Democrats on the Appropriations Committee unanimously advanced a three-year contract covering roughly 40,000 state employees, providing 2.5% annual wage increases through fiscal year 2028
Republicans voted against the contract, continuing a pattern of opposing raises for police, firefighters, nurses, corrections officers, and other state workers
Rep. Tammy Nuccio, R-Tolland, criticized the contract’s work-from-home provisions while participating in the committee vote from her home kitchen; she later acknowledged she works from home herself
Democrats on the Appropriations Committee unanimously endorsed a new, three-year state labor contract Friday covering about 40,000 state employees that provides a 2.5% general wage increase and a step increase (or its equivalent) for Fiscal Years 2026, 2027 and 2028.
The contract includes a wage reopener in Fiscal Year 2029 so that the parties can reassess the prevailing economic conditions at that time.
Funding for the raises was already set aside in last year’s state budget “Reserved for Salary Account,” though the contract must still be approved by the state Senate and the House of Representatives. The terms of the contract were negotiated by the Lamont administration.
“I think it’s important for us to pay our workers,” said Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who is the Senate Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Republicans, meanwhile, continued their history of voting “No” on raises for police, firefighters, EMTs, nurses, corrections officers, and other state employees.
Rep. Tammy Nuccio, R-Tolland, actually criticized the new labor contract for continuing certain work-from-home provisions.
“I think they’re far too broad and I have some concerns with it,” she said while taking part in the committee meeting debate and vote from her home kitchen. Nuccio also admitted that she works from home in her job as a financial analyst for Cigna.
Connecticut Republicans have complained vociferously about how state employee salaries have increased by 30% over the past decade, although Republicans fail to mention that those wage increases have merely kept pace with the rate of inflation in President Donald Trump’s America. Over the same time period, however, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that most Americans’ incomes are rising faster than those of Connecticut state union members.
From 2014 to 2024, the fifth 10-percent decile of American workers saw their wages rise from $28,923 to $46,685 – a 62% increase over 10 years that is significantly above the inflation-adjusted wage of $38,253.
From 2014 to 2024, the eighth 10-percent decile of American workers saw their wages rise from $72,211 to $114,055 – a 63% increase over 10 years that is significantly above the inflation-adjusted wage rate of $95,505.
By Lawrence Cook
