Moore and Gomes Join Call for Limits to “On-Call” Work Scheduling
Senator Marilyn Moore (D-Bridgeport) and Senator Ed Gomes (D-Bridgeport) today joined legislators, activists, and working people to advocate in support of Senate Bill 321, ahead of the Children’s Committee hearings for the bill. The coalition is calling for the passage of a Fair Workweek bill, limiting an abusive practice known as “on-call scheduling” across Connecticut’s large corporate retail, food service, hospitality, and certain nursing home work industries.
Throughout Connecticut, hundreds of thousands of low wage hourly workers, many earning poverty wages, struggle to earn a stable income because of unpredictable work schedules. Employees are often forced to work with little notice, maintain open availability for “on-call” shifts without any guarantee of work, and have shifts cancelled at the last minute.
“After my first legislative session, I took a seasonal job at one of my district’s big-box retailers because I wanted to experience what many of my constituents who work low wage jobs have to go through in their daily lives. The experience was eye opening and life changing,” said Children’s Committee Co-chair Sen. Moore. “The hours were too few, the wage was far below what a person needs to survive, and the work was both mentally and physically draining. On top of that, I was on-call so I was on the hook until the last minute to find out whether or not I would be working each day. I couldn’t commit myself to a second job without putting my first one at risk. Workers in Connecticut deserve predictable schedules so they can balance their daily routines and succeed for themselves and their families.”
“Families in Connecticut suffer when big companies are allowed to abuse their workers’ time with unfair, forever changing, and inflexible work schedules,” Sen. Gomes, Labor Committee co-chair said. We need to protect workers and their families by eliminating on-call scheduling and shifts scheduled too closely, which often times impede employees from achieving financial security.”
When parents’ and caregivers’ incomes are unstable, families struggle to meet basic expenses and arrange child care, doctor’s appointments, and family meals. Families suffer when working people have highly variable hours and no voice in their work schedules. As a result, they struggle to spend enough time with their children and spouses.
By passing a Fair Workweek bill, Connecticut can lift up its low wage workers and families with opportunities to budget their lives, plan childcare, pursue higher education, work toward economic advancement, stay healthy, and enjoy family time. It’s the fair and smart thing to do.
Larson Joins in Demolition Ceremony to Begin New East Windsor Casino
EAST WINDSOR— Senators Tim Larson (D-East Hartford) today joined Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribal leaders, state and local officials, construction workers and others to begin the demolition of the former Showcase Cinemas on Prospect Hill Road in East Windsor in order to make way for the new 200,000 square foot gaming and entertainment facility planned for the site.
“I’m excited,’ said Sen. Larson, whose Senate District includes East Windsor. “Today is a great step forward in protecting Connecticut jobs, and this facility has always been about jobs—jobs, jobs, jobs. We can’t cut our way to economic success here in Connecticut, we can’t tax our way to success, but we can grow our way to success—and that growth beings today.”
At the demolition ceremony, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Chair Rodney Butler and Mohegan Tribal Council Chair Kevin Brown announced that the East Windsor gaming and entertainment venue will help save 4,300 jobs in Connecticut and will create at least 650 jobs in the Hartford area, including 325 jobs in Hartford, 150 in East Hartford and another 175 jobs throughout East Windsor, Windsor Locks and surrounding communities.
“The two tribes working together in a partnership with the State of Connecticut have provided 20,000 jobs and more than $7 billion in revenue for the state,” Chairman Brown said. “That’s the bottom line. That’s why we’re the right partner. Today begins a new chapter in that partnership.”
Osten Joins in Demolition Ceremony to Begin New East Windsor Casino
State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) today joined Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribal leaders, state and local officials, construction workers and others to begin the demolition of the former Showcase Cinemas on Prospect Hill Road in East Windsor in order to make way for the new 200,000 square foot gaming and entertainment facility planned for the site.
“As I’ve said from the beginning, this project is all about protecting Connecticut jobs, and today’s demolition is just the latest step in getting this project completed,” said Sen. Osten, who has been a firm supporter of the new venue since it was first proposed over a year ago.
