Council 4
The 4 Word
The Voice of Council 4 AFSCME Connecticut
We Make Connecticut Happen
November 2016
An Officer and a Community Treasure
With a population hovering around 6,000, the town of
Beacon Falls is small. But it’s got one of the biggest beating
hearts around in Officer Caroline O’Bar, president of
AFSCME Local 1303-415.
A 14-year veteran of the Beacon Falls police force (which
has three full-time union members), O’Bar is a community
treasure known for her year-round efforts to help the neediest
people in town.
O’Bar coordinates a
Christmas toy drive at St.
Michael’s Church, collects
food at Thanksgiving,
baskets for Easter, and
backpacks
for
kids
returning to school.
“I was brought up in
a
family that valued
“I think I’m making a difference.”
volunteerism,
” said the
--Officer Caroline O’Bar, AFSCME
Naugatuck native.
O’Bar has mobilized Beacon Falls businesses and
residents to help, whether it’s collecting food or toiletries,
or underwriting donations. She has personally made sure to
help individual residents who are low on food, or need help
making their rent or to pay their oil bill when temperatures
grow frigid. She recently worked with the local American
Legion to help a veteran get a sorely needed refrigerator and
stove. “People don’t want to be a bother, but they need help,”
she said.
As the town DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
officer, O’Bar has frequent contact with youngsters and their
families. She is known for stopping to shoot baskets or toss
the football with neighborhood kids. That gives her a chance
to learn about their family situations.
“We have a lot of families with teen age children, and
they’re struggling,” O’Bar explained. “Many of them have lost
their jobs and they can’t make ends meet. I just try to help in
Community Treasure continued on page 5
Local 1303-415
Union Members Running for State Legislature
Being an active and concerned union member is a great
way to transform your workplace. Representing for your
community in legislative chambers is another. Here are three
Council 4 members taking their first shots at seats in the
Connecticut General Assembly:
West Haven: Mike DiMassa and Sean Ronan. This
election season, color the city of West Haven AFSCME
Green. It’s here you’ll find not one but two Council 4
members seeking election as state representatives: Mike
DiMassa and Sean Ronan.
DiMassa, as a member of Local 681 (West Haven DPW/
City Hall) is running in the 116th District (West Haven
and New Haven). Ronan, 48, a member of Local 1159
(Bridgeport Police), hopes
to represent the 117th
District (West Haven,
Milford and Orange).
Both candidates share
a strong belief in unions
and the need to ensure the
Connecticut legislature is
Mike DiMassa, left, of Local 681
more worker-friendly.
and Sean Ronan of Local 1159.
“Unions have done so
much to improve people’s lives,” DiMassa said. “We need to
support collective bargaining and create livable wage jobs.
Election 2016 continued on page 5
Make America
Great Again
Local 1303
Scholarship Winners
Candidate
Endorsements
2
6
7
Make America Great Again
We’ve said it time and again: Union
jobs make our country great.
declared that “when unions are strong, America is strong!”
As a senator from New York, Clinton was an original
co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would have
made it easier for working people to organize together in unions.
Good union jobs allow workers
to earn better wages and benefits like
health care and retirement security.
Good union jobs help women earn
equal pay. And in areas and industries
where unions are strong, all workers’
wages are higher because union jobs
raise the standard, as we recently
learned in a report by the Economic Policy Institute.
Clinton supports raising the minimum wage, protecting
workers from exploitation and wage theft, and strengthening
bargaining rights.
Please keep all this in mind when you head to the polls on
Election Day, Nov. 8. The choice between Secretary Clinton and
Donald Trump could not be clearer. Trump thinks American
wages are too high and has called for gutting workers’ rights.
The report, “Union Decline Lowers Wages of Nonunion
Workers,” confirms what we’ve always said: When union
membership declines, so do the wages of all workers.
