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Randi Weingarten at a Massachusetts high school

Summer is upon us, and parents, children and teachers are winding down from what has been an exhausting and fully operational school year—the first since the devastating pandemic. The long-lasting impact of COVID-19 has affected our students’ and families’ well-being and ignited the politics surrounding public schools. All signs point to the coming school year unfolding with the same sound and fury, and if extremist culture warriors have their way, being even more divisive and stressful.

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What unions do

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In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest New York Times  column, she describes what it is exactly that unions do. Though unions are the most popular they have been in decades, anti-union sentiment still thrives in red states and across the nation. “Several years ago, The Atlantic ran a story whose headline made even me, a labor leader, scratch my head: ‘Union Membership: Very Sexy,’” Weingarten writes in the column. “The gist was that higher wages, health benefits and job security—all associated with union membership—boost one’s chances of getting married. Belonging to a union doesn’t actually guarantee happily ever after, but it does help working people have a better life in the here and now.” Click through to read the full column.

Petition Circulating Among CT State Science Faculty

A petition has been generated following a meeting that was held on 4/29/2022 by the interim provost, Miah LaPierre-Dreger, regarding the use of online labs. Many science faculty oppose the online lab modality for labs classes specifically for majors’ level transfer courses, STEM programs, nursing, TAP biology, chemistry, and physics courses.

Individual Science and Math Departments at many of the institutions have already voted not to allow certain labs to be online while other college science departments voted not to allow any online labs. 

Our system may be in a period of transition, but department decisions must be upheld and respected. These decisions are researched, debated, and made in the best interests of our students and our obligations to meet professional standards. One individual should not be allowed to overturn a department decisions that was made for student success. 

Please read the petition and add your name by emailing Diba Khan-Bureau at profenviro@yahoo.com.

Randi Weingarten and NYC teacher Tamara Simpson

Attacks on public education in America by extremists and culture-war peddling politicians have reached new heights (“lows” may be more apt), but they are not new. The difference today is that the attacks are intended not just to undermine public education but to destroy it.

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Comptroller Kevin Lembo announced that the state has concluded its competitive bidding process and selected a new third-party administrator – Prudential Retirement – to manage the state’s three defined contribution plans. 

Click here to read full press release

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Am I a Victim of Workplace Violence?

 Are you experiencing intimidating, harassing, or threatening behaviors?

Are you being subjected to verbal abuse - including yelling, shouting, use of sexually, racially or ethnically charged epithets, etc.?

Are you tolerating other acts that a reasonable person would consider to constitute a threat of violence, including oral or written statements, gestures or expressions that communicate a direct or indirect threat of physical harm?

On August 4, 1999, Governor John G. Rowland signed Executive Order No. 16 instituting a “Zero Tolerance” Violence in the Workplace Prevention Policy for all state agency personnel, contractors, subcontractors and vendors.

Click here to read more about the State of Connecticut 2.1 Policy on Violence Prevention and Response.

Additional Resources

State of CT on Workplace Violence "Zero Tolerance"

Board of Trustees Response to Violence p.90