
HARTFORD, CT — Going from $13.53-an-hour to $16.25-an-hour and being able to work 40 hours per week means homecare workers like Elaine Brown and Rich Casolla will finally be able to earn a living wage.
“What I’m making right now, I can’t afford to fix my car if it breaks down,” Casolla said last week.
Less than two hours after speaking with CTNewsJunkie, according to Casolla, a ball joint on his vehicle broke a second time. The first time it happened, a friend from his church was able to help him fix it because he simply didn’t have the money. This time the part was under warranty and the tow was covered by his AAA membership.
But Casolla said that without a car he can’t earn a living and get to his client’s home to take care of him. If he can’t get there then the client might need to go into a nursing home, which would cost the state more.
“The salaries are so low many workers have to receive benefits from the state,” Brown said. “You have people living with their parents.”
Brown said she’s lucky because as a military veteran she has healthcare through the Veterans Administration.
She said because she was limited to 25 hours per week as a homecare worker, she had to find another job working with homeless female veterans. Even with the two jobs, Brown said she still had to rely on a loan from her sister to get by and pay her bills.
“You don’t want to get handouts, but you do what you have to to survive,” Brown said.
She said it’s also a very physical job and the workers’ compensation coverage gives her peace of mind.
Their stories are similar to those of the 8,500 homecare workers in Connecticut who organized in 2012 and were able to secure their first contract in 2014.
Their path to forming a union was complicated. It started with an executive order and then was reinforced by legislative action to recognize their ability to collectively bargain with the state.
Several lawsuits seeking to invalidate their collective bargaining rights were unsuccessful and allowed these workers to continue their negotiations with the state. Medicaid is partially funded by the state, but these home care workers are not state employees. They are instead employed by private citizens through Medicaid waivers using state and federal funds. They receive paychecks through a third-party payroll company.
An initial contract for around $20 million for their services was never approved as part of the two-year state budget Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed on Oct. 31, 2017. The lack of funding sent the state and the union back into negotiations.
The new three-year contract, which was presented to the Appropriations Committee last week, would:
• increase wages to $16.25 an hour by 2020;
• allow workers to work beyond the 25.75 hours-per-week cap, and;
• include workers’ compensation coverage if they hurt themselves on the job.
Deborah Schwartz, vice president of homecare services for SEIU District 1199, said this is a “low-income workforce doing valuable work,” and this contract provides a “vital wage increase.”
She said these workers have gone 27 months with no increase.
The newly negotiated contract, which totals about $7 million, also includes overtime for key holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving and pay for orientation and training.
It will be the first labor contract state lawmakers have been asked to vote on since the changes to the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition agreement in 2017. Those changes were approved largely along party lines.
Labor supporters worry that since Republican lawmakers opposed the ability of these workers to collectively bargain, they will also oppose the contract. However, some Republicans seem to have left that battle in their rear-view mirrors.
Deputy House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said there’s a possibility Republicans will support the contract, but he has yet to caucus it with his members.
Candelora said it’s very difficult for the homecare workers to live at their current wage levels and there is a recognition of the hard work they do for Connecticut’s aging population.
Senate Republican Len Fasano, R-North Haven, said his caucus also has not talked about the contract, but he said, “I can see myself getting behind it.”
Fasano said he still wants to investigate some aspects of the contract, but “I know the value of the work” and “I know the patience it takes.”
He said he frankly didn’t know how little these workers were being paid.
So even though Republicans fought attempts by this group of workers to unionize, there appears to be a general appreciation for the work they do among GOP leaders.
House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said he’s supportive of the contract.
Support authentic, locally owned and operated public service journalism!
“We are talking about low-wage workers with the enormous responsibility of caring for our loved ones, who are also saving taxpayers millions of dollars by helping people stay in their homes,” he said.
Aresimowicz said he doesn’t believe the Appropriations Committee has to hold a public hearing on the contract, but it’s planning one regardless.
The Appropriations Committee has yet to schedule that public hearing.
The General Assembly will have to vote on anticipated wage and training costs in the contract. The Appropriations Committee will hold an informational hearing at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 15 in Room 2E of the Legislative Office Building.
More State Budget news

Stefanowski Talks Abortion, Employee Raises & Budget In First Press Conference
For a half-hour Wednesday, Bob Stefanowski stood outside the state Capitol and fielded questions on abortion rights and state employee raises in a sign the Republican candidate plans to run a more conventional campaign in this year’s rematch with Gov. Ned Lamont.
Keep reading
Lamont Signs The Budget
Alongside Democratic legislative leaders, Gov. Ned Lamont signed the $24 billion budget adjustment Monday that includes $600 million in tax relief. That’s more than they anticipated they would be able to offer Connecticut residents this Election year because revenue came in higher than expected, but it still creates about an $800 million deficit in 2024. …
Keep reading
ANALYSIS | It’s A Wrap: The Winners and Losers of the 2022 Session
It was a short legislative session, but the House and the Senate were able to move a lot of business this year, including the passage of a $24-billion budget with around $600 million in tax cuts.
Keep reading
Connecticut Acts To Help Its Lead-Poisoned Children
After decades of inertia, Connecticut is finally moving to help its thousands of lead-poisoned children and prevent thousands of other young children from being damaged by the widespread neurotoxin.
