019 Council 4 got the AG to add language to his civil rights bill to protect cops from being compelled to speak in civil court (where they have no 5th amendment protection) and then allowing the testimony to be flipped for use to criminal court.  We managed to kill the bill anyway.
  • Increasing state grants to municipalities which is crucial in getting raises and benefits for our members.
  • In 2017, killed the two worst bills that we have ever seen - House Bill 6663 that would have revoked police officer pensions for conviction of a Class D felony (as minimal a crime as illegal trash burning); and House Bill 6666 that would have had police officers suspended without pay during an investigation.
  • In 2018, helped us strip a CCM (CT Conference of Municipalities) provision that would have allowed town to hide up to 15% of their annual revenue in a municipal reserve fund – making it almost impossible for our members to get a cost of living raise.