All The Democratic News Fit To Print In and Around New Britain, CT (USA)

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

29 December 2007

Happy New Year!

NAACP To Hold Emancipation Day Program January 1

The New Britain NAACP will hold its annual Emancipation Day Program on Tuesday, January 1 at the Spottswood AME Zion Church, 25 Crestwood Lane. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature guest preacher, Suffragan Bishop John H. Thomas of Bethesda Apostolic Church.

Let the Bush Out of Office Countdown Begin: Primary Party Night Reception Jan. 8th

The Democratic Town Committee will host a Primary Night Party on Tuesday, January 8th – the night of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary. The event will be held beginning at 8:00 p.m. at the Roma Restaurant, 382 Allen Street, where local Democrats will watch the returns in what is expected to be a close contest among candidates in the Democratic field. The New Hampshire Primary will follow the January 3rd Iowa caucuses and will kick off state-by-state voting in January that includes Michigan on January 15th and Florida on January 29th.

The DTC is seeking to register more Democrats in New Britain to vote in the Connecticut Presidential Primary to be held on February 5th. January 31st is the mail-in registration deadline for new voters and unaffiliated voters who want to vote in the Primary. At the end of November approximately 15,500 were registered as Democrats in the city constituting 54% of registered voters.To attend the event and support New Britain Democrats contact newbritaindemocrat@gmail.com

Rep. Geragosian To Receive U.A.W.’s Community Activism Award

State Rep. John Geragosian (D-25) will receive the Community Activism Award in January from the United Auto Workers (UAW). The UAW, with Region 9A offices based in Farmington, will hold its 15th annual Civil Rights Awards dinner at the Hartford Hilton on January 25th. Elected to the state House in 1994, Geragosian is the dean of New Britain’s legislative delegation and Chair of the Democratic House Caucus in the Legislature. Additional information about the awards dinner will be announced. Congratulations to Rep. Geragosian.

Finally CT Gets A Clean Election Law (Excerpted from NB Politicus)

A system of public financing of political campaigns will bring dramatic change to many state House and Senate races in 2008. While the full impact will not be felt until 2010 when races for Governor and statewide offices will occur, the law’s intent is to begin to restrict the corrosive influence of money in politics that reached its nadir during the Rowland years……

“It is an exciting time for democracy in Connecticut,” says State Rep. Tim O’Brien (D-24) who served on the GAE Committee that helped craft legislation designed to diminish the influence of lobbyist money and includes an outright contribution ban on contractors who do business with the state.

“For generations, we have dreamed of an open election system in which people's voices matter more than special interest money. Now, it is a reality,” declares O’Brien in launching his campaign for the state House that will rely on grassroots contributions from individuals. Read more at http://nbpoliticus.blogspot.com/

SEIU Union Wins Major Wage and Benefit Gains For Office Cleaners

Hartford area office cleaners represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ gained an 11th hour pre-Christmas agreement giving members a new four-year contract. Union leaders noted significant wage and benefit gains for employees "who clean more than 90 percent of large commercial office space in downtown Hartford and office parks and building in other parts of Hartford County."


"This new contract will provide Hartford's office cleaners the opportunity to live the American Dream," said Kurt Westby, Local 32BJ Connecticut Director. "More office cleaners will be able to take their kids to the doctor and have retirement security." The contract provides 17% wage hikes over four-years in the city and nearly 20 % in the suburbs. Fully employer-paid family health care coverage will be maintained for all full-time workers, and part-time workers have an improved health benefit, which will include life insurance, a prescription drug benefit and dental and optical insurance. Under the new contract, suburban office cleaners won a pension benefit for the first time and gained two personal days. Employers agreed to an improved training program, which includes industry-skills classes as well as English as a Second language courses, and also to a legal services benefit program. Congratulations to Local 32BJ's Political Director Art Perry and the members of the Local who include New Britain residents. More information: Hartford Courant story on the settlement.


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"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

New Britain Democrat e-letter: John McNamara, Chair and Editor;
New Britain Democratic Town Committee Post Office Box 2112, New Britain , CT 06050
www.newbritaindemocrat.net

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New Britain Democrats

New Britain, Connecticut, United States
New Britain Democrat is a digest of e-newsletters that present news, views and information from the New Britain Democratic Town Committee. John McNamara, the Town Chair, is the editor. Mailing Address: Post Office Box 2112 New Britain, CT 06050 John Valengavich, Treasurer