Inside Council 4 - 04.15.23

Welcome

Thanks for checking out the latest issue of Inside Council 4, with links to recent webstories that feature and uplift AFSCME Council 4 members, a calendar of events and info about how to stay connected

We're heading into the Council 4 biennial conference in April with a focus on members organizing members Watch for videos during the conference, and later on our social media, about the many ways our members show up for each other on the job, at the bargaining table and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

House Approves Pandemic Pay Arbitration Award

The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted April 5 to approve the pandemic pay arbitration award with strong bipartisan support The arbitration award also must pass a state Senate vote, expected to take place April 12 The legislature's vote comes after a neutral arbitrator awarded the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) its last best offer in March

Read more.

Public Service Proud: Creating official records

Sotonye Otunba-Payne works as a court recording monitor in New Haven Superior Court She’s the person you see sitting in front of the judge typing every word spoken while court is in session, creating the official record People anywhere in the world can, and do, request these transcripts, so it’s a responsibility Otunba-Payne always has taken seriously since she started nearly 25 years ago

Read more.

AFSCME COUNCIL 4

We're a 30,000-member strong labor union fighting for the rights and freedoms of Connecticut workers

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Jody Barr, Executive Director

Bernie Bombardier, President

Stacie Harris-Byrdsong, Secretary

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Troy Raccuia, Director of Collective Bargaining

Kelly Martinez, Director of Organizing & Member Services

Amy O'Connor, Chief of Staff

Megan Batchelder, Executive Assistant

COMMUNICATIONS STAFF

This year marks 85 years since AFSCME granted a charter to its first local in Connecticut in 1938, consisting of eight chapters and 75 members all state workers Municipal workers joined the fold in the 1940s, and Council 4 was chartered in 1965

Lauren

Takores, Communications Coordinator and Inside Council 4 Editor

Renee Hamel, Communications Associate Director

444 East Main St , New Britain, CT 06051

Phone: 860-224-4000 - Fax: 860-224-3041

Email: info@council4 org

East Lyme Students Deserve More, Not Less: Union Members Urge Board of Education to Reconsider Proposed Staff Cuts

AFSCME Council 4 now represents public service employees in almost every municipality and every sector of state and local government This phenomenal growth may be the single greatest achievement of public sector unionism in Connecticut history d educators rents and students

ary to urge the oard of Education more than 18 slated to be cut t year’s education

A reduced instructional staff would hurt students, union leaders representing East Lyme teachers and school support staff said Read more.

Hard-fought Connecticut library contract is another example of the union difference

Workers at the Russell Library in Middletown, Connecticut, are celebrating their newly won contract, which took nearly a year of tough negotiations and highlights the union difference Read more.

Cultural workers nationwide are rising up to secure a voice on the job

AFSCME launches ‘Staff the Front Lines’ initiative

Black History Month at Council 4

The Council 4 Civil Rights Committee hosted a luncheon Feb. 25 celebrating Black History Month with food, education and fellowship, attended by guests including U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes. Several speakers reminded all that Black history is American history, that we need to engage and uplift youth in our communities and that by sticking together, we are stronger as a people and a movement

Stewards training

On Feb. 23, 18 paraprofessionals from Local 3194 (Capitol Regional Education Council, Hartford) participated in a one-day stewards training, lead by local president Stacie Harris-Byrdsong, who also serves as Council 4 Secretary.

Pride in Food Service Week

For Pride in Food Service Week during Feb. 6-10, we spotlighted cafeteria workers at John Wallace Middle School in Newington, including cafeteria manager Denise Griffith, vice president and steward of Local 2930 (Newington Town, Cafeteria and BOE Employees).

Celebrating Women's History Month

Dispatchers testify

Emergency dispatchers from Local 610 Jo Samataro, left, and Pat Farley, right, along with Council 4 Service Rep Heather Longo Racicot, center, testified on House Bill 6721, which would provide portal-to-portal workers' compensation coverage for dispatchers.

PARAEDUCATORS

ARE ON THE FRONTLINES OF STUDENT LEARNING HEAR THEIR STORIES

A coalition of unions that represent paraeducators in Connecticut, including Council 4, has produced a video series in support of HB 6881, which would improve the lives and working conditions of paras across the state.

Watch our social media for videos featuring para stories in their own words.