The next President will appoint Supreme Court justices
whose decisions will impact generations to come. A Clinton
Supreme Court will defend workers’ rights, unions and the right
of public employees to unionize. A Trump Supreme Court will
diminish if not destroy our ability to unionize, to bargain for our
members’ livelihoods and to protect our hard-earned pensions.
Those particularly hard hit are nonunion men with a high
school diploma or less. Their “weekly wages would be an
estimated 9 percent ($61) higher if union density remained at
its 1979 levels,” according to EPI. “For a year-round worker, this
translates to an annual wage loss of about $3,172.” That’s real
money — enough to pay more than three month’s average rent.
We should make sure we elect a President in November
who will stand up for working people and support their right
to organize. Hillary Clinton knows that unions helped build the
middle class before and are key to making America great again.
Union jobs provide other benefits that allow working families
to reach the middle class — retirement plans, paid family and
sick leave, and high-quality health insurance. Unions also close
the inequality gap and increase the middle-class share of the
nation’s total income. That’s why it’s important to strengthen laws
that make it easier for workers to join unions.
In solidarity,
Sal Luciano
Executive Director
We need leaders who understand all this. Hillary Clinton,
AFSCME’s endorsed candidate for President, has proudly
Essex Town Hall Employees Say “Union Yes!”
Employees in the town of Essex are among the most recent
to join the Council 4 union family after voting unanimously for
representation.
“Unionizing is a positive and proactive step for us and our
town,” said Mary Ellen Barnes, Director of Parks and Recreation
and Social Services for Essex. “Unions foster high productivity
workforces, which results in greater efficiency and consistency
of services to our community. We also believe that having
an organized workplace ensures continued communication,
involvement and respect among employees, the administration
and our residents.”
Council 4 Staff Representative Scott Soares helped organize
the new 10-person Essex unit, and is working with the members
to negotiate their first collective bargaining agreement with the
town. Council 4 also represents Essex Department of Public
Works employees.
In addition to Essex, dispatchers in the town of Cromwell,
and town hall, public works employees and police officers in
Woodbury have joined Council 4. They will be featured in our
next issue of The 4-Word.
Pictured, clockwise from back left: Lynne Skinner, Dana Novorio,
Jessica Sypher, Lisa Fasulo, Council 4 Staff Representative Scott
Soares, Mary Ellen Barnes, Kerry Berardinelli and Mark Hiatt.
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Sal Luciano, Local 2663
Executive Director
Clarke King, Local 1716
President
Anna Montalvo, Local 1522
Secretary
Larry Dorman
Editor
Printed by Barile Printers, whose employees are members of AFSCME Local 818-56.
New Britain Local 1186 Member Ratify Contract
The members of AFSCME Local 1186, representing nearly 300 city workers in New Britain (including Public Works, City
Hall and Water Department), ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement by a better than 2-to-1 margin.
Local 1186 members agreed to a wage freeze in 2016-17, but will receive 3% raises
in the succeeding three years. Members also agreed to switch to a high-deductible
health care plan which, inclusive of contributions from the employer, will actually
lower their premium cost share.
The New Britain City Council unanimously approved the agreement Sept. 14.
Local 1186 Vice President Paul
Vaverchak, left, and President Darren
Brown.
“This was a fair agreement for everybody,” said Local 1186 President Darren
Brown, a city arborist. “We protected some important things that our members
value, like retiree health insurance and minimum staffing language. This is a good
contract in a tough economic climate.
Council 4 Staff Representative Travis Cromack represented Local 1186 at the
bargaining table.
Deaf Community Rallies After State Employee Layoffs
The latest state employee
layoff casualties included the
entire unit of interpreters for the
deaf and hard of hearing. The job
cuts took place in mid-July and
have deprived the deaf and hard
of hearing community of vital
services, contrary to the Malloy
administration’s statement that
private companies would get the
job done.
The deaf community has rallied in support of the
interpreters, who were members of Local 2663 of
Council 4’s P-2 Social & Human Services Bargaining
Unit. (The layoffs also impacted employees represented
by Local 704 of our NP-3 Clerical Bargaining Unit.)
