Climate-alarmist union leaders in Connecticut are suing the state to avoid going back to work based on the premise that commuting poses risks for the environment.
The suit comes in response to Democrat Gov. Ned Lamont’s announcement in May that government employees must go back to their offices by July 1, as reported by the Connecticut Post. However, staff was also instructed they could telework for as much as 50 percent of the time if a supervisor approves.
Connecticut state employees were allowed to work remotely throughout the pandemic. Unions are dissatisfied with Lamont’s demands, citing climate change as a rationale for wanting to keep raking in taxpayer dollars from the comfort of their homes.
“Many have been able to telework throughout and have been more productive, better for the environment, while protecting against the spread of the virus,” the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition said. “The program has been good for the missions of our agencies, good for the environment, and good for the state’s bottom line.”
However, while the unions banded together to pin their objection on environmentalism concerns, the injunction filed on July 7 against Lamont does not directly reference climate change. Rather, the unions note in the lawsuit that the governor “violated, ignored and effectively abrogated” the prior telework contract by disallowing individuals to work from home more than half the time.
The coalition did not respond to The Federalist’s request for comment to clarify its formal position.
“We’ll work through it in a collaborative way with labor and make sure they know we respect them but we do need some of them to go back to the office and we’ll work that out by the end of this summer,” Lamont said in a statement last week.
The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the suit. A remote hearing will be held on Aug. 13.
