News

Carrying Out Our 2020 Legislative Priorities

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

Council 4 Members Dedicated to Protecting A Vital Lifeline

It’s hard to imagine nearly 700,000 Americans going hungry, but that’s the anticipated impact of a harsh rule change imposed by the Trump administration for the Supplemental Nutrition Assista

Training Our Members To Be Union Advocates

Training union members to be strong advocates for their co-workers and defenders of their contractual rights and freedoms is a critical part of the AFSCME mission.

“Our union is only as strong as our activist core,” said Council 4 Education Coordinator Joe Aresimowicz. “That’s why we’re dedicated to providing training that meets the needs of our union members.”

Judicial Members: Standing For Justice, Fighting Outsourcing

“Integrity does matter.”

That’s the message AFSCME-represented court recording monitors are delivering to the public and to lawmakers as they press the fight to stop their employer, the Connecticut Judicial Branch, from outsourcing their transcription work to a private company.

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.”