Whether it’s paid family leave or a minimum-wage increase, Connecticut’s legislature has recently taken great interest in labor issues, which are Matthew Curtin’s forte.
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Whether it’s paid family leave or a minimum-wage increase, Connecticut’s legislature has recently taken great interest in labor issues, which are Matthew Curtin’s forte.
Curtin, an employment attorney and partner at Hartford-based law firm Murtha Cullina LLP, represents large and small employers including public entities, nonprofits and private corporations.
In coming years, Curtin said Connecticut’s decision to raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2023 will have a negative effect on the job market, and employers will have to grapple with new technology like artificial intelligence, and the role it will play in employment.
How will gradually increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2023 affect Connecticut’s job market?
I think the intent is admirable, but I have concerns about the unintended consequences. Small business owners will likely struggle with the increase in personnel costs. The increase may also dissuade out-of-state employers from moving operations into Connecticut, or persuade in-state employers to seek friendlier environments elsewhere.
Some small business owners have criticized the wage increase and paid family leave, saying they can’t afford it. How might these laws affect employees of these small businesses?
The fact is that increased labor costs will likely force small business owners to reduce staff levels. New York City recently increased the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and the early feedback is exactly that — increased labor costs have led to staff reductions and reductions in hours available to employees. So, while the intent of the increase is admirable, the unintended consequences may actually have an adverse effect on workers.
Connecticut has a higher percentage of unionized employees than most states, but membership has declined. Do you see organized labor’s influence in Connecticut waning in coming years?
Yes. Private-sector organized labor will continue to see waning membership, and the corresponding decrease in membership dues as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision last year in Janus v. AFSCME, limiting unions’ ability to collect membership dues.
Public-sector labor unions remain robust in Connecticut, but even those unions will take a tangible hit on membership dues because of the Janus decision. I also expect the National Labor Relations Board will issue new rules making it harder for employees to unionize.
What is one employment issue that we’re not currently talking about, but will be soon?
Artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace. While not necessarily a new topic in employment law, I think the discussion will become much more public in the coming years. More and more employers are utilizing AI to reshape all aspects of the employment relationship. We are already seeing job displacement due to AI. Rapid advances in technology will cause a sea change in how employers approach employment matters.
How do you grade Gov. Ned Lamont so far on labor issues?
Gov. Lamont was able to push through several of his key agenda items concerning employment law, so I’m sure he views the most recent legislative session a success. Whether the changes to the minimum wage, leave laws, and anti-harassment laws end up a positive for the Connecticut economy remains an open question, however.
