The 2018 CT Legislative Session opened last month and it came as no surprise that state employees are again being targeted by the same group of legislators who continue to attack working families. Bill no. 5068, co-sponsored by House Minority Leader Themis Klarides would:
- Eliminate the breakpoint for new hires immediately; eliminate the breakpoint for existing employees effective 7/1/21
- Increase pension contributions for new hires to 7% effective immediately ; increase contributions to 7% for all employees effective 7/1/27
- Eliminate COLAs for all current and future retirees immediately until the pension system funding level reaches 80%
- Freeze wages for 3 years (effective July 2021 through June 2024)
- Eliminate retiree health care coverage for new employees effective immediately.
Read her latest proposed bill and then remember the names sponsoring the bill:
REP. KLARIDES, 114th Dist. (Woodbridge, Orange, Derby)
REP. CANDELORA, 86th Dist. (Durham, Guilford, North Branford, and Wallingford)
REP. O'DEA, 125th Dist. (New Canann, Wilton)
REP. O'NEILL, 69th Dist (Bridgewater, Roxbury, Southbury, Washington)
If you live in any of the above districts, know that:
ALL of these names will be on a ballot this November
ALL of them want to destabilize your work life and your ability to retire
NONE of them respect your job or your family
NONE of them should get your vote in November.
Rep Klarides and her gang ignore the fact that State employees have already made sacrifices. Working with the Governor's Office and the Legislature, organized labor has made concessions to help cure the budget problems. We have been doing our part, most recently in 2017, but also in 2009 and 2011. In each of those years sacrifices were made by organized labor. Apparently, House Minority Leader Klarides is not yet satsified.
She, and others in the Legislature appear obsessed with denigrating working people and their families. For example, under the proposed bill, she and her gang would end retiree health care coverage for new hires, entirely. If they succeed in passing these types of bills, it will affect you, your family, and your very ability to retire.
We need to be diligent. We need to be prepared. Every state legislator needs to know that sponsoring/supporting such toxic bills gets our attention.