To the Editor:
Unions enjoy a lot of privileges in Connecticut — not least their outsized political power. But Connecticut is still America … and even the politically powerful are not entitled to bully and attempt to intimidate those with whom they disagree. Rest assured that despite their best efforts, they will never silence Yankee Institute.
On June 16, 2025, union groups rallied outside the Governor’s Mansion to protest Gov. Ned Lamont’s stated intention to veto S.B. 8, a controversial labor-backed bill — too radical even for California — that would give unemployment benefits to striking workers. Yankee Institute hired a mobile billboard truck, displaying messages in opposition to S.B. 8 and in support of a veto.
Angry union protesters vandalized our truck. They surrounded the vehicle, attempted to pry off its signs, and threw an object that damaged the LED screen. The Connecticut Employees Union Independent (CEUI) even took to social media to gloat, posting, “Anti-Union Yankee Institute thinks they can show up to our rally but we told them to hit the road!”
Certainly, the unions have every right to make their views known, forcefully, on the merits of S.B. 8. But vandalism — and attempts at political intimidation — have no place in Connecticut’s civic discourse. What’s more, the unions’ conduct is a stark reminder — not only of their outsized influence and entitlement — but also of why Gov. Lamont must reject S.B. 8 to protect the state’s economic future.
Far from embattled underdogs, Connecticut’s unions are a dominant political force, deeply embedded in the state’s legislative and economic fabric. The Connecticut AFL-CIO, alongside allies like the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), commands significant sway over lawmakers. At the June 16 protest, legislators such as Reps. Nick Gauthier (D-Waterford), Steve Winter (D-New Haven), and Tom Delnicki (R-South Windsor) were on hand. Their presence wasn’t a gesture of solidarity with a marginalized group — it was a display of allegiance to a powerful interest group accustomed to shaping policy in its favor.
Even Gov. Lamont has been a consistent union ally, telling the AFSCME Council 4 Biennial Conference (April 25-27), “Every year that I’ve been here you’ve gotten a raise, and every year I’m here, you’re going to get a raise.” Moreover, since 2019, state employees have received a whopping 33% raise in wage and step increases.
But S.B. 8 simply goes too far. By allowing striking workers to collect unemployment benefits after just two weeks, the bill would effectively subsidize labor disputes, forcing employers to fund the very strikes aimed at crippling their businesses. Connecticut’s unemployment system was designed to support workers facing involuntary job loss, not to bankroll strategic walkouts. Enacting S.B. 8 would drain the state’s unemployment trust fund, burden businesses with higher taxes, and make Connecticut an even riskier place for investment.
The bill doesn’t level the playing field, as unions claim — it tilts it decisively in their favor, at the expense of taxpayers and the broader economy. And the costs that businesses will incur if it becomes law will be passed on to consumers, making our state even more unaffordable.
Gov. Lamont has signaled his intent to veto S.B. 8, recognizing its potential to harm Connecticut’s business climate. But the unions’ aggressive tactics reveal their sense of entitlement. The protest at the Governor’s Mansion was a calculated act of pressure. Prior to the protest, former AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier even invoked the union’s 2018 endorsement of his campaign, implying that he owes them this bill as a political debt.
This is not advocacy. It’s a sign of desperation. And it’s coercion, plain and simple.
The vandalism at the Governor’s Mansion is a wake-up call. It exposes the unions’ willingness to resort to thuggish tactics when their dominance is challenged. Gov. Lamont must stand firm and veto S.B. 8, sending a clear message that Connecticut’s economic future will not be dictated by mob rule or political bullying.
A veto safeguards our state’s unemployment system, preserves its business environment, and reaffirms that no special interest — no matter how powerful — is above the law or the principles of civil discourse.
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Carol Platt Liebau is president of the nonprofit Yankee Institute