The governor presented his proposed 2017 state budget package in a Feb. 8 speech that should serve as a call to action for all union members. As expected, his plan looks a lot like the same one he put forward last year — again premised on austerity policies that threaten our state's quality of life.
As a union, we know that this fight is too big to be waged alone; the way forward is to mobilize union members and engage our communities. Working together is what our grassroots legislative program is all about — and there are numerous opportunities to get involved in the days and weeks ahead:
- Participate in our annual legislative conference at the State Capitol in Hartford on Saturday, February 25.
- Bring fellow members to the D.U.E. Justice coalition's mass mobilization in the Hartford area on Wednesday, March 1.
- Attend one of seven regional legislative meetings in communities across the state in March and April.
Join me in pledging to fight for a better future not just for ourselves and our families, but for our students, patients and everyone who depends on us. I welcome your thoughts, suggestions and your commitment to be "all in" to fight forward.
More to come, and in solidarity,
Jan Hochadel
President, AFT Connecticut