At the demolition ceremony, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Chair Rodney Butler and Mohegan Tribal Council Chair Kevin Brown announced that the East Windsor gaming and entertainment venue will help save 4,300 jobs in Connecticut and will create at least 650 jobs in the Hartford area, including 325 jobs in Hartford, 150 in East Hartford and another 175 jobs throughout East Windsor, Windsor Locks and surrounding communities.
“The two tribes working together in a partnership with the State of Connecticut have provided 20,000 jobs and more than $7 billion in revenue for the state,” Chairman Brown said. “That’s the bottom line. That’s why we’re the right partner. Today begins a new chapter in that partnership.”
Democrats Unveil ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ College Scholarship Program
As part of its Democratic Values Agenda for the 2018 legislative session, Democratic leaders today unveiled their ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ college scholarship program—House Bill 5371—which promises state aid to help qualified Connecticut students start and complete their college careers at community colleges and state universities, thereby improving college graduation rates and preparing our state workforce for the thousands of new jobs needed in the near future.
If approved, the scholarship would take effect in the fall of 2019, and Connecticut would become one of several states in America—following recent efforts in New York, Rhode Island, and others—to provide a state-sponsored higher education scholarship for qualified students.
“Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish is about expanding opportunities in higher education for students in Connecticut, and building the future workforce in Connecticut,” said state Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford), the Senate Co-Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. “It will increase the number of students who complete the FAFSA. It helps students and their families afford a college education without going into debt. It will increase our number of college graduates, and it helps employers by turning out a more educated workforce.”
“As a student from a working-class background who attended a public university in Connecticut, I know the transformative effect earning a degree can have on the trajectory of one’s life. I know the opportunities it opens to contribute for the benefit of our Connecticut community,” said state Representative Gregg Haddad (D-Mansfield), the House Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. “This bill will guarantee that no student is denied an opportunity to go to college, earn a degree, and be a contributing member of our Connecticut community. To eligible students, it offers a tuition-free path to an associate’s degree and to a bachelor’s degree. This bill grows our economy by helping thousands of students earn a degree, and assisting our employers by supplying the educated workforce they need.”
“A college education should be within reach for every hardworking Connecticut resident,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven). “Yet it has become increasingly difficult for low- and moderate-income students to be able to afford the higher education necessary for success in today’s highly complex economy without having their futures’ consumed by crushing debt. That’s why Democrats are proposing the Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish plan.”
“Educational opportunity and the future of our economy are intertwined, so we need to find better ways to reduce cost barriers to pursuing a college degree,” said Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin/Southington). “The ever-rising cost of attending college is shutting out more and more people every year, and though some will say we can’t afford to help, I say we can’t afford not to make this investment.”
“Connecticut’s largest manufacturers are preparing to fill a generation’s-worth of jobs,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk). “Ensuring that everyone has access to an affordable higher education is the best investment we can make in Connecticut workers and their future success. Our Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish plan and our Democratic Values Agenda will help build a stronger, more prosperous Connecticut for the middle class and all our families.”
Similar to New York State’s “Excelsior Scholarship Program” and Rhode Island’s “RI Promise,” Connecticut’s ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ college scholarship program is a so-called “last dollar” program which does not supplant existing institutional awards or other aid, it simply fills in the missing funding gaps.
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, from 2009-2015, 74 percent of Connecticut students completed their four-year public college degree within six years (the fifth-best completion rate in the country), but only 34 percent of students completed their 2-year community college degree within six years—placing Connecticut 33rd out of 50 states.
The ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ program has two main components:
Free 2 Start
State aid for tuition and required fees for the first two academic years at a regional community-technical college
Must be a full-time undergraduate student (30 or more semester credit hours in an academic year) in good academic standing
Must meet specific annual family income guidelines (i.e. $48,060 for a family of two, $60,480 for a family of three, $72,900 for a family of four)
Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and accept all financial aid (including scholarships, grants, waivers and institutional aid)
State provides a minimum benefit of $1,000 per year.
