News

Biden forgives student loans for an additional 78,000 public service workers

AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the White House’s announcement Thursday that the Biden administration will forgive student loans for an additional 78,000 borrowers — including many AFSCME mem

Get Union Smart With Council 4 Education & Training

Council 4 (and our national AFSCME union) offer a wealth of free training and education opportunities, both in-person and online.

In 2020, Council 4 is launching "Saturday Study Hall" trainings at our office in New Britain.  We've scheduled classes on a wide range of subject matter, from grievance handling, social media and CPR/Opioid training to post-retirement planning, union treasurer responsibilities and OSHA certification.  We are also teaming up with the Connecticut AFL-CIO for a special training geared toward union members running for political office.

AFSCME Members Voice Support for Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act

AFSCME members sat down with congressional lawmakers last week to share stories about how the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act would improve communities and empower workers.

Trump Budget Disinvests in America’s Future

Through a budget proposal announced this week, President Donald Trump continues his attacks on vital programs for working families, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

And rather than invest in America’s future, he seeks to disinvest, proposing deep funding cuts to programs in education, environmental protection, disease prevention and more.

At AFSCME’s Iowa Coffee Caucus, Candidates Champion Public Services and Unions

If you followed every Democratic presidential primary debate and read the candidates’ positions on every topic and watched the AFSCME Public Service Forum held in August, you might think there is nothing left to know about the men and women vying to be the next president of the United States.

Carrying Out Our 2020 Legislative Priorities

The Connecticut General Assembly convenes Feb. 5, 2020 and adjourns May 6, 2020.

Council 4's legislative agenda reflects a commitment to advocating for laws and budgets that create good-paying jobs with benefits, promote quality public services and create healthy communities where our union members live and work.

To learn more and get involved, please contact Council 4 lobbyists Brian Anderson at [email protected] or Zak Leavy at [email protected].

Join a Union. Your Wallet Will Thank You.

Here’s a big reason to join a union – a bigger paycheck.New numbers from U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show just how much of a difference a union makes in terms of worker pay.

Leading The Fight To Fund Behavioral Health Loan Repayment Program

AFSCME members pushed Congress hard to fund the Substance Use Disorder Treatment Workforce Loan Repayment Program, which is aimed at helping lessen the burden of crushing student loans for full-time workers who treat or support patients with substance-use disorders.

In late December, $12 million in new funding was signed into law, a big victory for AFSCME’s United We Heal campaign, which led a grassroots effort in

Help Our Sisters and Brothers in Puerto Rico

On a normal day, Sandra Pacheco, an administrative assistant in Puerto Rico’s Department of Transportation and Public Works, begins her day at 7 a.m., filing paperwork for her colleagues in the field. It’s a job that Pacheco, who is president of her local, AFSCME Local 3889, Council 95 (Servidores Públicos Unidos de Puerto Rico), does with pride and dedication.