Workers Protest Hartford School Layoffs

72? Why is she even working?

Sounds like the problems of all to many elderly,alot of people never planned for the future.

it's about time that dummies that pay union dues realize they only can get what the city or employer is willing to give. the only job security left is your ability. if there were no tenure would the same people be laid off, and would the remaining group be more talented and have more up to date resume's.

they should be picketing perez, his mismanagement got them where they are.

I want all of you to be clear on some facts. 1) without Unions the City would be like Fox in a hen house. 2) the increases that the City is trying to charge its retirees is creating not creating a savings but in fact it is creating a revenue source on the backs of the ederly! These are the facts based on information from Anthem documents from an FOI request.

I agree that there is a dislike for Unions because there is a small amount of workers that hide behind the Union protection. As a past Union President, all my members deserved the right to representation. If the City or the employer had enough to fire someone then their case should of stood on its merit and the State of Ct Labor Dept would not have over turned them. I would say don't blame the Unions for doing their jobs, blame the employers that fail at theirs!

Did the laid-off .4 person participate in the protest march?

Blaring into a bullhorn, Mark Blumenthal, president of AFSCME Local 566, which represents district custodians, rallied the demonstrators with a series of chants.

"We need public awareness," Blumenthal said. "What's going on needs to be heard. We are part of the city

I will be the meanest person on these boards today.

It is funny that there have been sweeping changes in Hartford for the past year as far as the schools are concerned, at least I think that there have...and it centers around helping the kids.

Now that the janitors union has been impacted, they are rallying...was this union there when other people lost jobs? I guess that my point is that everyone in Hartford is self serving and it is not about the kids....it is about money and protecting what you have.

If I read one more article in the Courant that has a Hartford employee on any level using the word "deserve'-i am going to bleed from my eyeballs.

You do not deserve anything in this world- you are lucky or fortunate to have things. The only thing that you can earn is a salary- and pray that you keep that.

There are no victims in Hartford- all of the unions were weak and did not defend the members to the best of its ability. How many of these unions sat down with the press or gathered those members who are Hartford voters and attempt to move the election?

Did anyone get their union members to go to the public?

Did any of these unions even buy an ad?

Hartford, sorry for laughing, can't even hold a rally without a handful of people showing up- maybe 60 is the magic number.

60 showed up for the Perez rally

60 show up here

Lay offs are sometimes necessary and also may be only temporary, possible summer cutbacks. Short notice also saves theft and dammage from disgruntled employees. I am very familiar with unions and their tactics.

I don't understand the big deal. When I look at this it seems that town employees think that they won't get layed off in a bad economy because, well, they are town employees. Towns run like a business and businesses lay off workers in bad economic times. Then the whole issue of insurance, are they really that angry that their premiums are going up like everyone elses is? I don't know why they would be but I guess they don't understand the real world. adn as far as a 72 year old with a pension under $500, I guess you should have thought about saving more when you were working.

true american wrote:

welcome to the real world,
hey send some more money to Israel suckers

Will do Anti-Semite.

WTG Eddie!! Nothing like taking from the kids to pad your pockets.

I work in food service and you need all the hands you can get a hold of to make and serve lunch.

I can't understand why the Hartford people voted this crook in office again. Between him and Jodi, Hartford doesn't have a chance.

Brandon wrote:

I don't understand the big deal. When I look at this it seems that town employees think that they won't get layed off in a bad economy because, well, they are town employees. Towns run like a business and businesses lay off workers in bad economic times. Then the whole issue of insurance, are they really that angry that their premiums are going up like everyone elses is? I don't know why they would be but I guess they don't understand the real world. adn as far as a 72 year old with a pension under $500, I guess you should have thought about saving more when you were working.

I work with a woman that is 76 and is still working. I don't think you should blame the working people. Is it their fault that the economy is out of controll? At least they are still working and taking care of themselves. They could go on welfare, would that make you feel better?????

In 2008, employees will contribute 20%
of the cost for employee-only overage,
and 24% for family coverage.

Those percentages haven’t changed
much in the past several years, and
employers clearly continue to shoulder
most of the burden. In flat dollar terms, however, the employee share in 2008 — an average of $78 per month ($936 annually) for employee-only coverage and $262 per month ($3,144 annually)for family coverage — represents a significant cost for many employees and a potentially prohibitive cost for some workers.

The average employee share of 2008
premium costs will increase 8%, while
the average employer share will increase 6%. In flat dollar terms, of the total premium increase of $526, employers pay $370, and employees, on average,will pick up the remaining $156.

Meanwhile, retirees are among the most
exposed to health care cost increases.
For this group, there are very practical issues around access to affordable health care — even if some form of employer-sponsored medical coverage is still available.
For example, as a result of a much larger cost base and employers’ efforts to restructure their retiree financial obligations, retirees are being asked to pick up a much greater proportion of their average monthly health care costs than their active employee counterparts.