Luisa Soboleski, the chairperson of the state agency’s
advisory committee, said taking away interpreter
services is “like taking away all the ramps in the state
for people with wheelchairs. “You have to be deaf to
truly understand,” she said at a July 19 rally.
-
he got from the state was much better than
those he received from private vendors. He
said the quality of the interpreters matters to
him because he wants to be a lawyer. Dylan and
his mother Liza collected 1,300 signatures on a
petition to bring back the laid off workers and
delivered it to the governor.
Council 4 members continue to work with
the deaf community to
spotlight the damage done
by the layoffs. “Working for
the people of Connecticut
was not simply a job for
me. It was a calling,” said
Tammy Batch, one of
the laid off interpreters
who was a union steward
for Local 2663. “Both
my parents were deaf,
Top photo: Local 2663 members Jim
Cusack and Tammy Batch speak at a June so I grew up seeing the
29 rally. Below: Dylan Ayers at the podium, value of interpreters and
with his mother Liza behind him at second communication access.”
Dylan Alers, 12, said the quality of the interpreters rally in July.
Wilton Custodians’ Union Recognized For Their Service
Congratulations to the members of AFSCME Local 1303-015, representing
Wilton Board of Education custodians and maintainers. Superintendent Kevin
Smith recognized Union President Willie DeHostos, pictured at right, and his
fellow head custodians for the hard work and extra effort they put in to make
sure the Miller-Driscoll School was ready to go after a major summer renovation
project. “Miller-Driscoll looked absolutely stunning when parents and students
arrived,” Board of Education chairman Bruce Likely wrote in The Wilton Villager
newspaper, adding that the custodians received “a thunderous standing ovation
from students and staff ” when Smith recognized them during the opening
convocation for the school, which serves the preK-to-2 population. Job well done!
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Local 1303 Scholarship Winners
Continuing its commitment to higher education, AFSCME Local 1303, representing 7,000 municipal and board of
education employees, awarded nine $1,000 scholarships to college-bound students whose parents belong to Local1303
chapters.
Every year, Local 1303 leadership selects scholarship recipients based upon their grades, community involvement and
an essay on the importance of union membership. We congratulate the student scholars now pursuing their degrees.
Pictured, l-r: Leah Sheltry, Lorraine Sheltry, Sophia
Angele-Keuhn, Elisabeth Angele, Jacob Sargent, Stacie
Harris-Byrdsong, Martha Ann Smith, Kobey Wesley Smith,
Kristen Linton, Sara Linton, Mike O’Herlihy and Kiernan
O’Herlihy.
“Our union is committed to making a difference
in the lives of our members and their families. We
are honored to help these outstanding young
scholars pursue their dream of a college degree,”
said Local 1303 President Stacie Harris-Byrdsong.
This year’s student winners (with parents and local unions listed in parenthesis):
Sophia Angele-Keuhn (Elisabeth Angele, Local 1303-115)
Alexis Price (Becky Capobianco, Local 1303-132)
Jennifer Cruz-Rincon (Rosalba Rincon, Local 1303-036)
Jacob Sargent (Wesley Sargent, Local 1303-331)
Sara Linton (Stephen Linton, Local 1303-028)
Leah Sheltry (Lorraine Sheltry, Local 1303-210)
Allie Narowski (Lisa Narowski, Local 1303-259)
Kobey Wesley Smith (Martha Ann Smith, Local 1303-132)
Kiernan O’Herlihy (Ellen O’Herlihy, Local 1303-278)
Local 749 Honors Life-Saving Union Members
Hartford Juvenile Detention Officer (JDO) Frankie
Williams might be not alive but for the heroic actions of
her fellow judicial employees Giovanni Gagliardi and Mark
Burgess earlier this spring.
