Connecticut AFL-CIO Applauds Passage of Critical Pro-Worker Legislation in the State Senate

Ed Hawthorne, President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, made the following statement in response to the State Senate passing Senate Bill 8, which would allow striking workers to access unemployment insurance after being on strike for two weeks:

We thank the Senate for proudly and unapologetically standing with Connecticut's working families today by passing SB 8. Today’s vote is a critical step towards helping restore balance to collective bargaining.

When corporate CEOs know that workers have a safety net, it will encourage both sides to engage in good faith bargaining and come to an agreement more quickly and potentially avoid strikes in the first place.

Just take a look at the recently settled strike at Pratt & Whitney. RTX thought they could wait out the Machinists and force them to settle for a bad contract, even stripping their health insurance coverage to inflict additional pain. Management even refused to reach out to sit down and negotiate for over two weeks. When the workers’ resolve didn’t waver, management finally agreed to come back to the table and negotiate a fair contract.

If this legislation had been signed last year, we may have been able to avoid the IAM Union strike at Pratt & Whitney in the first place since management knew they wouldn’t be able to starve out their workers.

This legislation prevents employers from using the financial hardship of workers as a bargaining tool, and it helps create a level playing field between working people and corporations.

This vote is even more critical today than it was last year. The illegal firing of a member of the NLRB has left the board without a quorum and without its ability to function to enforce the National Labor Relations Act. It’s now up to each state to ensure working people are protected and negotiating on a level playing field.

This vote is a recognition that no worker should have to choose between exercising their rights and feeding their families.

We are incredibly grateful to Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, Labor Committee Co-Chair Julie Kushner, and all the state senators who helped pass this critical legislation.

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