SEBAC files agreement with legislature containing 35 state contracts

On April 1, the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) filed a contract agreement reached between SEBAC and Gov. Ned Lamont's administration with the General Assembly for legislative approval.

The agreement, ratified by the members of all bargaining units, includes 35 collective bargaining unit contracts and covers approximately 43,000 state employees who provide invaluable services to the public.

Anthony Soto, steward of Council 4 AFSCME Local 269, which represents workers at the state Department of Labor (DOL), is a wage and hour investigator and reviews claims made by workers being financially exploited.

He said in a statement issued by SEBAC April 1 that it is invaluable for the public to have the means to recuperate lost wages and protect their rights from unscrupulous employers.

"During the height of the pandemic," Soto said, "my colleagues at the DOL answered thousands of phone calls and processed nearly 1.5 million unemployment claims. Our agreement recognizes and protects the vital services we provide, especially in dire times when our communities are struggling and need support the most.”

Read the full press statement from SEBAC here.

The legislature is scheduled to reconviene in mid-April, at which time  expected to vote on the SEBAC and unit agreements later this month.

Members also can contact their state representative and state senator here to support the SEBAC bargaining unit contracts.