Keep reading
Bill Bolstering Contracting Oversight Board In Jeopardy After Lamont Administration Raises Concerns
It passed unanimously in the Senate, but a bill that would give the State Contracting Standards Board greater oversight over state contracting appeared stalled in the House Wednesday on the last day of session. “The governor and I have not talked about the bill,” House Speaker Matt Ritter said. “The commissioners have sent us a…
Keep reading
Senate Approves Tax Cuts, Sends $24B Budget to the Governor
The state Senate gave final approval late Tuesday to a $24 billion election year budget plan that includes around $600 million in tax relief while enabling the state to make an $3.5 billion payment on its unfunded pension debt. Senators voted 24-12 at around 10:30 p.m. to send the midterm budget adjustment to the desk…
Keep reading
House Green-Lights $24B Budget
On a party-line vote early Tuesday, the House passed a $24 billion budget adjustment package containing more than $600 million in tax cuts which Democrats heralded as “historic” and Republicans derided as temporary. Lawmakers voted 95 – 52 at around 12:20 a.m. to send the 673-page budget document to the Senate for consideration before the…
Keep reading
Budget Materials
The General Assembly is preparing to debate adjustments to the $24 billion state budget. Below are a few of the documents we’ve been provided as back-up materials. The budget, HB 5506. Town runs. Car tax impact on municipalities. Finance Committee Power Point.
Keep reading
Lawmakers May Vote for First Pay Increase in 20 Years
With legislative retirements mounting, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were considering Monday raising the salaries of General Assembly members for the first time in more than two decades and indexing their pay in the future. During a morning press briefing, House Speaker Matt Ritter told reporters that funding for pay raises had been…
Keep reading
Amid Surging Revenue, House Prepares to Vote on Budget Adjustments
Connecticut’s House of Representatives was expected to vote Monday on a $24 billion budget adjustment package, buoyed by revised revenue predictions that exceeded expectations by more than $350 million. The revised consensus figures released Monday confirm the surge in revenues that enabled Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative Democrats to reach an agreement last week on…
Keep reading
Dems Detail Budget Deal With $500 Mil in Tax Cuts, Extension of Gas Tax Holiday
Legislative Democrats and Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration announced Wednesday the details of a $24.2 billion budget adjustment package, which they say provides around $500 million in tax relief including extending a gas tax holiday until December. Lamont and legislative leaders outlined the agreement during an afternoon press conference in the state Capitol building. Both chambers…
Keep reading
Health Care Workers Call for New Hires
After a record number of health care workers are expected to retire this year, health care staff called on Gov. Ned Lamont to commit to filling 1,000 vacant positions by August 1 of this year. A record 1,137 state workers who notified the state that they will retire this year comes at a moment of…
Keep reading
Senate Joins House And Votes To Give Raises, Bonuses To State Employees
The Senate gave final approval by a 22-13 vote on a plan to give unionized state workers a set of raises and bonuses. The plan, negotiated by Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and a coalition of public sector labor unions, provides three years of 2.5% raises and step increases as well as a total of $3,500…
Keep reading
House Advances Labor Deal In Historic Vote
Lawmakers in Connecticut’s House of Representatives signed off on a plan to give state workers a set of raises and bonuses Thursday in a mostly partisan vote on a negotiated labor agreement. The House voted 96 to 52 in support of the deal with 1 Republican, Rep. Tom Delnicki of South Windsor, joining all Democrats…
Keep reading
Republicans Propose Last-Minute Tax Package
Legislative Republicans pitched a $1.2 billion tax relief plan Thursday which reduces state income, sales and gas taxes and proposes to join other states in suing the federal government to challenge restrictions on spending pandemic relief funds. House and Senate Republicans announced the plan during a state Capitol press conference Thursday morning. It cuts the…
Keep reading
The Budget Battle Begins To Take Shape
Tax collections have improved and pushed Connecticut’s budget surplus to $4 billion, but the state budget still relies heavily on federal funding and without it the state would end up running a “sizeable operating deficit.” The Office of Policy and Management told state Comptroller Natalie Braswell Wednesday that if not for the use of the…
Keep readingMore Labor News

Lamont Inks New Employment Law Backed By Unions
In a victory for state labor unions, Gov. Ned Lamont ignored a lobbying effort by business organizations and signed a bill Tuesday prohibiting employers from holding “captive audience” meetings to potentially discourage workers from unionizing.
Keep reading
States With The Largest Unionized Workforces
Where does Connecticut stand in the list of states with the most unionized employees?
Keep reading
Business Leaders Make Push To Veto Captive Audience Bill
Connecticut business leaders are leaning on Gov. Ned Lamont to veto a bill that would restrict what employers can say in the workplace. The bill, which has been a priority of labor unions for years, is being described by business owners as an unconstitutional attempt to restrict workplace communications and an infringement on employer free…
Keep reading
‘Captive Audience’ Bill Headed To Governor’s Desk
Legislation prohibiting Connecticut employers from holding “captive audience” meetings to discourage workers from organizing received final approval in the House late Friday despite Republican arguments it was preempted by federal law. The bill passed in a 88 to 56 vote, generally along party lines. Eight Democrats joined all but one Republican in voting against it.…
Keep reading
Senate Advances Captive Audience Bill After All-Day Debate
The state Senate debated and passed a bill Thursday that outlines what employers can and can’t tell their employees in the workplace. Dubbed the “captive audience” bill, the legislation which passed the Senate 23-11, has been a topic of discussion for years at the state Capitol. It received bipartisan support this year despite opposition from…
Keep reading
Nursing Home Workers Ready To Strike in Windsor
A strike at a Windsor nursing home accused of unfair labor practices will proceed unless a tentative agreement for raises and other benefits is crafted by 6 a.m. Friday, according to officials with the New England Health Care Employees Union, SEIU 1199. The union and four other homes, Avery Heights, Bloomfield Health Care Center, the…
Keep reading