2018 Legislative Session Summary

The 2018 legislative session adjourned sine die at midnight on May 9th.  Below is a summary of the 2018 regular legislative session outcomes that most significantly impact our members:

By far, our biggest and most important win was protecting collective bargaining and binding arbitration by defeating bills, amendments and budget proposals that sought to limit, repeal or weaken both, including:

• Enacting statutory changes eliminating collective bargaining for state employees;
• Eliminating overtime from state employee pension calculations;
• Expanding an irrebuttable presumption that a municipal budget reserve of fifteen percent or less is not available in ability to pay arguments for negotiations, as well as arbitration;
• Restored funding to the Firefighter Cancer Relief Fund ($400,000)
• Restored funding to the Regional Fire Schools to 2012 levels

Legislation that adversely impacted union members and working families was defeated:

• Recommendations from the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth to remove state employee pensions and healthcare from collective bargaining, cut $1 billion from state spending and cut taxes on the wealthy.
• SB 177- Privatization of the Connecticut Airport Authority

The attacks on Union member rights and benefits was a constant and consistent theme throughout this past legislative session. In the last 3 days of session though, the attacks reached a fevered pitch, and without the combined effort of the ENTIRE labor lobbyist coalition, Connecticut would have become a “right to work” state through the budgetary process. As a result, we live to fight another day.

With the pending Janus decision and November elections, the time has never been more critical to get involved and help when called:

YOUR PAY, HEALTHCARE, AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS ARE ON THE VERGE OF EVAPORATING. GET INVOLVED, HELP OUT, AND VOTE!