News

First Aid, CPR & AED trainings offered

AFSCME offers First Aid, CPR & AED trainings that are certified by the American Red Cross (ARC). 

In Memoriam: Lawrence “Larry” Amendola, 1934-2024

Council 4 mourns the loss of Lawrence “Larry” Amendola, former President and founding member of AFSCME Local 3144, New Haven Management and Professional Employees.

State Employees’ Reopener, Recruitment and Retention Agreement Overwhelmingly Passes General Assembly

State Employees’ Reopener, Recruitment and Retention Agreement Overwhelmingly Passes General Assembly

Agreement supports protection and expan

State Public Defenders Got Their Union. Now They Have a Contract.

Two years after forming a union through AFSCME to gain a voice in their workplace, Connecticut’s public defenders now have a collective bargaining agreement to cap their organizing efforts.

Council 4 Officer Election Results

The election of Council 4 AFSCME officers took place on March 15, 2019 at our union headquarters in New Britain, CT.

The results are as follows:

Executive Director
Jody Barr, 17,725 votes
Charles DellaRocco, 3,735

President
Bernie Bombardier, 17,544 votes
Ian Shackleton, 3,169 votes

Judicial Vice President Seat
Dana Beecham-Brown, 17,120 votes
Sotonye Otunba-Payne, 2,625 votes
Charles Marino, 983 votes

Groton City Police Vote To Join Council 4

Council 4 is pleased to welcome the nearly 30 members of the City of Groton Police Department to our union family.

“We were impressed with everything we saw about Council 4,” said Sgt. Steven Smith, the Local Union President. “The depth of this organization will provide us with the resources we need to advocate for our members and better protect the community we serve.”

Groton City Police join more than 2,000 municipal police officers who are part of the 30,000-strong membership of Council 4.

Organizing = Strength in Numbers

If you work in Connecticut’s Judicial Branch, then you’re part of a system dedicated to making sure the scales of justice operate fairly.

More than 125 professionals in Connecticut's Judicial Branch have taken their own personal path to ensuring a fair workplace. They recently secured voluntary recognition of their free choice to unite with their AFSCME colleagues in Local 749 of Council 4 for a voice on the job – one of the latest developments demonstrating our union’s capacity to rebound through organizing.

Council 4 Conference Set for April 5-7

Mark your calendars for the biennial Council 4 Conference, April 5-7, 2019 at the Mystic Marriot in Groton, CT.

We've got a busy and informative weekend planned. Highlights include workshops, our Member Recognition Dinner and our Women's Committee Gift Basket Charity Auction, which will benefit Safe Futures of New London, a shelter that helps victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Local 724 Member Anthony Nolan Running for State Rep

Building bridges with the community has been a motivating force for Anthony Nolan, a New London Patrol Officer and member of AFSCME Local 724.

As a 19-year veteran on the force, Nolan views part of his job as “trying to close the gap between the police and the community. It encourages me to see the relationships I can build and the help I can provide.”

Student Safety First for Killingly School Bus Drivers

Killingly school bus drivers – members of AFSCME Local 1303-261— see their work as more than simply transporting kids to school. They are responsible for protecting those kids, making sure they get to school and return home safe and sound.

Thanks to a collaboration with Council 4, they now have something they have been advocating for: miniature dash cameras that record the activities of motorists while the drivers are picking up and dropping off school children.

For Local 818's Tim Foley, "Turning Waste Into Water" Has Been A 44-Year Labor of Love

Tim Foley of AFSCME Local 818 (Municipal Supervisors) is a man who treasures stability.

For example, he’s been married to his wife Suzanne for 42 years. And on Jan. 31, he retired from the Vernon Water Pollution Control Authority after 44 years on the job.

The secret to his career longevity was simple.

“I loved the job,” he said with a characteristic mix of humor and earnestness. “Where else can you take [human waste] and turn it into clean water?”