Hartford IMC » unions

RadioActive: May Day Hartford

kevin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:35:32 +0000

SEIU 1199’s Steve Thornton discusses the events surrounding Hartford’s first annual May Day celebration, coming Saturday May 1 to Burr Mall, Main Street next to city hall in Downtown Hartford – music, food, workshops and a walking tour of labor history in Hartford.

Click here to download the MP3

RadioActive: TJX Workers Struggle in Bloomfield

kevin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:09:54 +0000

Carmen Cotto, a worker and member of UNITE/HERE at the TJX Distribution Center in Bloomfield, CT, discusses the issues surrounding the March 10 rally – such issues as treatment of workers, wages, and health benefits.

Click here to download the MP3

Union Busting in Hartford Schools

kevin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:09:27 +0000

In a blatant attempt to decapitate the Hartford Federation of Teachers (HFT), Superintendent Stephen Adamowski has hired a law firm to enforce a “use tax” upon union leadership, according to HFT officials. Because HFT president, first vice president and second vice president are on what’s called detached duty, sources inside union leadership say that the law firm, Shipman and Goodwin, maintain that the union must pay a tax for the detached duty, the services provided by the leadership. To date, neither the Board of Education nor its legal representation has provided evidence to support this claim. Adding to the assault, the Board of Ed. sent HFT leadership a letter stating that as of August 24 its detached duty will be considered unauthorized, unpaid leave. This change would cause the three officers of HFT to lose their rights to contribute to their individual State Teachers Retirement accounts and lose their health insurance benefits.

Union officials say that the HFT contract gives them the right to three detached duty positions, and any change in this designation jeopardizes representation. An added twist is that the Board of Ed. wants to open HFT contract negotiations now (what’s called impact bargaining) to discuss the detached duty issue. However, this could lead to negotiations on all contract matters. The current HFT contract took effect July 1, 2008 and expires June 30, 2011. Therefore, union officials worry that Adamowski and the Board of Ed. may have other changes in mind as well.

HFT legal representation has filed for a temporary injunction to stop the August 24 change in status. HFT has also requested a Formal Labor Board hearing, which will take place in September.

HFT is being proactive. They have called a rally to oppose the recent moves by Adamowski and the Board. Rally details are as follows:

Tuesday August 18, 2009
5:00PM
Sports and Medical Sciences Academy
280 Huyshope Avenue
Hartford CT, 06106

Click here for a map to the school.

RadioActive: Better Choices for CT

kevin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:54:31 +0000

Shawn Lang (CT AIDS Resource Coalition) and Matt O’Connor (SEBAC) of BetterChoicesforCT.org discuss advocacy efforts at the state capitol to create a more progressive and egalitarian state budget.

Click here to download the MP3

Rally Against Social Services Cuts

David Samuels — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:41:34 +0000

Better Choices For CT, 1199 New England & SEIU Healthcare will host a rally against service cuts for a fair budget and strong economy on Wednesday, March 25 4:30 PM at the State Capitol. Call 860- 251-6021 for more information.

Photo credit: pixonomy – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixonomy/3014063274/

Union Fight in Downtown

kevin — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:09:48 +0000

Between 4 and 5 pm this afternoon, members of SEIU Local 32 BJ picketed at 750 Main Street to protest P & J Cleaning Services, LLC. P & J is the company contracted to clean this building. According to union flyers, many cleaning workers lost their jobs on January 1, 2009 allegedly because of their union membership, despite years of prior service in the building. Currently the National Labor Relations Board is investigating P & J.

Hartford City Council member Luis Cotto addressed the crowd of mostly Hispanic workers and union representatives. Picketers circled the sidewalk at one of Hartford’s busiest intersections carrying signs and shouting slogans like “si se puede.”

Union leaders are urging people to contact Pablo Villareal of P & J Cleaning Services directly at (860) 778-1009 to ask the company to respect the rights of workers and to re-hire the cleaners who were let go.

SEIU Local 32 BJ can be reached at (860) 560-8674. Hartford IMC will follow this story as more details emerge.

RadioActive – December 17, 2008 – Bus Workers

kevin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:17:09 +0000

Interview with Wanda Cobbs, bus driver, and Maggie Russell, organizer for CSEA/SEIU Local 2001, about the fight for West Hartford bus drivers and workers to unionize.

Click here to download the MP3

Union Seeks Contract

dave rozza — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:14:33 +0000

West Hartford- On a cold December 8th morning, bus drivers for the West Hartford public schools held a “freezin’ for a reason” picket outside town hall on South Main Street.

In late May, the workers who are employed by First Student, Inc. overwhelmingly voted to join CSEA/SEIU Local 2001, a union representing almost 25,000 Connecticut Service Employees. Monday’s rally, which attracted about 50 supporters and union members, was a response to the workers having been without a contract for six months. As of Monday morning, First Student has yet to sit down with their employees to negotiate a contract and the United Kingdom based company has canceled the last two scheduled meetings with the union. Some of the concerns that are hoped to be addressed during the talks are pay increases and affordable health care.

“We just want what’s fair” said Sor Flores, one of the bus drivers and organizers on the negotiation committee who hopes to have a contract in place by the end of the year.

For more information visit www.SEIU2001.org