Retirees under age 65 will contribute approximately 50% of the premium for retiree only coverage and 52% for family coverage.

In flat dollar terms, retirees under age 65 will pay an average of $283 per month ($3,396 annually) for retiree-only coverage and $585 per month ($7,020 annually) for retiree plus dependent coverage. Retirees age 65 and older will pay an average of $136 per month ($1,632 annually) for retiree-only coverage and $276 per month ($3,312 annually) for retiree plus one dependent coverage.

State and local government employees now earn an average of $39.50 per hour in total compensation versus the $26.09 an hour earned on average by private sector workers.

The data show that the gap has been widening every year, rising by an average of $1.02 an hour last year and $2.45 an hour over the past three years.

Benefits are a big factor in the growing gap, as private sector companies have trimmed pension benefits and asked employees to pay a greater share of medical costs, while few governments have imposed similar restraints.

It was just a matter of time before we began to see a correction in the public sector when it came leveling the playing field with the private sector.

Good for them how dare an ailing economy have an effect on public workers, they are so sacred aren't they? Welcom to our nightmare school workers your time has come as well, fun aint it

Jules wrote:

WTG Eddie!! Nothing like taking from the kids to pad your pockets.
I work in food service and you need all the hands you can get a hold of to make and serve lunch.
I can't understand why the Hartford people voted this crook in office again. Between him and Jodi, Hartford doesn't have a chance.

The "kid" argument is so tired and over used, they are doing the right thing and you will see more cuts as the economy slips deeper into the pit while our wonderful ruling class fights to stay in power.

Hartford Retiree wrote:

I want all of you to be clear on some facts. 1) without Unions the City would be like Fox in a hen house. 2) the increases that the City is trying to charge its retirees is creating not creating a savings but in fact it is creating a revenue source on the backs of the ederly! These are the facts based on information from Anthem documents from an FOI request.
I agree that there is a dislike for Unions because there is a small amount of workers that hide behind the Union protection. As a past Union President, all my members deserved the right to representation. If the City or the employer had enough to fire someone then their case should of stood on its merit and the State of Ct Labor Dept would not have over turned them. I would say don't blame the Unions for doing their jobs, blame the employers that fail at theirs!

former AT&T manager my insurance bill is $375 a month 2100 deductable, how does that compare the "burden" these school workers are being asked to pay?

The only the the union is worried about is being unable to collect dues.

QUOTE: "Minority council leader Larry Deutsch said Monday afternoon that the council didn't realize how the supposed savings would affect retirees.

"Many people were not aware of the specific nature of it," he said. "I share part of the blame for not looking into this."

Funny how politicians don't realize the consequences of their actions. Seems a pandemic phenomena consuming the sociopolitical landscape of our nation, as well as the world.

At least, for now, Deutsch accepts partial blame. Something one rarely sees. What about lord Perez, preaching the Gospel and making Hartford seem the rising star it is not? Does he accpt blame as well?

Let's see - with an astronomical drop out rate, some of the lowest testing scores in the nation, inability attract and keep qualified teachers, lack of janitorial staff, inability to attract suburban kids, absence of a working budget - does Hartford truely have a real school system anymore is has it become a deliquent's baby-sitter and pseudo parent?

I am afraid, the latter is true.

Jules wrote:

WTG Eddie!! Nothing like taking from the kids to pad your pockets.
I work in food service and you need all the hands you can get a hold of to make and serve lunch.
I can't understand why the Hartford people voted this crook in office again. Between him and Jodi, Hartford doesn't have a chance.

But the "Spin" Lord Eddie puts on the story - with the Gospel according to Perez - is that everything is peachy-keen! All is well! The city is making a come back, crime is down, schools are doing better and the public's "short attention span" can be garnered for further support! Don't you feel reassurred that such a brilliant and moral mind is at the helm of Hartford and it's myriad of people!?!?!?!?!?

seems only in union jobs do people protest when laid off/fired as opposed to going out and finding a new job

For the past several years companies have been packing up and moving to mexico and china leaving well paid workers(mostly non-union)with no income.When all these companies started to move out who did state and town workers think were gonna pay the taxes.These people think cause they work for the town or state they shouldnt be laidoff.reality is the towns need to start to outsource most of their work in order to lower cost.People in the medical field at some point will have to realize most people can no longer afford the services they offer.Factories provided pay,benefits and taxes .

Hello does anyone remember the main focus? THE CHILDREN!!!! What needs to be cut is all of those people who do nothing and recieve huge salaries. All they do is create positions and give them big titles with even bigger pay checks and the people who do all the work are always left behind and the children also get left behind because when ever they come across a teacher or professional that really cares they lose them.