Free 2 Finish
State aid for tuition and required fees to complete an associate’s or bachelor’s degree at a Connecticut public university
Eligible students must have graduated from a Connecticut high school
Like Free 2 Start, must be a full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing
Like Free 2 Start, must meet specific annual family income guidelines
Like Free 2 Start, must complete the FAFSA form and accept all financial aid
Like Free 2 Start, state provides a minimum benefit of $1,000 per year
Students must participate in a volunteer-based mentorship and counseling program
Democrats Unveil ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ College Scholarship Program
As part of its Democratic Values Agenda for the 2018 legislative session, Democratic leaders today unveiled their ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ college scholarship program—House Bill 5371—which promises state aid to help qualified Connecticut students start and complete their college careers at community colleges and state universities, thereby improving college graduation rates and preparing our state workforce for the thousands of new jobs needed in the near future.
If approved, the scholarship would take effect in the fall of 2019, and Connecticut would become one of several states in America—following recent efforts in New York, Rhode Island, and others—to provide a state-sponsored higher education scholarship for qualified students.
“Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish is about expanding opportunities in higher education for students in Connecticut, and building the future workforce in Connecticut,” said state Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford), the Senate Co-Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. “It will increase the number of students who complete the FAFSA. It helps students and their families afford a college education without going into debt. It will increase our number of college graduates, and it helps employers by turning out a more educated workforce.”
“As a student from a working-class background who attended a public university in Connecticut, I know the transformative effect earning a degree can have on the trajectory of one’s life. I know the opportunities it opens to contribute for the benefit of our Connecticut community,” said state Representative Gregg Haddad (D-Mansfield), the House Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. “This bill will guarantee that no student is denied an opportunity to go to college, earn a degree, and be a contributing member of our Connecticut community. To eligible students, it offers a tuition-free path to an associate’s degree and to a bachelor’s degree. This bill grows our economy by helping thousands of students earn a degree, and assisting our employers by supplying the educated workforce they need.”
“A college education should be within reach for every hardworking Connecticut resident,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven). “Yet it has become increasingly difficult for low- and moderate-income students to be able to afford the higher education necessary for success in today’s highly complex economy without having their futures’ consumed by crushing debt. That’s why Democrats are proposing the Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish plan.”
“Educational opportunity and the future of our economy are intertwined, so we need to find better ways to reduce cost barriers to pursuing a college degree,” said Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin/Southington). “The ever-rising cost of attending college is shutting out more and more people every year, and though some will say we can’t afford to help, I say we can’t afford not to make this investment.”
“Connecticut’s largest manufacturers are preparing to fill a generation’s-worth of jobs,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk). “Ensuring that everyone has access to an affordable higher education is the best investment we can make in Connecticut workers and their future success. Our Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish plan and our Democratic Values Agenda will help build a stronger, more prosperous Connecticut for the middle class and all our families.”
Similar to New York State’s “Excelsior Scholarship Program” and Rhode Island’s “RI Promise,” Connecticut’s ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ college scholarship program is a so-called “last dollar” program which does not supplant existing institutional awards or other aid, it simply fills in the missing funding gaps.
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, from 2009-2015, 74 percent of Connecticut students completed their four-year public college degree within six years (the fifth-best completion rate in the country), but only 34 percent of students completed their 2-year community college degree within six years—placing Connecticut 33rd out of 50 states.
The ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ program has two main components:
Free 2 Start
State aid for tuition and required fees for the first two academic years at a regional community-technical college
Must be a full-time undergraduate student (30 or more semester credit hours in an academic year) in good academic standing
Must meet specific annual family income guidelines (i.e. $48,060 for a family of two, $60,480 for a family of three, $72,900 for a family of four)
Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and accept all financial aid (including scholarships, grants, waivers and institutional aid)
State provides a minimum benefit of $1,000 per year.
