All elections are important, and municipal elections are the ones that have the biggest impact on the way our towns and cities are run, whether our schools are funded, whether there are activities for our children and the elderly, and if our roads are paved. Have you checked your voter registration status lately? You can check it at ufcwvotes.org/verify. When union members vote, working families have a voice.

Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz announced that the minimum wage will increase from $15.00 to $15.69 starting Jan. 1, 2024! The minimum wage law passed four years ago mandated that increases will go up each year at the rate of inflation starting in 2024. This means that minimum wage in CT will finally keep up with the rate of inflation and our lowest paid workers will no longer fall behind. We are proud of our union, Local 371, and thankful to the CT AFL-CIO, for fighting for this important legislation. Many of our newest members in retail food, grocery stores and food processing will immediately earn a higher wage. Many retail food workers are working in supermarkets to support their families, and this increased wage will have an immediate impact on their family finances.

In total 166 UFCW members in Maui were affected by this natural disaster. Please consider donating.

Congratulations to our three newest winners of our scholarship! Each of these three winners will receive $2500 per year for up to four years to attend the university of their choice. Matthew Branco is the son of Local 371 member Jose Branco, who is employed at Shop Rite in Milford. Olivia Pivovar is a member at ACME in New Canaan and Tiago Rua’s mother is employed at SSC at Sacred Heart University. Congratulations to these deserving scholars!