The Connecticut People’s World Committee — a group aligned with the Communist Party USA — has announced the recipients of its annual Amistad Awards, to be presented on December 14 in New Haven. The ceremony coincides with the 106th anniversary of the party’s founding, and continues a tradition in which Connecticut’s political and labor circles convene under an explicitly left-wing banner.
Organizers characterize the event as a celebration of “working-class unity to defend our rights and fight for our future.” In practice, it resembles less a grassroots gathering and more a reunion of Connecticut’s activist establishment — including union officials, political strategists, and nonprofit organizers.
This year’s honorees include Tabitha Sookdeo, Wayne McCarthy, and Norma Martinez-HoSang with Constanza Segovia — names familiar to anyone engaged in the state’s labor and advocacy movements.
Tabitha Sookdeo, director of Connecticut Students for a Dream, is recognized for her advocacy on behalf of undocumented youth and “climate justice” organizing. Her organization has been a leading voice in campaigns to expand taxpayer-funded health coverage for undocumented immigrants — a policy that divides fiscal watchers and progressive advocates alike.
Wayne McCarthy, president of the International Association of Machinists Local 700 (IAM), is being honored for his role in last year’s strike at Pratt & Whitney. The award announcement praised him for leading coordinated labor action during the strike “to win a strong union contract that has uplifted all working people at a time of all-out assault on the labor movement.”
But beyond the applause, there is a more contentious side: in October 2025, a Pratt & Whitney employee Christopher Utley, filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board accusing McCarthy and IAM of retaliatory conduct. The complaint alleges that McCarthy disparaged Utley, trying to punish him for quitting the union and continuing to work during the strike. Utley says McCarthy hurled insults, refused to explain how to resign, and hung up with a snarky “good luck with that.” Months later, union bosses allegedly targeted him with internal disciplinary charges in retaliation — a potential violation of federal labor law.
While McCarthy defends his record, the other honorees are more closely tied to ideological advocacy. Connecticut for All — described by organizers as a “multi-racial labor-community coalition united to end systemic inequalities and build power for racial and economic justice in Connecticut” — is led by Norma Martinez-HoSang and Constanza Segovia. The group advocates for higher taxes, stronger labor mandates, and broader housing and climate initiatives. It works closely with unions and allied organizations that view an expanded role for government as central to achieving their policy goals.
Taken together, the honorees reflect the core forces shaping progressive politics in Connecticut: labor unions, activist networks, and environmental groups — all united by skepticism toward market solutions and a preference for stronger government intervention.
The Amistad Awards are not a marginal event. Over the years, the ceremony has drawn prominent Connecticut Democrats and union leaders. In 2021, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) appeared as a surprise guest, delivering “special recognition” certificates from the U.S. Senate before later stating he was unaware of the event’s ties to the Communist Party. Other lawmakers to accept awards include Sen. Gary Winfield (D-New Haven), Sen. Julie Kushner (D-Danbury), Sen. Jan Hochadel (D-Meriden), and former Rep. Robyn Porter of New Haven.
Tickets for the Amistad Awards start at $10, or $25 for a “Solidarity Ticket” that includes your name printed in the program — a symbolic reminder that even in movements built on equality, recognition still comes at a price.
