Union Leaders Begin Selling Labor Deal to Members
HARTFORD, CT — A day after a deal was struck between the governor and labor leaders that would save Connecticut $1.5 billion over the next two fiscal years, state workers were at the capitol Wednesday to show support for it.
“Every time we’ve been asked to step up to the plate, we have,” AFSCME Council 4 Executive Director Sal Luciano said. “We’ve not only made concessions, but we’ve given back, also.”
Rank-and-file union members still have to ratify the deal and while the threshold for approval is lower than it was in 2011, it’s still not a slam dunk.
In order to finalize an agreement two-thirds of all voting unions need to approve the contract and no more than one-third can oppose it. Without a deal, the state would have to lay off 4,200 employees to get the necessary savings in 2018.
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