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SEBAC Pushing for Robust Benefits Years Before Contract Expires

In Connecticut, where state employees already enjoy some of the nation’s most generous healthcare and retirements plans, the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) is still demanding more. On their website, the union revealed they’ve already started talks with Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration over their retirement and healthcare contract which is set to expire in June 2027. 

Even after pocketing pay increases well above the national average, SEBAC claims their benefits “do not keep pace with the cost of living,” according to a Dec. 18, 2024, blog post. The post, written by SEBAC spokesperson Drew Phelan, argues that this supposed shortfall is making it harder to recruit and retain “the next generation of workers.”  

SEBAC has also doubled down on its usual doom-and-gloom rhetoric, claiming Connecticut’s state agencies are experiencing “chronic understaffing, exacerbated by ongoing recruitment and retention challenges.”  

Additionally, SEBAC insists that “without a clear commitment to protecting and strengthening these benefits, the state workforce risks falling deeper into a cycle of attrition,” making it “increasingly difficult to fill critical positions and retain experienced staff.” In other words, they want taxpayers to shell out even more cash to fund what they describe as “robust benefits.”

SEBAC argues that state employees are “burdened with the impacts of double and triple workloads,” which they believe “threatens Connecticut’s quality of life.”  

Phelan continues that Connecticut’s public sector workforce has been the “cornerstone of delivering high-quality essential services to residents.” They contend that generous pensions and healthcare plans have been a critical tool to attract and retain skilled professionals in what they consider to be “demanding, high-stress and essential to the well-being of our communities.” Phelan also states that many workers willingly forgo higher-paying private-sector jobs in exchange for these benefits, viewing them as a promise of long-term security. 

Moreover, SEBAC insists that “Connecticut cannot afford to lose the talent, institutional knowledge and commitment of its public sector workforce.” They say that maintaining “the high-quality services that residents deserve” hinges on making public service careers “viable and attractive.” To achieve this, they demand further investment in pensions and healthcare, claiming these benefits “are not just compensation — they are a promise that elected officials value and respect the contributions of their workforce.” 

At this point, SEBAC is simply making things up. Connecticut state employees have enjoyed a staggering 33% increase in wages over the past six years — receiving six consecutive annual raises. This far surpasses the private sector’s national average of 23% for the same time period.

To put it in perspective, a state employee earning $100,000 in 2019 would now be making $133,000, while their private-sector counterpart would only be at $123,000. Despite these gains, SEBAC continues to claim their benefits aren’t enough, ignoring the reality that state workers are thriving compared to the taxpayers who fund their paychecks. 

And it doesn’t stop at wages. Taxpayers foot the bill for some of the most generous healthcare benefits in the country. According to columnist Red Jahncke, a study by Georgetown University’s Center for Health Insurance Reform found that “Connecticut state employees pay just 2% of their medical bills.”  

Nationally, the average state employee pays 14%. Jahncke notes that Connecticut’s state employee healthcare benefits are equivalent to a Platinum Plan under Obamacare — “only 1.4% of Connecticut residents purchase (can afford) Platinum Plans on the state exchange.” 

Retirees fare just as well, if not better. Jahncke highlights that Connecticut state retirees enjoy the most generous healthcare benefits in the country. Even California, which ranks second, provides benefits that are “24% less generous.” Connecticut taxpayers are not only covering their own skyrocketing healthcare costs but are also subsidizing Platinum-level coverage for state employees — both during their careers and into retirement. 

It’s no surprise SEBAC is one of the loudest voices calling for Connecticut’s fiscal guardrails to be dismantled. And no doubt, they are in early negotiations to lock in more perks for their roughly 46,000 members. SEBAC claims these early talks are in “everyone’s interest,” arguing it’s important to “make progress towards a new agreement well in advance of the current expiration date” to avoid senior employees facing uncertainty about their “future entitlements.” 

They’ve also written that this timing “gives us an opportunity to address the inadequacies in current benefits offered to newer employees” and ensure that “Connecticut’s public institutions are equipped to meet the needs of our communities for generations to come.” SEBAC wants us to believe that the key to Connecticut’s future lies in “protecting and enhancing the benefits that make public service a career worth pursuing.” 

Connecticut’s fiscal guardrails have been crucial in stabilizing the state’s finances, preventing reckless spending, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are allocated responsibly to address the state’s most pressing needs. Tearing them down doesn’t benefit the public. Instead, SEBAC’s demands would push the state back into financial chaos, all for the benefit of union members. Worse yet, putting SEBAC’s wish list at the front of the line means critical areas like education and social programs will get shoved aside. 

SEBAC’s push for more isn’t about protecting Connecticut’s quality of life — it’s about securing the most lucrative deal possible for its members, regardless of the cost to taxpayers. Their demands are a slap in the face to private-sector workers who fund these “Platinum-level perks” while struggling to afford even basic coverage for themselves and families. 

If Gov. Lamont and state lawmakers cave to SEBAC, the real losers will be Connecticut residents. Every dollar spent on these extravagant union benefits is a dollar that won’t go to special education, underfunded nonprofits, or infrastructure improvements. The state’s fiscal guardrails exist for a reason — to ensure spending is sustainable and prioritized for the greater good. 

Instead of giving in to SEBAC’s endless demands, Gov. Lamont should be pushing for a wage freeze and fighting for meaningful reforms to pensions and healthcare benefits that more align Connecticut with other states. A serious overhaul of these benefits and other perks isn’t just necessary — it’s long overdue. 

Meghan Portfolio

Meghan worked in the private sector for two decades in various roles in management, sales, and project management. She was an intern on a presidential campaign and field organizer in a governor’s race. Meghan, a Connecticut native, joined Yankee Institute in 2019 as the Development Manager. After two years with Yankee, she has moved into the policy space as Yankee’s Manager of Research and Analysis. When she isn’t keeping up with local and current news, she enjoys running–having completed seven marathons–and reading her way through Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels.

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