Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Controversial unionization bills fail to clear committee

  • by Arielle Levin Becker
  • March 20, 2012
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Republicans ran out the clock on two controversial proposals to extend collective bargaining rights to daycare and home care workers Tuesday, preventing either from getting a vote by the legislature’s Labor and Public Employees Committee before its deadline for acting on bills.

But those on both sides expect the proposals, which grew out of executive orders issued by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, to resurface before the session ends.

“It’s not dead yet,” said Rep. Zeke Zalaski, the Southington Democrat who co-chairs the labor committee.

His co-chair, Sen. Edith G. Prague, D-Columbia, said the proposals would be revived as amendments to other legislation on the Senate and House floor. “We’re not going to let them die,” she said.

After the committee meeting, opponents of the proposals thanked Rep. Craig Miner, a Republican from Litchfield, who was asking questions on one of the bills when time ran out. Miner cautioned them that the proposals could come back.

“This is a complicated process,” he said. “This is not a small piece of legislation introduced by some obscure legislator.”

Malloy issued the executive orders in September, after unsuccessful efforts in the legislature to give collective bargaining rights to child care and home care workers paid through state-administered programs. Malloy’s orders allowed both groups to form unions that could represent them in nonbinding discussions with the state, but did not give them collective bargaining rights. The orders also created working groups to examine how to structure collective bargaining rights.

Those groups’ recommendations led to this session’s bills, which would give collective bargaining rights to personal care attendants who serve people in state-funded home care programs and child care workers who provide care funded through the state’s Care 4 Kids program.

The child care workers have already voted to unionize, electing CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 to represent them, while personal care attendants are currently voting on whether to join the New England Health Care Employees Union District 1199, SEIU.

Supporters of unionization have argued that workers in both fields tend to receive low wages and no benefits, leading to turnover and instability in the workforce. In issuing the executive orders, Malloy describe the child care workers and personal care attendants as “oftentimes the hardest working and lowest-paid workers in our job force.” Supporters, who include personal care attendants, people who receive services and child care workers, have said that giving workers a collective voice could help in lobbying for more funding for the programs that pay them.

But the proposals have drawn opposition from critics who say Malloy overstepped his authority in issuing the orders, as well as personal care attendants, child care workers and people with disabilities who worry that unionization would interfere with the nature of the state’s home care programs, which emphasize control by the person receiving services. Critics of unionization have also said that increasing wages could lead to a reduction in services if overall funding for the programs doesn’t increase.

The bills would have prohibited the unions from bargaining over issues including access to state employee benefits; the right of a consumer or consumer’s family to hire, supervise or fire any provider; or grievance procedures against any consumer. Both bills also prohibited any contract provision from leading to a reduction in services; in the case of home care, some of which is funded through Medicaid, the bill also prohibits any contract provision from reducing Medicaid funds to the state.

Catherine Ludlum, who hires personal care attendants and has been one of the most vocal opponents of unionization, said after Tuesday’s meeting that she was “cautiously optimistic.”

“It’s too early to have a party yet,” she said, noting that the proposals could pop up again.

On that she was in agreement with Benjamin Phillips, a CSEA spokesman.

“It’s a marathon,” he said of the legislative process. “The bills may be gone for now, but the concept is not.”

“It’s just another little hurdle we’ve got to jump over,” said 1199 spokeswoman Deborah Chernoff.

She noted that critics of Malloy’s executive orders had talked about wanting to let the legislative process work, but that when the committee was poised to vote for the bill, they decided to interfere.

The labor committee’s meeting Tuesday got started about a half-hour late at the request of Republicans, according to Prague. The committee had until 5 p.m. to vote on bills, and took up the bill about collective bargaining rights for daycare providers at 3:40. Republicans asked a wide range of questions about it, including about the procedures for electing a union, what would happen if child care providers left the state program, other states’ experiences and how the state would fund any increases in pay negotiated by a union. Time ran out before a vote on the bill, or before any discussion could take place on the personal care attendant bill.

Senate Minority Leader John McKinney of Fairfield issued a statement praising the outcome.

“I applaud the Republican members of the Labor Committee for defeating these two bills,” he said. “The Democrat effort to force unionization on workers who don’t want to unionize has been bad public policy from the start. Today’s courageous effort by the Republican members of the Labor Committee will allow us to continue to fight in the courts and the legislature on behalf of day care workers, personal care attendants and those who depend on them.”

Waterbury-based We, the People of Connecticut, Inc., filed a lawsuit challenging Malloy’s executive orders earlier this month, and the Yankee Institute for Public Policy is expected to file one, too, with a news conference on the challenge scheduled for Thursday morning.

Miner said he understood that people felt they deserve better compensation and benefits, and that many workers receive minimal pay, although he noted that the same could be said for workers in many fields. He said he’d heard from many people with concerns about the process behind the proposals, starting with the executive orders.

And Miner questioned whether the state would have the money to put toward higher pay if the collective bargaining process created by the legislation produced contracts calling for raises.

As for the future of the proposals?

“Oh, this will come back,” he said.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arielle Levin Becker

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Health issues carried weight on the campaign trail.
by Victoria Knight | Kaiser Health News

Even with the Democrats’ newfound Senate majority, differences in health policy between the party’s moderate and progressive wings will persist.

Trump’s pardons included health care execs behind massive fraud
by Fred Schulte | Kaiser Health News

At the last minute, President Donald Trump granted pardons to several individuals convicted in huge Medicare swindles that prosecutors alleged often harmed or endangered elderly and infirm patients while fleecing taxpayers. “These aren’t just technical financial crimes. These were major, major crimes,” said Louis Saccoccio, chief executive officer of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, […]

‘It’s a nightmare:’ A growing number of seniors are unable to book vaccine appointments as problems mount
by Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso

The state acknowledged Friday in an email to local health workers that some residents are waiting days for a callback.

Panel recommends small, inflationary pay hike for state officials
by Keith M. Phaneuf

Connecticut's part-time legislature hasn't received a pay hike since 2001. The annual base-pay for senators and representatives is $28,000.

Police task force seeks wider applicant pool for watchdog role
by Kelan Lyons

The task force sent four recommendations — and two that didn't get unanimous approval— to lawmakers for the 2021 session.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Miguel Cardona, who are you?
by Ann Policelli Cronin

When I ask Connecticut teachers about Miguel Cardona, those who know him or have worked with him say that he is really nice guy who knows what the challenges in our classrooms are, knows how to help teachers to improve their teaching, and respects public schools. All good. But what is his vision for teaching and learning that he will bring to the U.S. Department of Education?

Opinion Connecticut needs a strong two-party system, this Democrat says
by Edward Marcus

J.R. Romano’s recent resignation as the state’s Republican Party chair has brought into focus the need for a viable opposition party in Connecticut. It is not healthy politics when everything is totally controlled by one party:  the legislature, the governorship, and most of the major municipalities in our state.

Opinion Connecticut’s $100 million college shell game
by Stephen Adair

The plan to consolidate the 12 community colleges in Connecticut into one college with 12 campuses is called “Students First,” which is ironic because it does not fund students first.  It funds a new administration in a new, statewide bureaucracy. The Board of Regents (BOR) and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system office […]

Opinion Inconsistent television captioning is a barrier to equal access
by Jeffrey Bravin and Barbara Cassin

Our world long ago entered the age of the 24-hour news cycle, and a full understanding of the “who, what, when, where and why” of the news is critical for deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing citizens. Yet, Connecticut’s inconsistent quality of television captioning locks our community out of the complete sense of what is happening.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO