News

Telework Arbitration Victory

Three agencies continued to misapply the current SEBAC Telework agreement (DOT, DSS, and Office of the Attorney General).  Although we had already prevailed in arbitration on the issue of an

First Aid, CPR & AED trainings offered

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

Workers Memorial Day: "Pray for the Dead, Fight Like Hell for the Living"

Every year on April 28 – the date when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was formed – the AFL-CIO and affiliated unions such as AFSCME observe Workers Memorial Day to honor workers killed or injured on the job.

Council 4 held its remembrance on April 26, in front of our AFSCME Workers Memorial Monument, which lists Council 4 member who have died on the job.

Michael Fitts of the Connecticut Council on Occupational Safety and Health joined Council 4 Executive Director Jody Barr in a call to protect workers and hold employers accountable.

NJ Librarian Praises Fast Access to Disaster Relief Grant with the Union Plus Credit Card

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy battered the east coast of the United States, causing billions of dollars in damage across 24 states. The hurricane quickly became known in the impacted region as “Superstorm Sandy.”

Shileen Shaw knows firsthand how the storm got that name.

“We had never seen anything like it,” says Shaw, recalling the damage her East Orange, New Jersey, home suffered at the time.

We Can Do More for Worker Safety

Workers Memorial Day is this Sunday, April 28, when we honor workers killed or injured on the job. On this day in 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was formed.

For almost half a century, OSHA has been charged with helping to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for men and women across this country. But under the Trump administration, OSHA is failing us. As we observe Workers Memorial Day, it’s clear that we can do more – much more – for worker safety.

Members Urge Gov. Lamont To Keep PFML In The Public Interest

Hartford, CT, April 22, 2019 – Members of Local 269 of Council 4 AFSCME who work at the Connecticut Department of Labor are urging Gov. Ned Lamont to reconsider contracting out a proposed paid family and medical leave program to a private company.

To emphasize their point that privatization is not in the public interest, local union leaders today presented the Governor with a petition signed within one day by hundreds of their fellow DOL employees. 

Public Service Loan Forgiveness: A Broken Promise

Megha Desai is a public defender in Multnomah County, Oregon. In a given week, she might work upwards of 60 hours. Right now, she has about 145 open cases.

“It's like a conveyor belt. Every day you work on your assigned cases, new ones roll in,” said Desai, a member of Local 2805 (Council 75). “There's a joke in the office: If you don't come in on the weekends, you’re screwed for the next week.”

The first weekend of April was an exception: It was her wedding. 

Solidarity and Support for Striking Shop & Shop Workers

Breaking News: On April 21, the unions representing Stop & Shop workers reached a tentative agreement with the company to end an 11-day strike that galvanized the broader labor movement. Click here for the story from AFSCME.

Local 391 Member Urges Congress to Renew Loan Repayment Program

Shawn Dougherty is a correctional substance abuse counselor at the Carl Robinson Correctional Institution in Connecticut. He is also a member of Local 391 of Council 4. On Tuesday, he testified on Capitol Hill about the need for lawmakers to fund the Loan Repayment Program for Substance Abuse Treatment Workers.

Click here to view Shawn's testimony.

Council 4 Conference Charts Path Forward In Post-Janus World

Using the Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME as a jumping-off point, Council 4’s biennial conference served as a call to action to maintain strength and solidarity in the face of stern challenges ahead.

More than 200 members participated in the conference, which took place April 5-7 in Groton, and embraced the theme of “Our Union, Our Future” as we engaged further in the fight to protect our rights and freedoms.

“The Janus decision was supposed to be our funeral,” Executive Director Jody Barr said during his opening remarks to delegates. “But it wasn’t."