Connecticut
CT universal paid sick leave a top priority for labor, Democratic leaders
The strength of labor and the political left in Connecticut, one of 17 states where Democrats hold control the executive and legislative branches of government, will be tested this year as a coalition seeks to expand the state’s limited mandate on paid sick days into a nearly universal benefit.
Watered-down sick days legislation passed in 2011 touches only a thin sliver of workers, but it packed a political punch as the first mandate of its kind in the U.S., branding Connecticut as favorable terrain for laws and benefits unattainable in Congress or by collective bargaining.
“Connecticut likes to lead. And unfortunately, this is an area where we were leaders in 2011, but we have fallen behind,” said Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, co-chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee since taking office in January 2019, the same day as Gov. Ned Lamont.
An expansion bill passed by the Senate and favored by the governor failed in the House last year, a frustrating session for a labor movement that had scored major victories in previous years, including a $15 million minimum wage and a paid family and medical leave program financed by mandatory payroll deductions.
Kushner, who was a UAW official leading a coalition pushing paid sick days in 2011, and Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, pronounced paid sick leave expansion a top priority Friday. House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said he sees passage as likely.
The current law exempts manufacturers, some non-profits and any employer with fewer than 50 employees. It places no added burden on companies that already offer at least 40 hours in paid time off over the year, regardless of whether it is considered vacation, personal days or sick time.
Eligible workers accrue one hour of leave time for every 40 hours worked, with a maximum state-mandated benefit of five days off.
With every Republican opposed and four Democrats absent, the Senate voted 20-12 last year for a bill that would have eliminated the 50-employee threshold and the non-profit exemption. Any company with at least one employee would have been required to offer one hour off for every 30 hours worked. The bill also doubled the maximum benefit from 40 hours to 80.
The Lamont administration had proposed a bill lowering the threshold from 50 to 11 workers, but it agreed to the Senate version. The measure never came to a vote in the House.
“I think we’ll get there,” Ritter said Friday in an interview.
House Democrats last year proposed compromises, including one expanding coverage in phases over several years, bringing down the employee threshold from 50 to 25 immediately, then 20 next year, 15 the year after that and so on.
Janée Woods Weber, the director of Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, an advocacy group that led the campaign for passage and has since been renamed as She Leads Justice, rejected the phase-in because it never reached universal coverage.
Woods Weber said Friday that anything less than universal coverage was non-negotiable.
“A good policy would cover all workers,” she said. “We’re committed to passing good policy, not policy that we have to then come back and try to fix like, we’re trying to fix the 2011 law, which left out many, many workers.”
The state’s largest business group, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, remains opposed, though less about the particulars of the bill as the statement that passage would make about the business climate.
“That’s what is most concerning to me, the larger message,” said Chris DiPentima, the president and chief executive of CBIA. With every new mandate comes regulations in a state where CBIA says businesses already are over-regulated.
Lamont is generally deemed to be supportive of business, especially in the area of spending and taxes, but the Democratic governor has sided with labor over the minimum wage and paid family and medical leave, among other issues.
The governor intends to propose his own version of a bill to expand paid sick days. While his bill last year only would have applied to businesses with at least 11 workers, the version planned this year will have a threshold of only one.
With unions representing fewer than 10% of private-sector workers in Connecticut, labor and its allies have long looked to achieve in legislation what is beyond the reach of collective bargaining.
Looney, the Senate leader, said that is appropriate for government to intervene in providing something he sees as a basic right — sick days.
“We see these as just so basic and fundamental in terms of the social compact and equity that the state has to step in,” Looney said. “This is so critical because it benefits people who are living without a margin, living without a net, living day to day.”
Mark Pazniokas is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/ ). Copyright 2024 © The Connecticut Mirror.
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Five Connecticut towns will collectively receive $10 million in grants for infrastructure upgrades, according to a Monday announcement by Gov. Ned Lamont.
The Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH) is awarding $10.7 million to Coventry, Guilford, Ledyard, Mansfield and Thomaston to modernize and rehabilitate housing for low- and moderate-income residents, the announcement said.
The funds are being released through the DOH’s Community Development Block Grant’s small cities program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be eligible, a municipality must have fewer than 50,000 residents.
Cost Breakdown
Coventry: $2 million
Town of Coventry plans to use funds to upgrade, with a focus on making Orchard Hill Estates compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Guilford: $2 million
The Town of Guilford plans to use funds to design and build future affordable housing projects, consisting of up to 16 rental units and 8 homes.
Ledyard: $2 million
The Town of Canton requested funding for the first phase of affordable housing for people in Ledyard and the surrounding area. Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut is in the pre-development phase of the Colby Drive and plans to create 38 units.
Mansfield: $2.2 million
Funding will be used for upgrades to Wright’s Village, including roof replacements and sidewalk repairs.
Thomaston: $2.5 million
Funds will be used to make Green Manor ADA-compliant, including the installation of a new emergency call aid system.
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Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
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Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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