GOV. MALLOY and LT. GOV. WYMAN

ISSUE LABOR DAY MESSAGE

Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman today shared the following Labor Day message with Connecticut residents:

"With the Labor Day holiday weekend almost upon us, we want to take this opportunity to thank the hardworking men and women who are the foundation of our great state. As proud supporters of the right people have to organize and bargain collectively for their wages and benefits, we salute the labor movement. But today we want to honor all workers - those who are organized, and those who aren't - for all you have done to help our state weather the enormously difficult circumstances we have encountered over the past few years. These are demanding times; we are still feeling the effects of the historic 2008 economic meltdown, and will for some time to come.

"But, thanks to you, the people who work for a living, there is a lot to be hopeful about.

"We know people feel anxious about the economy - their jobs, their benefits, their homes, their retirement. We know many people are anxious about all that, and more.

"But, we also believe in our hearts that the worst is behind us, and that the future still holds enormous opportunities for all of us. We believe that because it's clear we are making progress. 23,500 private sector jobs created in the last 18 months. A state budget that is balanced. We passed meaningful education reform that directs funds to where they're most needed. State government is smaller, leaner, and most customer friendly - and we achieved all of that without laying people off. We've protected key services that seniors, children, and the disabled depend on.

"We've done all these things, and more, despite the challenges we continue to face. We want to be clear about who we think deserves credit here: it's the hard-working people of Connecticut. You have made many sacrifices, and for that we are grateful.

"Though it's clear we've made progress, it's also clear we have a long way to go.

"As we move forward, please know that we are squarely focused on finding ways to alleviate the burden the middle class in Connecticut bears. The creation of more good-paying jobs with good benefits, lower electric rates, tax fairness, and a continued focus on finding smart, creative ways to make government smaller, cheaper, and more effective; those are just some of the issues we are concentrating on.

"Thank you again for everything you've done."