A coalition of labor unions, including the Connecticut AFL-CIO, Connecticut Education Association (CEA), State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC), and Connecticut Service Employee International Union State Council (CT SEIU State Council), launched a television and digital ad campaign this week focused on a people’s recovery budget rather than billionaire bail-outs.

This Labor Day, we must not only honor worker’s sacrifices, but also acknowledge that in Connecticut, the top 1 percent of earners in our state make about 37 times more than the bottom 99 percent of workers, making Connecticut the 3rd most unequal state in our country.

The ad campaign thanks workers for their sacrifices throughout COVID-19, pushes our state to lessen the burden on our working and middle class families and, finally, to tax the rich in Connecticut.

“Workers have been at the forefront of innovative solutions to the unprecedented challenges that COVID has presented to us over the past several months,” Connecticut AFL-CIO President, Sal Luciano said, “They continue to sacrifice their health and safety while billionaires throughout our State have sat back and reap the rewards.”

“Our members rely on State services to get by and get ahead and that requires a tax system where everyone pays their fair share ” said Juan Hernandez, Vice President of SEIU Local 32BJ.

“CEA is a long-time proponent of fair tax policy and we are pleased to partner with Connecticut’s major labor organizations to raise awareness about the growing problem of income disparity. The time is now to enhance the capacity of our state tax system to provide critical resources to our public schools so that every child has the opportunity to grow and prosper. The well being of every child is paramount and the state has an obligation to meet their pressing and varying needs. Tax fairness is about the future of every child in our public schools. Investing in public education provides a greater return to our economic prosperity than perpetuating an unfair tax system” said CEA President Jeff Leake.

“Throughout the pandemic front line workers have answered the call to service, risking the health and safety of not only themselves, but their loved ones at home as well, “ said Carl Chisem, President of Connecticut Employee Union Independent, Local 511. “All the while, billionaires throughout Connecticut continue to see pandemic profits. Billions of dollars that instead of being in the hands of the most vulnerable in the form of critical public services, is sitting in the bank accounts of the richest residents in our state. Connecticut doesn’t need more billionaire bailouts, we need a people’s recovery.”

This ad will continue to run on TV and digital platforms through the end of September. To view the ad in its entirety, please visit bit.ly/TaxTheRichinCT.