In This Together CT » Take Action

March & Rally for Infants and Toddlers with Developmental Delays

Matt O'Connor — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:00:44 +0000

The Early Connections Birth to Three program was targeted for closure earlier this summer under Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s alternative budget. Since then, state employees ratified an agreement to save $1.6 billion for taxpayers, protect good jobs, and preserve vital services. But the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) refuses to re-open admissions to families in need.

The program’s teachers and therapists took charge of their future and are keeping their jobs. But they worry about what will happen to the infants and toddlers with delays or disabilities that they serve.

Join us for a march and rally to tell DDS that Connecticut families deserve access to quality Birth to Three services.

WHEN: Thursday, September 8, beginning at 12:00 PM.

WHERE: Meet at the Legislative Office Building (LOB) at 300 Capitol Avenue in Hartford. Free parking is available in the LOB garage. We’ll then march to DDS’ Central Office at 460 Capitol Avenue for the rally and a press conference.

WHO: Families with infants and toddlers who have benefited from Birth to Three services, professional staff in the Early Connections program, and early education advocates.

Today, it’s Early Connections in DDS. Tomorrow, it could be other critical services eroded, diminished or taken away from Connecticut families in need. We must take action for the public we serve.

Click here to access a leaflet members of District 1199/SEIU and CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 are distributing to organize a big crowd for the march and rally.

Click here to access another leaflet mobilizing families, advocates, and union members to contact the governor’s office and urge he stop DDS from shutting-down Early Connections.

Ratified Agreements Filed with the Legislature

Matt O'Connor — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:00:21 +0000

On August 22, the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) filed with the General Assembly the SEBAC 2011 agreement and companion unit contracts that union members ratified last week. They will be automatically approved unless legislative leaders call the State House of Representatives and State Senate into special session before August 31.

House Speaker Christopher Donovan (D-Meriden) and Senate President Donald Williams (D-Brooklyn) announced they do not plan to schedule a vote, and will allow the agreements to be approved automatically on September 1.

The agreement on healthcare and retirement security provisions received the unanimous support of all 15 unions in the coalition and will apply to all state employees through June 30, 2022. Contract extensions were ratified by 32 of 34 bargaining units, and are effective through June 30, 2015. Only union members whose units approved them will receive the 4 years of protection from layoffs and three general wage increases included they provide.

Click here for OPM’s hand-stamped submission letters to the clerks of the House and Senate.

Click here for the signed certification of ratification.

Click here for documents estimating the cost of implementing the SEBAC 2011 agreement and companion contracts.

Watch When the YES Vote Was Made Official

Matt O'Connor — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:00:33 +0000

Over 100 rank-and-file union members packed the CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 hall August 18 to announce they voted YES to protect jobs, preserve vital benefits, uphold negotiating rights, and maintain public services.

Click here to access the CT-N page for the press conference and for details on ordering a DVD copy.

The announcement on the ratification of the SEBAC agreement has been updated now that the last remaining union’s vote has been tallied. A spreadsheet with the final count by bargaining unit that also reflects the per capita vote results is available online.

Click here to access the spreadsheet with the ratification vote results.

Speak Out About the Impact of Painful Layoffs

Matt O'Connor — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:00:13 +0000

Earlier this week we posted an update confirming that hundreds of state public service workers had received layoff notices. Since then, many more union members have learned that their positions will be eliminated without an agreement that provides job security.

Leaders of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) are confident that they can reach a mutual resolution with Connecticut’s governor. One that avoids putting any workers on the unemployment line and protects their vital health and retirement benefits. And that doesn’t take away their right to negotiate them with the state.

If you are a member of a SEBAC union and have received a layoff notice, we want to hear from you. If you are willing to present your experience publicly, please let us know by indicating it on the survey.

Complete this online survey to provide your information to the coalition’s communications committee.

Be sure to contact your union’s elected or staff representatives if you have been advised your position has been eliminated, or received an announcement of programmatic cuts or facility closure.

Or if you prefer, you can click here to download the survey and complete by hand the old fashioned way. Please fill it out and mail it to:

Matt O’Connor
SEBAC Communications Committee
760 Capitol Ave.
Hartford, CT 06106

Share your experience to help deliver a clear message; there are better choices to help get the economy growing than cutting jobs or gutting benefits.

Get Answers to Your Questions on SEBAC’s Job & Benefits Security Agreement

Matt O'Connor — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:00:01 +0000

Leaders of the coalition of state workers’ unions have been answering questions about the framework agreement reached with the Malloy Administration to save jobs, benefits, and services. As they finalized the tentative agreement to be provided to members for ratification, we are posting videos with more information online.

Several clips with answers to specific questions are linked below. They feature SEBAC’s chief negotiator, Dan Livingston, and the coalition’s Health Care Cost Containment Committee co-chair, Bob Krzys. Both were at the table during the discussions that produced the framework with four years of job security, enhanced healthcare benefits, and protected pensions for State workers.

Check back often for additional “Q&A” videos:

Click here to access the formal tentative agreement reached by SEBAC leaders and the governor’s representatives. Click here to access a “Q&A” sheet in a format you can print and share with co-workers and fellow union members.

Tell your co-workers not to trust the myths, rumors, lies being circulated by our opponents who want to force job, benefit, and service cuts. Tell them to come here and get the facts.