CT Bill Would Protect Service Workers' Jobs for 90 Days After Contractor Switch
At a glance:
Connecticut bill would require incoming contractors to retain existing workforce for 90 days and provide 15-day notice before job changes
Legislation responds to case where 14 unionized Danbury custodians faced job loss when company switched to non-union contractor
Worker retention law would protect janitors, security guards, healthcare housekeepers, airport workers, and food preparation workers statewide
A year after fighting for the rights of custodians who lost their longtime jobs when a Danbury company changed its custodial contractor, Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, is fighting for a new law that will protect custodians and others all across the state, and not just in Danbury.
This week, Kushner joined a press conference to promote Senate Bill 358, “AN ACT CONCERNING THE RETENTION OF SERVICE CONTRACT WORKERS,” which seeks to protect workers’ jobs for 90 days after a change in contractors at a worksite, and require business owners to provide sufficient notice in advance of such job changes.
Under current Connecticut law, workers employed by building-service contractors have no legal right to keep their jobs if the contractor changes or if the building is sold and the new employer decides to replace the entire workforce.
The new bill seeks to remedy this by requiring incoming building service contractors to retain the existing workforce for 90 days, and to give employees a 15-day notice of a switch in their employer, ensuring they have sufficient time to prepare for a life-changing job loss.
Such worker retention laws are intended to protect low-wage, subcontracted jobs, including janitors, security guards, healthcare facility housekeepers, airport workers, and food preparation workers in education and healthcare facilities.
“This is a really important piece of legislation, and I think sometimes we lose track of the human beings that are impacted, and how much of a difference we’ll make in their lives if we pass this legislation into law,” said Kushner. “They shouldn’t have had to go through that. And the problem for our community is, we can’t have people who have worked at a company for 20 years all of a sudden have no income, have no health benefits, and no job. I’m really excited about this legislation, and I think it can make a difference, not just for the workers involved, but for our communities that suffer losses along with our neighbors.”
Kushner said the idea for the legislation came 18 months ago, when 14 unionized custodians working for the ARKA Group in Danbury were told they were losing their jobs in two weeks because their contract had expired and the company hired a new contractor that didn’t have a unionized workforce.
During a 2024 rally with the displaced workers, Kushner said, “It’s an outrage to see a company fire their workers with no regard for their families, just to save a few pennies. You worked to keep this company clean, to keep this property safe and they throw you out without any regard. It’s wrong and we’re not going to take it.”
The issue was resolved in April 2025 when each worker received $5,000 in back pay and was allowed to apply for their old job.
The Labor and Public Employees Committee has until March 24 to act on the bill, and the 2026 General Assembly session ends on May 6.
By Lawrence Cook