On June 15, 2016, Williams fell ill and passed out at the
Hartford Juvenile Courthouse, where she was monitoring
a juvenile awaiting hearing. Gagliardi, a shift supervisor at
Hartford Juvenile Detention, responded immediately and
found that Williams was not breathing and she had no pulse.
Gagliardi began performing CPR on Williams. Burgess, a
marshal at the Hartford Juvenile Courthouse, arrived with
a defibrillator.
Both Gagliardi and Burgess continued CPR until
emergency medics arrived and transported Williams to a
local hospital, where she made a full recovery.
Williams and Gagliardi are members of AFSCME Local
749, the union representing 1,600 state Judicial Branch, Public
Defenders and Department of Criminal Justice Employees.
Burgess is a member of IBPO Local 731, representing state
judicial marshals.
On Sept. 15, 2016, Local 749 honored Williams, Gagliardi
and Burgess during a regional meeting in Hartford, and
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4
presented them with a special plaque of recognition.
“Giovanni, Frankie and Mark are dedicated public
servants and union members who never quit, whether it’s
protecting the public or helping each other in life-threatening
moments,” Local 749 President Chuck DellaRocco said.
“We are proud of them and their contributions to the state
judicial system.”
Pictured, l-r: Local 749 Hartford Region Vice President
Dana Beecham-Brown; Local 749 members Giovanni
Gagliardi and Frankie Williams; and Local 749 President
Charles DellaRocco. Missing from picture is IBPO Local
731 member Mark Burgess.
An Ice Cream Connection in Bristol
Summertime Thursdays were extra special at the Bristol Senior Center Coffee
Shop, thanks to Phyllis Amodio, Chief Sanitarian for the Bristol-Burlington
Health District, and President of AFSCME Local 1303-114.
During July and August, Amodio, a 29-year employee, has sponsored an ice
cream social at the coffee shop, which is part of the Bristol Senior Center (and
located in the same building as the BBHD).
Pictured, left to right: Bristol Senior Center Coffee
“I am proud of these volunteers and how dedicated they are to food safety. Shop volunteers Fern, Marie, Rosalie, Yadira
Providing summertime ice cream is a way to say thanks,” Amodio said.
and Carmen. Back row: Phyllis Amodio, Chief
Sanitarian for BBHD.
For the past several years the Bristol Burlington Health District has provided
food safety training for the coffee shop volunteers, who always participate in the classroom exercises and genuinely want
to learn about the subject matter.
“I really respect the volunteers of the coffee shop. They are a great group of women. They take pride in their cooking
and they work hard to provide great food to our senior citizens,” Amodio said, describing the gathering place as “a great
resource for the community.”
Election 2016 continued from page1
That’s good for workers and good for businesses.”
Ronan shares that sentiment. The longtime Bridgeport
police detective and Army veteran comes from a strong
union family (including a brother who is a state correction
officer and a sister who is a town dispatcher).
“Unions built America. I’m running as a working person’s
candidate,” he said, noting that his opponent, incumbent
Republican Charles Ferraro, wants to slash workers’ pay and
benefits, and curtail bargaining rights.
DiMassa is a newcomer to politics. The city council clerk
upset veteran incumbent Lou Esposito by 22 votes in the
August Democratic primary. Council 4 endorsed DiMassa
in the primary, and helped his effort with get out the vote
phone calls and an in-district mailing.
Ronan has already been fighting for his fellow West
Haven residents as a four-term member of the West Haven
City Council. “I want to help my constituents have a voice
in Hartford. We need good, stable jobs so our communities
can flourish,” Ronan said.
“Sean and I are not looking to be career politicians,”
DiMassa reflected. “We want to bring a fresh perspective.
We want to have a positive impact.”
Ronan added, “It’s noble to be in politics and want to help
your constituents.”
Vernon: Jim Tedford. A sunny Friday in September
recently found Jim Tedford of AFSCME Local 1471 (Vernon
Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Water Pollution Control)
at the XL Center in Hartford, where
he spent a vacation day helping the
Connecticut Mission of Mercy (CT
MOM) provide free dental care to
more than 1,300 citizens in need.
