TRAINEE CLASSES and PERSONAL LEAVE
Are you an ACT or CCT?  Please be aware that ACT's and CCT's now are granted 3 days of Personal Leave after successfully completing 6 months of service.  This is a recent change to our contract. Prior to this, persons in trainee classes did not qualify for PL days until they had completed their working test period, which could be up to two years.
(Contract language Article 18, Section 6)

VACATION ACCRUAL and BREAKS IN STATE SERVICE
Do you have many years of state service?  During that time did you take break and leave state service only to return and begin and the entry level vacation accrual rates?  In our recently negotiated contract, we changed the rate of vacation accrual for those who left state service and subsequently returned to state service.  Under the new language of our contract, all state service counts towards the calculation of your vacation accrual rate, rather than just the time since your date of last hire.  This change is prospective only and not retroactive.  If you think this change impacts you, please contact HR about changing your accrual rate.  If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the A&R office at (860) 953 1316.
(Contract language Article 12, Section 7)

4/19/23

Longevity - Reminder that the final paycheck in April and the final paycheck in October are when "Longevity" payments are made for those who qualify (must have over 10 years of service and hired prior to July 1, 2011); this means that Longevity payments are due in this week's paycheck.

A&R Scholarship Winners for 2023

A&R would like to congratulate the winners of our annual Scholarship Awards and thank our Scholarship Cmte members for their time and efforts in making this happen every year.

$2,500 Harry Zilber Scholarship Award winner: Krystal Li, daughter of Hong Chen (DCP)

$2

Planning for the 2022 A&R Holiday Party is underway!  The party will be held on Friday December 2, 2022 at the Aquaturf in Plantsville (Southington)  (view the flyer). 

This will be an in-person event...for the first time since 2019!  This year's party will have all of the flair of our "old" parties: there will be games, raffles, contests, prizes, photobooth, music/dancing, drinks...and of course a great meal!

To register, you can either complete the flyer and mail a check to the A&R office (or personally drop off the registration form at our office at 805 Brook St, Rocky Hill)...or you can register and pay by credit card online by following this link.

Of course, it wouldn't be an A&R Holiday Party without our annual Toy Drive (food donations and cash donations are also welcome).  Anyone who donates an unwrapped toy, or food, or cash will receive an extra raffle ticket!

Either way, we have a limit of 1,000 guests so don't delay! (registration closes November 22).

Hope to see you there!

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.