In the initial hours of the 2017 legislative session, it was made clear that there will be tensions between organized labor, the governor and both legislative Democrats and Republicans.
First, Gov. Dannel Malloy, for the second straight year, used a statewide address to call on labor unions to renegotiate their contracts to garner concessions aimed at saving taxpayers money and closing a gaping deficit approaching $1.5 billion.
Those unions, which have no legal obligation to reopen their contracts, responded by saying they want lawmakers and the governor to look elsewhere.
“There’s lots of other things we can do before we even think of getting to that point, so it’s just premature," Lori Pelletier, of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, said.
Pelletier argued that the state hasn't yet addressed the issue of tax fairness, saying there are Connecticut residents who are paying less in taxes based on percentage of income who make more than a half a million dollars a year who can stand to contribute more. She said she thinks their income comes from multiple sources and doesn't get taxed properly.
“Our revenue system needs to catch up to the way our wages are distributed, so we have to look at that,” she said.
Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said the number two Democrat in the divided Senate said it's easy to see what will happen if unions don't agree to consider and eventually approve concessions.
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“It’s either going to be additional negotiations with state employees or there are going to be additional layoffs, so it’s probably going to be one or the other,” he said.
The Connecticut House of Representatives, in a win for organized labor, also voted down a proposal to mandate that all labor contracts be voted on by the entire chamber. While there is nothing in the rules that prevents that, and all contracts have a 30-day period where they can be voted on, Republicans want to see a mandate as a matter of policy. On a party line vote, Democrats prevailed.
“It’s our responsibility as legislators to look at these contracts," said Rep. Themis Klarides, R-Derby, the top Republican in the House.
She said the decision by Democrats comes down to them not wanting to be held accountable for such votes.
“I think they’re afraid to vote against a union contract for fear of retribution and I think they’re afraid to vote for a union contract for fear their constituents will think they’re not being responsible.”
Newly elected Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz said his caucus will consider a rule change in the future and said the decision had nothing to do with his role as an employee of AFSCME Council 4, a union that represents some state workers.
“I don’t benefit from any contract up here. My salary is not tied to it. I don’t get a bonus. I don’t lose money," Rep. Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said. "So, really it is not a conflict of interest. We are a part-time legislature. We all come here because we want to serve the public and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