“It’s about improving the human
condition and paying it forward,”
Tedford said during a break from
his duties at the clinic, where he
has volunteered for three years. “It’s Jim Tedford, Local 1471
important for union members to
support their communities.”
The 35-year town employee is taking the same approach
to his candidacy for the 56th House District (Vernon and
Rockville): “I see a lot of things that need improvement. I
want to make my part of the state better.”
Tedford, a Republican, is serving his first term as a town
councilman after garnering the highest number of votes in
last year’s municipal election. He is a past president of his
local union and a current member of the Council 4 Delegate
Assembly. He will bring a labor perspective to the Capitol if
he wins his race in November.
“I believe in unions. I’ve also seen what it’s like to lack
the rights and dignity that come with having a union to
protect you,” he said. “I’d like to work with organized labor
to advance legislation that helps everyone.”
Community Treasure continued from page 1
any way I can.”
On the beat, O’Bar always carries a gift card or two
tucked into her uniform pocket. “I want to be ready if I run
into a family in squalor or serious need,” she said.
O’Bar spent 12 years with the Naugatuck Police
Department before moving over to neighboring Beacon
Falls. Her husband Clyde is a retired a Naugatuck police
officer. So community policing is all in the family.
“I love my job. I think I’m making a difference,” O’Bar
said. The people of Beacon Falls clearly agree.
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Warning: These Legislators Are Hazardous To Your Health
In 2016, several legislators hopped on board to sponsor HB 5057, An Act Concerning State
Employee Retirement and Health Care Benefits. This bill was designed to strip away state
employee pensions and replace them with an inferior 401(k) savings plan. HB 5057 also would
have eliminated longevity pay; adjusted health care and prescription drug benefits “to be equal
to the average benefits provided in the private sector”; and doubled prescription drug co-pays.
Council 4 worked successfully with other unions to stop this legislation from reaching the
House floor, but HB 5057 is destined to return unless we have a more worker-friendly General
Assembly. These are the legislators (listed alphabetically) who either introduced or sponsored
HB 5057, and are running for reelection on Nov. 8. If you live in their district, and care about
working people having decent pay, pensions and health care, they do not deserve your vote.
Rep. Sam Belsito, 53rd Dist.
Rep. Noreen S. Kokoruda, 101st Dist.
Rep. Gayle J. Mulligan, 55th Dist.
Rep. Whit Betts, 78th Dist.
Rep. Gail Lavielle, 143rd Dist.
Rep. Arthur J. O’Neill, 69th Dist.
Rep. Mitch Bolinsky, 106th Dist.
Rep. Timothy B. LeGeyt, 17th Dist.
Rep. Robert C. Sampson, 80th Dist.
Rep. Jay M. Case, 63rd Dist.
Sen. Art Linares, 33rd Dist.
Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, 136th Dist
Sen. Clark J. Chapin, 30th Dist.
Sen. Joe Markley, 16th Dist.
Rep. Mark Tweedie, 13th Dist.
Rep. Charles J. Ferraro, 117th Dist.
Sen. Henri Martin, 31st Dist.
Rep. Fred Wilms, 142nd Dist.
Sen. Paul M. Formica, 20th Dist.
Rep. Kathleen M. McCarty, 38th Dist.
Sen. Kevin D. Witkos, 8th Dist.
Rep. Mike France, 42nd Dist.
Rep. Ben McGorty, 122nd Dist.
Rep. Terrie Wood, 141st Dist.
Sen. Robert J. Kane, 32nd Dist
Sen. Michael A. McLachlan, 24th Dist.
Rep. Melissa H. Ziobron, 34th Dist.
Sen. John A. Kissel, 7th Dist.
Rep. Craig A. Miner, 66th Dist.
Rep. Tami Zawistowski, 61st Dist.
