C.E.O RESOURCES
Connecticut Citizens Action Group
Clean Up Connecticut Campaign
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Program & Legislative Agenda 2006/2007 Program Plan Corporate Responsibility and Healthcare Campaign A. Fair Share Health Care Lead the state’s efforts around Fair Share Health Care through an aggressive campaign of education and outreach to members, labor union locals, union employers, small community based employers and policymakers. CEO will continue to grow its base of power around the ongoing need to address the disparities between employers that provide affordable health coverage to their employees and those that can but choose not to in the interest of profits. In so doing, CEO will engage its core constituency and beyond about the importance of health care reform and their role in that fight. B. Standards for Economic Development Subsidies and Reporting Conduct the research and develop the materials that build the case for the need for job creation standards for economic development subsidies. Such standards would include the requirement that companies receiving subsidies pay fair wages, provide affordable healthcare and other benefits, and recognize worker’s rights to quality working conditions. CEO’s research will be used to advocate for public policies that impact the subsidies awarded by the DECD, CDA and CII. C. Disclosure and Exposure Research and develop a report analyzing and exposing the costs to the state associated with providing HUSKY and other forms of public assistance to employees and their children of Connecticut corporations.
Work in coalition with other tax and budget advocates to ensure that Connecticut corporations are required to disclose and report tax breaks, exemptions and credits they receive from the state.
Corporate greed and Walmart go hand in hand. State after state has initiated attacks against this retail giant that dramatically undercuts its workers in wages and benefits. As Co Chair of Connecticut’s Community Alliance for Justice at Wal-Mart, CEO will use its resources and research to advance efforts aimed at exposing Walmart and other “big box” retailers with shady corporate responsibility track records.
The recent experiences of workers at Hartford Area for Retarded Citizens and CRT’s childcare workers underscore the growing anti-union environment to which some of CT’s low wage workers are being exposed when offered labor union assistance. Working with its allies in the labor movement, CEO will work to educate and mobilize its base around advocating for public policies that protect workers from this activity.
Assist with moving public opinion through a campaign of shareholder activism designed to inform shareholders about issues of concern to communities. In particular, CEO should initiate a strategy to contact Wal-Mart institutional investors in the state with information on why investing in Wal-Mart hurts working people. CEO’s efforts should include investigation into Wal-Mart’s lobbying power in the state. Public Policy Agenda Fair Share Health Care Work in coalition with other universal healthcare advocacy groups to propose and advocate for fair share health care legislation that would require employers to provide health insurance or pay into a state fund to support health care coverage for uninsured workers Standards for Economic Development Subsidies and Reporting Propose legislation that would expand state economic development standards to require that public funds are targeted to companies committed to paying fair wages, providing adequate and accessible healthcare and other benefits, and recognizing worker’s and their right to fight for better working conditions. Corporate Taxation Work in coalition with other tax and budget advocates to ensure that Connecticut corporations are required to disclose and report tax breaks, exemptions and credits they receive from the state. Coupled with CEO’s research on CT corporations receiving state subsidies and our efforts to enhance these standards and their disclosure, a better assessment can be made as to the degree to which corporations are paying, or not paying, their fair share of state revenues. In addition to this research, CEO will look at ways in which corporations are costing the state by paying such low wages their employees have to enroll in public assistance programs and assess the need for public policies exposing and disclosing this problem. Worker Freedom The recent experiences of workers at Hartford Area for Retarded Citizens and CRT’s childcare workers underscore the growing anti-union environment to which some of CT’s low wage workers are being exposed when offered labor union assistance. Working with its allies in the labor movement, CEO will work to educate and mobilize its base around advocating for public policies that protect workers from this activity. Clean Contracting While not its main priority, CEO will assist with efforts to pass for a third time clean contracting and standards for privatization in the state. CEO believes this is an important and responsible public policy related to its mission of corporate responsibility. |