Working Families in the News
Hartford City Council Campaign
Courant: Third Party Fields Council Slate. 8/10
The Connecticut Working Families Party announced Wednesday that it had collected the necessary signatures to secure its slate of Hartford city council candidates on the November ballot.
The signatures require certification by the registrar of voters. The party got 1,600 petition signatures, many more than the 112 required.
The party's three candidates are Luis Cotto, co-owner of La Paloma Sabanera coffeehouse and bookstore; Larry Deutsch, a pediatrician; and Urania Petit, a community activist.
Hartford News (not online): A Challenge From The Left. 8/8
In 1993, Hartford voters shifted to the right when they ousted three People for Change party members who were then sitting on the City Council and elected three Republicans instead.
Will 2007 be the year that the city turns back to the left?
Courant: Race for City Council Heats Up. 8/1
The Connecticut Working Families Party announced Wednesday that it plans to field three candidates for the November election in the race for Hartford's city council.
Blogs: CTLocalPolitics (1, 2), RealHartford (1, 2, 3), Undercurrents
Rally Against Discrimination at New-Britain Wal-Mart: 7/30
New Britain Herald: Fired Wal-Mart Worker Protests
Michael Edwards says he stands up for what he believes.
Edwards could lose his job at the Farmington Avenue Wal-Mart because on Monday he held a sign that read, "You can roll back your prices, but not our rights," as he joined the Connecticut Working Families protest there with about 50 other people.
The protest was sparked by the July 9 sacking of Edwards' best friend and co-worker at Wal-Mart and allegations of ongoing racism at the store.
Hartford Courant: Rally Backs Former Worker
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Monday that his agency will investigate an allegation that managers at a city Wal-Mart discriminate against Hispanic employees.
Blumenthal spoke during a rally outside the Farmington Avenue store from which Edwin Lopez says he was fired for criticizing discrimination against employees who assist Spanish-speaking customers in Spanish.
Connecticut Working Families organized the rally to draw attention to Lopez's concerns. The group called on Wal-Mart to adopt a "no harassment policy" that allows employees to speak Spanish without fear of reprimands.
Aetna's Profits are STILL Making us Sick: 7/26
Fox 61 News:
Journal Inquirer: Universal health care advocates rally at company's headquarters
On the day that Aetna Inc. announced second-quarter net profits of $451 million, a group of health care advocates rallied Thursday outside the company's Hartford headquarters to protest what they complained were "enormous profits" that are "at odds with any real comprehensive health care reform."
The anti-Aetna rally was organized by Connecticut Working Families, along with Citizens for Economic Opportunity, and a variety of labor unions. The protestors held a banner reading, "Aetna's profit's are making us sick."
Courant: Group Protests Outside Aetna
The organizers said they would deliver a letter to Ronald A. Williams, the company's chairman and chief executive, that outlined their position on health care reform and include a gift certificate for two tickets to see "Sicko," a documentary by Michael Moore that's critical of the health insurance industry.
"Aetna's enormous profits and huge executive pay packages are at odds with any real comprehensive health care reform," said Joe Dinkin, a spokesman for Connecticut Working Families, a labor and community coalition.
CTNewsJunkie: Advocates Rally Against Aetna Profits
Health care advocates attempted to deliver two “Sicko” movie tickets along with a letter to Aetna CEO Ronald Williams, but were thwarted by a security guard who was unable to offer them any sort of guarantee, aside from his word, that Williams would receive it.
After a short rally Thursday, in which several speakers criticized the insurance giant for its $451.3 million second quarter profit, four of the advocates marched inside Aetna headquarters in Hartford to hand-deliver the tickets to Williams.
Date Night with the Legislature: 7/20
Capitol Watch Blog: A Night at the Movies
Six legislators showed up Friday in Hartford for a screening of "Sicko'' - Michael Moore's harsh critique of the American medical system.
Connecticut Working Families organized the mid-summer outing, noting that the legislature failed this year to enact comprehensive health care reform.
CTNewsJunkie: Date Night with Your Legislators
Healthcare reform is still a top priority for the hundreds of thousands of working people in Connecticut,” said Jon Green, director of Connecticut Working Families. “We’re not asking much from legislators today. We aren’t demanding a vote or a pledge. We’re just asking legislators to keep an open mind and see the movie.”
Connecticut Working Families has launched a website, Have You Seen Sicko, to track the number of legislators in Connecticut who’ve seen the movie.
Grant Paid Sick Days! 6/05
Courant Op-Ed, by Jon Green:
A school bus driver is feeling ill and calls her supervisor in the morning complaining of a migraine headache. The manager tells her that the company does not offer paid sick days and she needs to come in to work anyway. Fearing not only the loss of pay but also the possible loss of her job, she starts her route despite her obvious symptoms - symptoms that impair her ability to drive and imperil the lives of children on her bus.
It's a frightening scenario - and even more so because it is entirely plausible.