Labor Board Backs Council 4 in Bridgeport Contract Case
The Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations recently
ruled in favor of AFSCME’s favor when it ordered the City
of Bridgeport to implement a five-year collective bargaining
agreement struck last year between Local 1522 of Council 4
and the administration of then-Mayor Bill Finch.
Local 1522’s membership encompasses more than 600
school employees, including paraprofessionals, clerical
employees and custodians to in-home schooling and
therapeutic and academic support employees.
Council 4 filed a municipal prohibited practice complaint
on behalf of Local 1522 members after Mayor Joe Ganim,
who was sworn into office last December, got members of the
City Council to reject the agreement in January 2016.
Council 4 Staff Representative Thomas Fascio asserted
the legislative body had long since missed its opportunity to
act. Under state law, if the council does not reject a contract
within a narrow window of time (45 days), it is automatically
implemented.
Local 1522 members received retroactive raises of 2.5%
for the first two years of the agreement, and general wage
increases of 3% in each of the three succeeding years. The
union also agreed to multiple furlough days.
Council 4 PEOPLE working hard so we have a voice
Members of Council 4’s statewide PEOPLE steering committee met
Sept. 30 to recommend candidates for endorsement by our Delegate
Assembly. (The complete list is on P. 7.) Pictured, l-r: David Dumaine
(co-chair, Local 714), Peter Raymo (Local 269), Bev Manes (Retirees),
Joe Manes (Retirees), Claudine Wilkins-Chambers (Local 3429), Steve
Wierbicki (Local 269), Emily Demicco (Local 269), Sandy DeCampos
(Local 991) and Clarke King (Local 1716). We thank all our PEOPLE
Committee members, both statewide and district, for taking the time to
help us strengthen our political voice. As the great United Auto Workers
leader Walter Reuther said, “There’s a direct relationship between the
ballot box and the bread box, and what the union fights for and wins at
the bargaining table can be taken away in the legislative halls.”
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Council 4 Candidate Endorsements for the Connecticut General Assembly
Congressional District 1:
Saud Anwar – 14th State Representative District
Joe Aresimowicz – 30th State Rep. District**
Laura Bartok – 77th State Representative District
Beth Bye – 5th State Senate District
Steve Cassano – 4th State Senate District
Michelle Cook – 65th State Representative District
Tim Curtis – 60th State Representative District
Joe Diminico – 13th State Representative District
Kelly Luxenberg – 12th State Rep. District
Russ Morin – 28th State Representative District
Krystal Myers – 78th State Representative District
Mike Nicastro – 31st State Senate District
Matt Ritter – 1st State Representative District
Derek Slap – 19th State Representative District
Josh Shulman – 27th State Representative District
Ed Vargas – 6th State Representative District
Joe Verrengia – 20th State Representative District
Dave Zoni – 81st State Representative District
Congressional District 2:
David Alexander – 58th State Rep. District
Arlene Avery – 35th State Senate District
Katherine Bachiochi – 52nd State Rep. District
Tim Bowles – 18th State Senate District
Pat Boyd – 50th State Representative District
Christine Conley – 40th State Rep. District
Tom Currier – 8th State Representative District
Tony DiPace – 59th State Representative District
Kate Donnelly – 47th State Representative District
Susan Eastwood – 53rd State Rep. District
Mae Flexer – 29th State Senate District
Gregg Haddad – 54th State Representative District
Ryan Henowitz – 20th State Senate District
Annie Hornish – 7th State Representative District
Linda Orange – 48th State Representative District
Cathy Osten – 19th State Senate District
Christine Randall – 44th State Rep. District
Emmett Riley – 46th State Rep. District
Kevin Ryan – 139th State Rep. District
Jim Tedford – 56th State Rep. District**
Congressional District 4:
Ed Gomes, 23rd State Senate District
Jack Hennessey, 127th State Rep. District
Cristin McCarthey-Vahey, 133rd State Rep. District
Marilyn Moore, 22nd State Senate District
Christopher Perone, 137th State Rep. District
Christopher Rosario, 128th State Rep. District
