The legislature's Labor & Public Employees Committee will hold a public hearing Feb. 25 on proposed legislation to expand Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) coverage under workers' compensation so that it includes front-line Corrections employees (as well as EMS and dispatchers).

Labor Committee members will accept testimony on SB 231, AN ACT CONCERNING WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS SUFFERED BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION EMPLOYEES AND DISPATCHERS.

The hearing begins at 10:30 a.m. in Room 2E of the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Ave.,  Hartford, CT.

We need to make our voices heard in support of SB 231. Statistics demonstrate that correctional employees have higher rates of depression, higher rates of PTSD, higher rates of suicide and divorce than the general worker population and all other first responders.

Please contact your Local 387 Union Steward/Leadership to find out how you can help. We definitely need a strong turnout of Correction Officers on Feb. 25.

Passage of this proposed bill is a major legislative goal of the AFSCME NP-4 Bargaining Unit and Council. 4. SB 231 builds on the enactment of groundbreaking legislation that provides post-traumatic stress benefits to police officers and fire fighters.

Click here to read our previous story on PTSI expansion.