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Workers: Keep Jobs In State |
| Thu January 8th, 2009 |
By LYNN DOAN
The Hartford Courant
Hundreds of workers from the local chapters of the Communication Workers of America, United Auto Workers and AFL-CIO rallied in Bushnell Park Thursday evening to protest planned job cuts at AT&T.
The company announced last month that they would be eliminating 460 local jobs, largely due to the shrinking land-line business. An AT&T spokesman stressed that workers would be offered positions in other parts of the company and that customer service would not erode. More than 600 employees and supporters marched from the park to the steps of the state Capitol and crowded around a giant, blown-up rat with red eyes -- a common labor union prop, this time meant to represent AT&T.
Bill Henderson, president of CWA Local 1298, urged Gov. M. Jodi Rell during the rally to tap into the state's "rainy day fund" to create more financial incentives for companies that create and retain jobs in Connecticut. He had billed the rally as a broad protest about eroding jobs across the economy.
"If she think she needs a rainy day fund," he said, "tell her to look out the window. There's a hurricane."
State Comptroller Nancy Wyman, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz and House Speaker Chris Donovan spoke in support of union workers.
Copyright © 2009, The Hartford Courant |
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