Election Day is Nov. 8, 2016
Polls Open 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
More info at www.council4.org
Congressional District 3:
James Albis, 99th State Rep. District
Joe Crisco, 17th State Senate District
Theresa Conroy, 105th State Rep. District
Patricia Dillon, 92nd State Rep. District
Mike DiMassa, 116th State Rep. District**
Josh Elliott, 88th State Representative District
Ted Kennedy Jr., 12th State Senate District
Matt Lesser, 100th State Rep. District
Sean Ronan – 117th State Rep. District**
Kim Rose, 118th State Representative District
Congressional District 5:
Catherine Abercrombie, 83rd State Rep. District
David Arconti, 109th State Rep. District
Dante Bartolomeo, 13th State Senate District
Jeff Berger, 73rd State Rep. District
Elizabeth “Betty” Boukus, 22nd State Rep. District
Gayle Carr, 66th State Rep. District
Mike DeMicco, 21st State Rep. District
Terry Gerratana, 6th State Senate District
Bob Godfrey, 120th State Rep. District
Kenneth Gucker, 24th State Senate District
David Lawson, 30th State Senate District
Liz Linehan, 103rd State Rep. District
Rick Lopes, 24th State Representative District
Bill Riiska, 64th State Representative District
Ryan Rogers – 16th State Senate District
Robert Sanchez, 25th State Rep. District
Hilda Santiago, 84th State Representative District
Peter Tercyak, 26th State Representative District
Jeffrey Tomchik, 138th State Rep.
Myrna Watanabe, 76th State Representative District
Eva Zimmerman – 106th State Representative District
**= Council 4 Member
AFSCME Federal Candidate Endorsements
President: Hillary R. Clinton
U.S. Senate: Richard Blumenthal
U.S. House of Representatives:
John Larson (1st Congressional District)
Joe Courtney (2nd Congressional District)
Rosa DeLauro (3rd Congressional District)
Elizabeth Esty (5th Congressional District)
The Council 4 Delegate Assembly votes to endorse candidates
for the state legislature based on the recommendations
of the Council 4 PEOPLE statewide and district steering
committee members who interview candidates and review
their questionnaires. Click on www.council4.org for the latest
election news and volunteer opportunities.
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Remembering Peter Thor
Peter Thor, a key part of Council 4’s staff and leadership team for more than 35 years,
died July 9 at his home in Norwalk after a courageous fight with cancer. He was 74.
Peter worked for the City of Norwalk before coming to Council 4, where he served
first as a Staff Representative and then for the last 15 years as Director of Policy and
Planning before his retirement in June. He played an instrumental role in helping to
build Council 4’s political, communications and bargaining capacity.
“Peter was a tireless warrior for our cause,” said Council 4 Executive Director Sal
Luciano. “He understood better than anyone that a strong middle class required equally
strong unions.”
Peter represented AFSCME members in many capacities, serving on the Investment Peter Thor, bottom row,far
Advisory Council of the State Treasurer, the Connecticut Working Families, the 1,000 right, at a rally for Norwalk
public service workers in 2014.
Friends of CT coalition, the legislative MORE Commission and many more.
He also spearheaded Council 4’s Privatization Equals Corruption campaign in the aftermath of the corruption
scandal that brought down former Gov. John Rowland, and provided local union members with a lasting template in
making the argument against the reckless outsourcing of public services.
“Unfairness made Peter bristle. Bullies brought out the fight in him. Getting a pay raise for the members, or a little
bit better health care coverage or retirement, gave him joy. Peter wanted a good life for every American,” Council 4
Legislative and Political Affairs Coordinator Brian Anderson observed.
We mourn Peter’s loss but will remain inspired by his lifelong spirit of activism, his keen intellect, and his abiding
concern for those without power or money.
It’s now easier than ever to get the news and information you need
right when you need it from AFSCME Council 4! Our website
makes it easy for you to stay informed and get involved with your
union, and link to our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.
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