Fred Redmond Joins Connecticut Unions to Call for Education Funding at AFL-CIO Bus Tour Stop

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond joined the Connecticut AFL-CIO and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) for a roundtable discussion Friday on federal cuts and the lack of sufficient state funding in K-12 and public higher education, as part of the AFL-CIO “It’s Better In a Union” bus tour.

The stop in Hartford came the week before nearly all Connecticut students returned to the classroom. The event included a direct demand for a special session this fall, and for Gov. Ned Lamont and the Connecticut General Assembly to raise state revenue in the wake of the Trump administration’s slashes to federal funding. Roundtable participants spoke about how more resources are necessary to avert harmful cuts that will impact students, educators and the broader community.

“We want to urge the governor to take immediate action without delay in a special legislative session,” said Redmond.

“This amount we are quibbling over on what to invest is ridiculous. It is needed,” said Stuart Beckford, the second vice president of Hartford Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 1018.