MYSTIC, Conn. – AFSCME President Lee Saunders joined with AFSCME Council 4 members for a town hall this past weekend to discuss how Congress’ plan to gut public services to pay for billionaire tax cuts will harm working families and devastate Connecticut’s communities.
AFSCME members work as nurses, school bus drivers, police officers, 911 dispatchers and in other critical roles throughout Connecticut.
Almost one quarter of Connecticut’s state budget comes from federal funding. A large portion of that funding supports Medicaid for children, people with disabilities, veterans, senior citizens and low-income workers. Participants at the town hall warned that if this funding is cut, essential public services will be on the chopping block, harming everyone.
“We’re working with members of Congress here in Connecticut to try and stop these dangerous public service cuts,” Saunders said. “They understand the importance of the work AFSCME members do to keep our streets and water clean, protect public safety, care for kids in school and so much more. Still, anti-union extremists in Congress are doing everything they can to gut Medicaid and food assistance.”
Congress’ proposed budget would leverage drastic public service cuts to pay for massive billionaire tax breaks. Meanwhile, research has proven that the Trump administration’s 2017 tax law — which may be extended — overwhelmingly benefitted the rich and did almost nothing to help working families.
As Connecticut’s congressional delegation works to stop these cuts, working people called on their representatives to keep up the fight to protect public services.
“The 30,000 AFSCME members who keep Connecticut running are sounding the alarm,” said Jody Barr, Council 4 executive director and AFSCME vice president. “This critical workforce is already stretched thin. If Connecticut loses federal funding, our public services will reach a breaking point, and thousands of working families will be left behind.”
Sheryl Feducia, an eligibility specialist at Connecticut’s Department of Social Services, described how these reckless cuts would affect her ability to do her job and harm Connecticut’s families.
“We help jobseekers find work so they can be self-sufficient,” said Feducia, a Council 4 member. “We help families access day care for kids, obtain bus passes and get them back on their feet when they face difficult times. If we can’t service our clients, they won’t have medical insurance, food on their table or rent money. They would be stuck in poverty. If Congress cuts funding for Medicaid and SNAP, I can’t even think of the horror that would happen to those families, the children and the adolescents. It would negatively affect every person in this country.”
The town hall in Connecticut last week was part of a wave of grassroots activism fueled by AFSCME’s Get Organized campaign. AFSCME GO is all about making sure every member of our union knows what’s at stake and joins the fight to protect the services we provide.
The bigger we are, the more power we have to say working people shouldn’t just get by — we demand to thrive.