Looking for a position that requires the skills of an advocate, educator, and organizer?  You should become a union steward.

Union stewards advocate for their colleagues in the workplace, making sure all employees receive fair and appropriate treatment in all aspects of their work.  Stewards also educate fellow members about important notices and contract updates, while making sure managers are educated about employee rights.  Stewards play a key role in organizing individuals into a vocal, active union that can advocate for necessary change and improvements to the state workplace.

We have several vacancies in the steward ranks due to the recent retirement wave. We are looking for the next generation of union stewards to step forward to protect and serve our fellow members. The time to apply is now and we welcome your application. If you think one of your union brothers and sisters may make a great steward, please encourage them to apply.

Applicants for a union steward position should send: (1) a cover letter; (2) a résumé; and (3) the names and phone numbers of two A&R members in the applicant’s agency who will serve as character references. For consideration of your application this year, please ensure you send this information by August 19, 2022.

Please send your application either by email to plamb@andr.org or by mail, attention Patrick Lamb, Chief Steward at A&R, 805 Brook Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.

If you are selected for an interview we will contact you to arrange a time. Applicants must have completed their initial working test period prior to consideration.

• What: Membership Meeting
• When: Noon Tuesday May 23
• Where: DEEP Russell Room, 79 Elm Street, Hartford
• Why: No particular reason - because we are tired of the pandemic

Union meeting to be held at DEEP in the Russell room at noon on Tuesday, May 23^rd

Owing to the pandemic, it has been a long time since we held our last in-agency union meeting.  We are looking to buck that trend.  We feel the time is appropriate to reengage with the membership in face-to-face meetings.  We figured we would start at DEEP.  This is an impromptu meeting.  We are not providing lunch or anything fancy, but officers of the union will be in the Russell room at 12:00 noon to meet with members, distribute contract books, and to hear your concerns about your workplace.  We look forward to seeing you there.

UPDATED SCHEDULE OF WALKS (as of October 1, 2022)

Labor 2 Labor walks are a "boots on the ground" door-knocking campaign to support candidates who pledge support to the labor movement.  These walks are only visits to fellow labor union members and they are geared to encourage/remind people to vote in the upcoming election (Tuesday Nov 8, 2022).

To participate in these "get out the vote" campaigns, all you need to do is show up at one of the designated locations and get your street assignment from there.  These walks are held every Saturday from now until election day.  If you have never done a Labor Walk, they sound more intimidating than they are, they are actually quite simple and fun to do (especially on a crisp fall morning).

A&R has also added a little "bonus" incentive to anyone who attends a Labor 2 Labor walk: any A&R member who participates gets a raffle ticket for each walk they attend; we will pick a winner in November for a $250 prize.  Also, anyone who attends three Labor 2 Labor walks will receive an A&R fleece jacket.

This year is especially big for A&R as AFT-CT President Jan Hochadel is running for State Senate in Meriden (A&R is an AFT-CT affiliate)...Jan's pursuit of a State Senate seat is a big deal for the labor movement as the State Senate is nearly split, so anything we can do to support Jan will be hugely beneficial to labor unions in this state.

The Labor 2 Labor walk schedule is attached here...just make sure you identify yourself as A&R (local 4200) when you arrive so we can credit you with a raffle ticket and/or an A&R fleece jacket.

The A&R Picnic will be in-person this year, our first "in-person" event since 2019!  This year our Summer Picnic will be held at La Bella Vista in Waterbury.  The event starts at 11:30 and the cost is $20 for active A&R members ($33 for Retirees). This year, in addition to an expanded menu, there will be free beer, wine, and soda!  Of course we will also have music, games, and raffle prizes to keep everyone entertained.

The deadline for online or walk-in registration is August 15, the deadline for mail-in registration is August 12

To register online using a credit/debit card, follow this link

To register by mail with a check, complete this form and mail to A&R

Reminder: A&R members are entitled to use ½ day of leave time to attend the Union Picnic. Appropriate notice should be given to your agency, according to
Memorandum of Understanding III, Page 90 of the blue A&R Contract.

