Bristol Teachers, please react and act on this message below from AFT CT, and regardless of where you live in Connecticut, please take 5 minutes to write or call your state rep and senator, or you’ll feel the wallop in your wallet very soon, and see an even more dire financial situation is every district.
-David Hayes
Lawmakers are preparing for a special legislative session as soon as next week to take up proposals for balancing the state’s budget over the next two years. On the table are proposals to hike your pension contributions by two percent (from 6% to 8%) and shift a third of the state’s investment in your retirement security to your local school board.
Your state Representative and Senator need to hear from you and all teachers in their districts now to assure make sure they make better choices.
Lawmakers need to understand that these unilateral changes that will take local dollars out of the economy, harm the teaching profession and will ultimately hurt children’s future learning opportunities. They need to know that a special tax on educators that would amount to an average of $100.00 per paycheck will do nothing to resolve our state’s fiscal challenges.
As union members, we know that only by amplifying our voices in opposition will legislators abandon these proposed cost-shift schemes. They will not embrace the fair share approach to crafting a state budget that our schools and communities need without teachers taking the lead to demand better choices.
More to come, and in solidarity,
 Steve McKeever

Vice-President for Pre-K-12 Teachers, AFT Connecticut
Jan Hochadel

President, AFT Connecticut
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