Free 2 Finish
State aid for tuition and required fees to complete an associate’s or bachelor’s degree at a Connecticut public university
Eligible students must have graduated from a Connecticut high school
Like Free 2 Start, must be a full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing
Like Free 2 Start, must meet specific annual family income guidelines
Like Free 2 Start, must complete the FAFSA form and accept all financial aid
Like Free 2 Start, state provides a minimum benefit of $1,000 per year
Students must participate in a volunteer-based mentorship and counseling program
Democrats Unveil ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ College Scholarship Program
As part of its Democratic Values Agenda for the 2018 legislative session, Democratic leaders today unveiled their ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ college scholarship program—House Bill 5371—which promises state aid to help qualified Connecticut students start and complete their college careers at community colleges and state universities, thereby improving college graduation rates and preparing our state workforce for the thousands of new jobs needed in the near future.
If approved, the scholarship would take effect in the fall of 2019, and Connecticut would become one of several states in America—following recent efforts in New York, Rhode Island, and others—to provide a state-sponsored higher education scholarship for qualified students.
“Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish is about expanding opportunities in higher education for students in Connecticut, and building the future workforce in Connecticut,” said state Senator Beth Bye (D-West Hartford), the Senate Co-Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. “It will increase the number of students who complete the FAFSA. It helps students and their families afford a college education without going into debt. It will increase our number of college graduates, and it helps employers by turning out a more educated workforce.”
“As a student from a working-class background who attended a public university in Connecticut, I know the transformative effect earning a degree can have on the trajectory of one’s life. I know the opportunities it opens to contribute for the benefit of our Connecticut community,” said state Representative Gregg Haddad (D-Mansfield), the House Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee. “This bill will guarantee that no student is denied an opportunity to go to college, earn a degree, and be a contributing member of our Connecticut community. To eligible students, it offers a tuition-free path to an associate’s degree and to a bachelor’s degree. This bill grows our economy by helping thousands of students earn a degree, and assisting our employers by supplying the educated workforce they need.”
“A college education should be within reach for every hardworking Connecticut resident,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven). “Yet it has become increasingly difficult for low- and moderate-income students to be able to afford the higher education necessary for success in today’s highly complex economy without having their futures’ consumed by crushing debt. That’s why Democrats are proposing the Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish plan.”
“Educational opportunity and the future of our economy are intertwined, so we need to find better ways to reduce cost barriers to pursuing a college degree,” said Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin/Southington). “The ever-rising cost of attending college is shutting out more and more people every year, and though some will say we can’t afford to help, I say we can’t afford not to make this investment.”
“Connecticut’s largest manufacturers are preparing to fill a generation’s-worth of jobs,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk). “Ensuring that everyone has access to an affordable higher education is the best investment we can make in Connecticut workers and their future success. Our Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish plan and our Democratic Values Agenda will help build a stronger, more prosperous Connecticut for the middle class and all our families.”
Similar to New York State’s “Excelsior Scholarship Program” and Rhode Island’s “RI Promise,” Connecticut’s ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ college scholarship program is a so-called “last dollar” program which does not supplant existing institutional awards or other aid, it simply fills in the missing funding gaps.
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, from 2009-2015, 74 percent of Connecticut students completed their four-year public college degree within six years (the fifth-best completion rate in the country), but only 34 percent of students completed their 2-year community college degree within six years—placing Connecticut 33rd out of 50 states.
The ‘Free 2 Start/Free 2 Finish’ program has two main components:
Free 2 Start
State aid for tuition and required fees for the first two academic years at a regional community-technical college
Must be a full-time undergraduate student (30 or more semester credit hours in an academic year) in good academic standing
Must meet specific annual family income guidelines (i.e. $48,060 for a family of two, $60,480 for a family of three, $72,900 for a family of four)
Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and accept all financial aid (including scholarships, grants, waivers and institutional aid)
State provides a minimum benefit of $1,000 per year.
Free 2 Finish
State aid for tuition and required fees to complete an associate’s or bachelor’s degree at a Connecticut public university
Eligible students must have graduated from a Connecticut high school
Like Free 2 Start, must be a full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing
Like Free 2 Start, must meet specific annual family income guidelines
Like Free 2 Start, must complete the FAFSA form and accept all financial aid
Like Free 2 Start, state provides a minimum benefit of $1,000 per year
Students must participate in a volunteer-based mentorship and counseling program