The menu for the picnic will consist of:
HAMBURGERS/CHEESE, HOT DOGS, RIB EYE STEAK SANDWICHES SERVED WITH PORTUGUESE ROLLS &
BUNS, FRIED LONG HOT PEPPERS, SAUTÉED SWEET PEPPERS & ONIONS, BBQ CHICKEN, CORN ON THE COB,
CHILLED PASTA SALAD, COLESLAW, MIXED GREEN SALAD, ASSORTED CONDIMENTS & DILL PICKLE SPEARS

-Updated 4/12/23 - The Pandemic Pay Award passed the full Senate floor vote.  The Pandemic Pay award had a provision that the payment was to be paid within 90 days, so expect a further update soon.  If you want to assess your personal Pandemic Pay award, the calculations are as follows (remember, you must meet the minimum threshold of 180 hours)

High Risk employees (employees who were first responders, worked in congregate settings, or worked in a healthcare facility).
For employees in the High Risk environment the Pandemic Pay formula is as follows:  $250 for the first 180hrs of Regular work and an additional $136 for each 100hrs of Regular work beyond that (must reach that 180hrs to qualify).
The High Risk Overtime formula is: $270 for the first 200hrs of OT and then an additional $136 for each 100hrs of OT above that (must reach that 200hrs of OT to qualify).

Low Risk employees (are all other employees who were required to work in person).
For employees in the Low Risk environment the Pandemic Pay formula is as follows:  $125 for the first 180hrs of Regular work and an additional $68 for each 100hrs of Regular work beyond that (must reach that 180hrs to qualify).
The Low Risk Overtime formula is: $135 for the first 200hrs of OT and then an additional $68 for each 100hrs of OT above that (must reach that 200hrs of OT to qualify).

-Updated 4/5/23 - The Pandemic Pay Award passed the full House floor vote 129-15 with 7 Absent...Full Senate vote is expected the 2nd week of April.
-Updated 4/3/23
- 3/31/23

We haven't put much emphasis on the current Legislative session, however, there are a couple of updates that are impactful for A&R members:

First: the Pandemic Pay award passed the House and Senate votes in the Appropriations Cmte (the House had only 1 "nay" vote and the Senate had only one "nay" vote).  We are now expecting that this will go to a full floor vote on Wednesday 4/5/23 (that's 2 days after UConn wins the National Championship!!)...to support this bill, all State Employees are encouraged to sign on to this "ActionNetwork" letter and let your Representatives know that you want them to support the passing of this arbitration award...to sign this letter, simply follow this link

Second: a bill has come out of the GAE Committee which would exempt from FOI disclosing the residential addresses of all employees of the Attorney General's Office.  This Bill was initiated by Attorney General William Tong and fully supported by our sister union ACAAG (which covers the Assistant Attorneys Generals).  This bill, if passed and signed, would cover all employees within the OAG and prevent the public release of residential information.

Third:  AFT-CT has 2 "Meet your Legislator Events Upcoming".  These are neat events where several Legislators from the region come and sit at table with State Employees and can just talk about any topic they wish. There is an event at Margaritas in East Hartford on Saturday April 1 from 12:30 to 2:30 and another at Lakeview in Coventry on April 15 from 12:00 to 2pm.  To attend, AFT-CT asks that you pre-register so they can order enough food for the event, follow this link to register

Three agencies continued to misapply the current SEBAC Telework agreement (DOT, DSS, and Office of the Attorney General).  Although we had already prevailed in arbitration on the issue of an agency/unit "cap" on telework, all 3 agencies continued to set some type of "cap" on telework (instead of individual evaluation of telework capabilities).  So A&R, along with other SEBAC unions, again filed a grievance regarding the telework non-compliance by these agencies.  An arbitrator ruled this week that the agencies were in violation of the SEBAC Telework agreement and ordered these agencies to provide a full remedy to the individuals named in the grievance who had appealed their telework denials.  Further, this decision rendered moot a second arbitration that was to take place this week regarding other "caps" instituted by these agencies. 

Impacted employees at the identified agencies should be receiving notification from their agency about the arbitration and their new/improved telework approval.  While this was a SEBAC action, we can't ignore that A&R Chief Steward Patrick Lamb along with A&R steward Sean King were instrumental in the formulation of this arbitration and in prepping witnesses for this action.  It is crucial to prevail in arbitrations during the infancy of a program (such as telework) in order to establish the tone of the program going forward.  Patrick and Sean carefully put together a case necessary to secure a victory and maintain the future of telework for all A&R employees.   -9/9/22