Sheryl Elliott is a paraeducator at Northeast Middle School in Bristol. She has seen paraeducators struggle with low wages and the stress of working a second job supplementing their income with government programs like SNAP.

Paraeducators, like Sheryl, should be able to work one job they love, rather than multiple jobs to maintain a basic standard of living.

Click here to listen to Sheryl's story

CO and Police Training

Council 4 hosted a training for about 50 correctional and police officer members on March 9, covering topics such as union rights, benefits of union membership, legal aspects of use of force and legislation impacting COs and municipal police officers.

Inspiring careers for girls

Wallingford Police Officer Talia Williams, Local 1570, joined a dozen other professional women for a workshop aimed at introducing middle and high school girls to jobs in career fields historically dominated by men, March 18 at the Wallingford Public Library. Officer Williams said she enjoyed answering the girls' questions about what it takes to become a police officer

Visiting members on the job

Our social media series “For A Day” features Council 4 Executive Director Jody Barr visiting members on the job, forging connections with the rank and file.

At a visit to the Groton Town Police Department in February, Jody met with Officer Heather McClelland, a member of AFSCME Local 3428, who is paired with therapy dog Chase, a 3-year-old female yellow lab In their daily activities, Officer McClelland and Chase might comfort people involved in car accidents or offer relief to police officers and all first responders who may be having a bad day.

Jody visited a group of Glastonbury special education paraprofessionals, members of AFSCME Local 1185. Jody heard from the group about how they fill in for teachers, get injured on the job and are given a greater number of students than education plans allow leaving them stressed, exhausted and with a fear of retaliation for speaking up.

Council 4 Executive Director Jody Barr visits with Groton Town Police Officer Heather McClelland, AFSCME Local 3428, and therapy dog Chase in February (above) and special education paraprofessionals in Glastonbury, members of Local 1185 in March (below)

Council 4 Scholarship Committee: Bernie Bombardier, Betsey Grady, Jody Barr, Marybeth Kaczynski-Hill, Ruby Blackmon, Wayne Wysocki, Tyrell Alexander

About The Scholarship

To recognize the extraordinary efforts of our members and to foster unionism, Council 4 is offering continuing education assistance in the form of a $2,000 per year scholarship for up to four years (max $8,000) to dependents of Council 4 members and retirees. Each year, the Council 4 Scholarship Committee will select two students to award a $2,000 scholarship that will be paid to the school of the winners Winners are eligible for up to four consecutive years by doing a brief presentation to the executive board

Eligibility Criteria

Be a graduating high school senior Be admitted or soon to be admitted to schools of higher education, trade program, or other training/education of continuing education

*Applicant’s parent/stepparent/legal guardian must be, or have been, an AFSCME Council 4 local member. If applicant’s parent/stepparent/legal guardian is a retired member of AFSCME Council 4, they must be a Retirees Chapter 4 member.

*Children of retirees and grandchildren under direct legal custody of members in good standing are also eligible.

Process Application

CompleteapplicationformbyclickingHEREorscanQRcode.

Composea300-500wordessaydescribinghowtheUnionimprovedyourlife or that of your family Essays must be written by student applying and not theCouncil4member.

Email application form and typed student essay NO LATER THAN 5 PM on May1,2023toMeganBatchelderatmcbatchelder@council4.org.

Pleasecheckwebsitecalendarfortimesandlocations

April14-16:AFSCMECouncil4BiennialConference

April18:TipsandBestPracticesonChairingEffectiveMeetings (Twosessiontimesavailable)

April22:ConnecticutAFL-CIOPathtoPowerPoliticalCandidateTraining

April28:Workers'MemorialDay

May2:RolesandResponsibilitiesofLocalOfficers/Exec.Boards/Stewards

May4:Council4ExecutiveBoardMeeting

May6:StewardsTrainingPart1andMay20:Part2 (Mustcommittobothsessions)

May13:TipsandBestPracticesonChairingEffectiveMeetings

May17:Council4LobbyDayattheCapitol,Hartford

May30:LawsandNewMemberOutreachforLocalLeaders (Twosessiontimesavailable)

June3:LawsandNewMemberOutreachforLocalLeaders

June6:Workers'CompensationReview (Twosessiontimesavailable)

June8:Council4Presidents+1,ExecutiveBoard,DelegatesMeetings

June10:Workers'CompensationReview