About Council 4

Council 4 members work in a diverse range of occupations (technical, blue collar, professional, clerical and more) and professions (health care, corrections and law enforcement, welfare and social services, public workers, K-12 education and higher education and more).

Headquartered in New Britain, CT, Council 4 provides its nearly 500 local unions with a variety of services, including collective bargaining, economic and contract research, education and training, political and legislative affairs, public relations and legal representation.

Council 4 is governed by its own constitution and elected governing bodies: the Council 4 Executive Board and Council 4 Delegates' Body. Council 4 members determine the union's action agenda and elect the union's leadership.

Council 4 and AFSCME believe in, and practice, democratic empowerment. Our union is run by its members. Every member has a vote in the election of local union officers and board members. Members approve the contracts we negotiate and decide on our policies, activities and dues. As Council 4 AFSCME members, we are protected by our Members' Bill of Rights.

The statewide union that was to become Council 4 was founded in 1937 with 28 members, but by 1942 that number had grown to 1,000 and it broke the 20,000 mark in the 1980s. With aggressive organizing and a commitment to servicing its members, Council 4 has grown to become the state's most formidable labor presence.

In today's challenging workplace environment, the mission of Council 4 is to deliver fair contracts that provide members with decent pay and benefits, employment security and a real voice on the job while standing at the forefront of the fight for strong public services and fair budgets.