News

State Employees' Reopener, Recruitment and Retention Agreement Approved by Appropriations Committee

State Employees' Reopener, Recruitment and Retention Agreement Approved by Appropriations Committee

Agreement will continue efforts to protect and expand our communitie

Council 4 Executive Board Elections

The regular election of AFSCME Council 4 Executive Board members took place on April 6, 2024 at our union headquarters in New Britain, CT.

The results are as follows:

Council 4 Education Scholarships

COUNCIL 4 EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS

To recognize the extraordinary efforts of our members and to foster unionism, Council 4 is offering continuing education assistance in th

New Contract for Enfield BoE Employees Shows Power of Collective Bargaining

Despite the challenges posed by a second wave of COVID-19 infections this year, Council 4 union members continue to make significant progress at the negotiating table. We’re highlighting a recent contract victory in Enfield resulting from workplace activism and a commitment by local leaders and Council 4 staff to engage the membership around priority issues yielding real dividends.

Honoring the anniversary of America’s first pay equity strike

Striketober and Strikesgiving are over, but worker strikes are still going strong. As I write this, Kellogg’s workers are holding the line in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Memphis. Alabama miners are heading into their ninth month of standing up to Warrior Met Coal. And the wave of worker actions demonstrating power and the fight for fairness continues to rise.

Communications Workshop Will Help Leaders Build Strong Unions

Leaders from locals with 50+ members are invited to attend a special workshop called "How to Rock Your Union's Communications. The workshop will be held via zoom on Thursday, November 9th from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. 

Council 4 member leaders who are champion communicators will share strategies and examples of how they use communications to bolster their unions. 

This workshop will highlight the importance of communications for building strong unions. Topics covered will include:

'Tis the Season of Giving: Council 4 Collecting for 2021 Toy Drive

Council 4 is collecting new, unused, unwrapped toys for children ages 0-13, and gift cards for local families through December 13, 2021.

Please help make this Holiday Season a much happier one for children and their families. Because of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to step up and help those who are struggling and isolated.

CT AFL-CIO Convention: Council 4 Members Helping to Build CT's Labor Movement

The Connecticut AFL-CIO’s 2021 Biennial Convention bore the distinct coloring of AFSCME green and blue, with more than 70 Council 4 members from state and municipal locals serving as delegates and guiding the 200,000-member labor federation’s agenda for the next two years.

The 250 convention delegates witnessed an exciting transition to a new generation of leadership, as Ed Hawthorne (AFSCME Local 269) Shellye Davis (AFT Local 2221) were unanimously elected as President and Executive Vice President, respectively.

Bridgeport Unions Press for Pandemic Hero Pay

An alliance of unions representing more than 1,000 public service workers in Bridgeport are calling on elected leaders to honor the sacrifices of essential workers throughout the COVID-19 crisis by awarding pandemic hero pay.

During a press conference outside Bridgeport City Hall, member-leaders of AFSCME Local 1303-468 (Public Facilities), AFSCME Local 1159 (Bridgeport Police), AFSCME Local 1522 (Board of Education), NAGE Local R1-200 (City and Board of Education) and Firefighters Local 834 urged Mayor Joe Ganim and the City Council to move decisively.

Enfield Local 1029: Giving Back to the Community

Members of AFSCME Local 1029, representing Enfield town employees, donated $150 to support an ongoing community backpack drive that provides local students with the supplies they need for learning.

The backpack drive is a collaboration between the Northeast Central Chamber of Commerce and Horizon Escapes, a travel agency that has sponsored charitable donations to help children not only in greater Enfield, but also in Mexico, Haiti and elsewhere.

Local 1029 member and town dispatcher Ken Maltese brought the idea of supporting the backpack drive to his local union.

Congress has finally passed an infrastructure bill. Build Back Better should be next.

The House of Representatives has passed President Joe Biden’s transformational bipartisan infrastructure plan, which Biden will soon sign into law. The passage earned praise from AFSCME President Lee Saunders, who, in a statement, said, “We are turning a corner.”