Pictured are 12 the 13 UHP delegates to the 2026 CT AFL-CIO convention at the Omni Hotel in New Haven, June 25-26:
Following is the convention report from the CT AFL-CIO:
Dear Affiliate Leaders & Convention Delegates,
Thank you to everyone that made our Sixteenth Biennial Political Convention a productive and successful convention!
As required by the constitution of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, we have put together a summary of the proceedings of the convention.
Endorsements: Click here to view all of the candidates that were endorsed by delegates to the convention.
Resolutions: The following resolutions were passed at convention.
- Resolution #1: Commit Full Support to the Labor 2026 Program
- Resolution #2: Honoring Senator Jan Hochadel for Her Service to Working People
- Resolution #3: Honoring Representative Emmanuel (Manny) Sanchez with the 2026 Worker Solidarity Legislative Award
- Resolution #5: Supporting Worker-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Policy
- Resolution #6: Encouraging Union Members to Run for Public Office
- Resolution #7: Confronting the Private Equity Threat to Workers, Patients, and Communities
Credentials Committee Report: 223 delegates, 6 alternate delegates, and 26 guests representing 22 international unions from 87 local unions, labor chapters, building trades councils, and area labor federations
Legislative Report: Read the legislative report for the 2026 legislative session.
Legislative Scorecard: View the 2025-2026 legislative scorecard.025-2026 legislative scorecard.
2026 Worker Solidarity Legislative Award Recipient: Labor Committee Co-Chair Representative Manny Sanchez
Speakers: Delegates heard from an incredible line-up of speakers, including:
Keynotes:
- AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler
- IAM International President Brian Bryant
Speakers & Presenters:
- Marcelo Assis, President, USW Locals 12000 & 12000-1 & Chair, Union Veterans Council
- Ingrid Derrick-Lewis, Director, New Haven Works
- Lisa Stevens, President, UNITE HERE Local 34
Panel Presentation: Connecticut’s $1 billion federal budget gap left by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: What to know about the cuts to SNAP and Medicaid in a precarious, AI-driven economy
- Moderator: Emily Byrne, Executive Director, Connecticut Voices for Children
- Patrick R. O’Brien, Ph.D., is a Research & Policy Director, CT Voices for Children
- Carmen Clarkin, M.P.H., is the Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives, CT Voices for Children
- Ruchi Sheth, M.A., is a Research & Policy Associate, CT Voices for Children
Panel: From the Workplace to the Ballot Box: Advancing Racial and Economic Justice Through Worker Power
- Moderator: TJ Clarke II, Chief of Staff, AFSCME Council 4
- Alexander Rias, Director, AFL-CIO Department of Civil, Human and Women’s Rights
- Patricia Davis, Co-Chair, AFSCME Council 4 Civil Rights Committee
- Melissa Mason, Director of the Leadership Enhancement and Development (LEAD) Project, UNITE HERE
Again, I want to thank you for your tireless work in helping grow and empower the Connecticut labor movement.
In solidarity,
Ed Hawthorne, President
Connecticut AFL-CIO
