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City Council Calls on Courant to Rehire Cleaners

By Kerri Provost

January 23, 2012

Tonight, City Council passed the “Resolution Restoring Good Jobs at the Hartford Courant,” on the consent calendar with only Councilperson Wooden abstaining.

Before voting, several members of the City Council explained their motives.

Wooden said he believes “this Council is unified in its support for the workers,” but opted to stand aside because “statement” resolutions go beyond the duties of the Council.

Councilperson Jennings said that “even though it’s beyond the scope of the City Charter [..] I support the workers.”

Councilperson Kennedy — who usually opposes this type of resolution – said that he was supporting it because of the testimony of workers who appeared before City Council two weeks ago. Kennedy said their comments during the public hearing “moved” him.

“We all have the right to be treated with dignity,” Kennedy stated.

Councilperson Deutsch clarified that the purpose of this resolution was “not to take sides” in the labor dispute, but said that everyone has the right to work.

This resolution puts forth an official statement to the Hartford Courant, but takes no action. It asks the Courant to “do its civic duty” by rehiring the eight cleaners who lost their jobs in December 2011.

If this pressure from City government does not convince the Courant to rehire the workers, local activists are hoping that City Council takes bolder steps. One such action could be for the City to stop placing its job advertisements in Tribune-owned newspapers.