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Dear Friend,
After a busy week in eastern Connecticut, I’m here with an update on the need to protect our health care workforce, Electric Boat’s Apprenticeship graduation, and more from the week. As always, thanks for starting your weekend here with me.
First, I want to share that I’ve spoken to New London Mayor Passero regarding the devastating collapse of the historic First Congregational Church in New London. He described a strong, thorough effort by first responders to make sure that community safety was the priority. Our office will continue to monitor developments and we stand ready to help if federal assistance is needed.
Hosting Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su in Eastern Connecticut
Today, I welcomed Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su to Norwich for visits to Three Rivers Community College and Norwich Free Academy. In a moment when our economy has near record levels of job openings in critical industries, we heard from workers, students, and teachers on the importance of workforce development programs and workplace safety standards.
At Three Rivers Community College, Acting Secretary Su and I met with health care professionals and students in the school’s Nursing Lab to observe and hear about their success expanding the nursing workforce, and the dire need for safer workplaces. Sadly, our region experienced the tragic loss of home health nurse Joyce Grayson, who was killed doing her job in Willimantic last October. Her loss demonstrated again that health care and social service workers are in need of comprehensive workplace safety standards. This workforce endures five times more injuries from violence than any other sector in America, and frighteningly, the rates are rising. This trend undermines the system as health care employers struggle with recruitment and retention. All of us need nurses, EMTs, doctors, and support staff to care for us, and it’s time we do the same for them by addressing the epidemic of workplace violence, by codifying enforceable protections that we know work.
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| Click here to read about Rep. Courtney’s bill, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. |
At Norwich Free Academy, we met with teachers and students in the Youth Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative program (YMPI). The program was launched by the Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board in 2018 and is made possible with federal funding. Students in the program learn in-demand manufacturing skills and gain real-world experiences that open doors across the job market. At Norwich Free Academy and 12 other comprehensive high schools, the YMPI program is graduating students with the certifications to enter the job market or go on to advanced degrees in this high demand field.
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Our last stop of the day was at the Connecticut Department of Labor, where we sat down with CT DOL Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, and local stakeholders to discuss Connecticut’s successful use of federal American Rescue Plan funding to upgrade and modernize the state unemployment program. In 2021, Congress delivered this funding to states nationwide after UI programs were strained during the pandemic. Today, we highlighted improvements made in Connecticut, particularly in the area of fraud detection.
Thank you to Acting Secretary Su for joining me today to hear from eastern CT health care workers, students at Norwich Free Academy, and the Connecticut Department of Labor.
Congratulations to EB Apprenticeship Graduates
On Wednesday, we celebrated the graduation of 34 Electric Boat apprentices who dedicated years to learning new skills and becoming leaders in their field, all while still working and caring for their families and loved ones.
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Eastern Connecticut is the birthplace of the apprenticeship model that these graduates experienced. The Registered Apprenticeship Program was created by the Fitzgerald Act of 1937 – a bill led by the then-freshman Congressman from Connecticut’s Second District, William J. Fitzgerald.
As a 15 year old, Fitzgerald worked as an apprentice at a foundry and lived through the bad days of apprenticeships. Even still, as a Congressman, he was clear-eyed on the value apprenticeships provide to people starting at a young age to get the skills needed to succeed. His bill took the essential pieces of the apprenticeship model – “earn while you learn” – and put standards and guardrails in place to enhance and elevate workers.
In 2024, Electric Boat has a thriving workforce of welders, electricians, pipefitters, carpenters, painters and more shipbuilders. Under leadership from the Metal Trades Council and Electric Boat’s Human Resources department, a historic five-year labor contract is bringing the largest wage package for workers in over 30 years – signaling that shipbuilding positions in eastern Connecticut are not just jobs, but careers with a strong economic future for workers and their families.
Updating the Eastern CT Chamber of Commerce on Recent Federal Investments in Our Region
Also on Wednesday, I joined the eastern CT Chamber of Commerce to discuss recent bipartisan wins we got over the line in Congress and work ahead to overcome challenges in our region.
There’s no question that the current Congress is one of the least productive in recent history. Only 35 bills have been signed into law since the start of 2023. The clear, established pathway to getting things done is through bipartisan agreements. We passed the 2024 National Defense Authorization in that fashion, and it’s bringing serious federal investment to eastern CT – growing our workforce, creating jobs, and supporting working families.
Share Your Thoughts: What Should Congress Focus on Most?
Congress has a lot of work ahead in 2024. I’m continuing to work in a bipartisan fashion to deliver results for eastern CT and address the challenges we face.
Receiving your feedback helps shape my work, and I want to hear your top priorities for our region and the country. Click below to take my 2024 Issues Survey.
Thank you for taking some time to read my update. If we can be of any assistance, don't hesitate to give my Norwich office a call at (860) 886-0139. Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Joe Courtney
Member of Congress
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