Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has indicated his opposition to a recently passed bill that would create a $3 million fund for striking union workers. During a post-session news conference, Lamont criticized the bill’s vagueness and the tactics used by lawmakers to pass it in the closing minutes of the legislative session.
Despite some Senate Democrats framing the bill as a measure to assist low-wage workers, a coalition of unions hailed its potential as a means to establish an assistance fund for striking workers. Ed Hawthorne, president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, highlighted the fund’s role in leveling the playing field for workers during strikes and preventing financial hardships such as foreclosures, evictions, and repossessions.
While expressing support for unions, Lamont voiced reservations about using taxpayer funds to subsidize strikers. The governor’s comments suggest a high likelihood of vetoing the bill. Other states, such as New York and New Jersey, permit striking workers to apply for unemployment benefits, but a similar proposal failed to gain traction during this session in Connecticut.
