A Message from our President |
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Dear Chamber Member,
A huge thank you to all our sponsors, volunteers, attendees, the the Borough of Naugatuck for helping to make this year's Duck Race and Festival a huge success! This is the first time in two years that we have held the festival in-person and the response has been overwhelming! Scroll down for a recap and photos from the event.
On Monday, June 27, we will host the 28th Annual Naugatuck Chamber and YMCA Golf Outing at the Watertown Golf Club. Only a few spaces remain. Click here to register.
Our next Out for Business networking event will take place on Wednesday, July 20 at Develomark in Plantsville. Come enjoy some food, beverages, networking with other Chamber Members, and get the chance to win one of several door prizes! Additional details are below; you can register here.
We will be printing our annual Chamber Member Business Directory on August 4. This is also a great opportunity to purchase an ad or featured listing to promote your business to more than 30,000 subscribers in the area. For more information, contact David Huck.
Save the date for our Health Care Council 17th Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony, taking place on Tuesday, August 16 from 7:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at Aria in Prospect. Among this year's honorees will be Naugatuck Mayor N. Warren "Pete" Hess, who will be receiving the Health Advocate Award for his leadership in saving the Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc. Additional details are below.
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Please don't hesitate to reach out to me and share how we can support your business at lward@waterburychamber.com or (203) 757-0701.
Thank you for your continued membership,
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- President's Note
- Duck Day Recap
- Recent Ribbon Cutting
- Upcoming Events
- HR Corner Corner by Carmody, Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP
- Hiring and Training Programs Available
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17th Annual Duck Race & Festival Recap |
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At the conclusion of the 17th annual Duck Race and Festival on June 5, the Naugatuck Chamber had sold more than 12,000 tickets for the Duck Race. Out of those tickets sold, area nonprofits sold more than 9,400 tickets, amounting to $23,650 that the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce will donate back to the 78 organizations that participated this year. Since 2006, Duck Day has helped over 428 area nonprofit organizations raise more than $470,000 as part of the Duck Day raffle.
Thank you to our generous sponsors:
The Tidal-level sponsors: Haynes Construction, Haynes Development, and Haynes Materials. The Mandarin-level sponsors: Digital Traffic Factory, Liberty Bank, and Ion Bank. Mallard-level sponsors: Citizen’s News, Eversource, Ferrari’s Appliance, Paraco, Post University, PowerStation Events, Republican American, ReWard Technologies, Saint Mary’s Hospital, and We Do Life…Together, A Division of ICES, Inc. Official Duck Race Duck Washer: All Roads Car Wash of Naugatuck; Official Race Duck Transporter: U-Haul of Central Connecticut. USA Hauling & Recycling also donated their services for the event.
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Charitable Corporate Duck Race Winners |
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Decorated Duck Contest Winners |
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1st Place: Alderson Ford Funeral Homes |
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3rd Place: FD Community Credit Union |
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The Rubber Ducky - 1221 New Haven Road |
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On June 9, the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the Rubbery Ducky, a bar located at 1221 New Haven Road in Naugatuck. The bar is owned by Fernando Antunes, Adrian Morales, and James Palmer. Attending the ribbon cutting were Lynn Ward, President and CEO of the Naugatuck Chamber; Ron Pugliese, President and CEO of the Naugatuck Economic Development Corp.; Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess; Rep. David Labriola; and Chris Caulfield, Events Director for the Naugatuck Chamber. |
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Meet Our New Membership Director |
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Laura Brown, an entrepreneur and small business owner, has joined the Chamber as Membership Director. As Membership Director, Laura will be responsible for growing and maintaining a robust, active, and involved membership. Having owned a gift shop for more than 20 years, Laura understands that small business owners have many responsibilities and that time is a valuable resource. Previously, Laura served as the Director of the Hamden Chamber of Commerce, worked as a Constituent Liaison/Group Tour Sales Manager for the Costal Fairfield County Convention and Visitor Bureau, and held the position of Local Marketing Manager for Applebee's Restaurants.
Connect with Membership Director Laura Brown:
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June 27: 28th Annual Naugatuck Chamber & YMCA Golf Outing |
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2022 Honorees:
Leadership Award: Joan Doback, Chief Physician Assistant, Bone Health Coordinator, Waterbury Hospital
Unsung Hero Award: Derri Hamilton, RN, MSN, Program Director of Behavioral Health, Saint Mary’s Hospital/Trinity Health of New England
and April Waterman, RN, Head Nurse, ICES, Inc./We Do Life… Together
Award for Organizational Excellence: Naugatuck Valley Surgical Center
Health Advocate Award: Mayor N. Warren (Pete) Hess, Borough of Naugatuck, for his efforts to to re-invigorate the Naugatuck Ambulance, Inc., a non-profit organization that was previously in financial distress, short staffed, and using unreliable vehicles. Under his leadership, the organization is now operating one year later as a world-class EMS agency.
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Share your business events, news and announcements with your fellow Chamber members! |
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HR Corner: New Connecticut Employment Laws
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The Connecticut Legislature’s “short session” ended on May 4, 2022. While many bills were proposed that would have significantly impacted the workplace, only a handful have been signed into law. Below is a summary of some key new laws, and some bills that did not pass but could be resurrected next year.
Expansion of the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act (CFEPA). The CFEPA prohibits discrimination and harassment based on various protected classes and prohibits retaliation against an employee for engaging in protected activity. CFEPA is similar to the federal anti-discrimination laws, except that CFEPA is broader in coverage (i.e., applies to a greater number of employers) and broader in scope (i.e., covers more protected classes). Effective October 1, 2022, the CFEPA will be further expanded in coverage to apply to all employers with one or more employees whereas currently it applies to employers with three or more employees.
Domestic Violence. Another significant expansion of the CFEPA is that, effective October 1, 2022, victims of domestic violence will be added as a protected class. Employers with three or more employees also will be required to post information concerning domestic violence and resources available to victims. And, lastly, all employers must provide a “reasonable leave of absence” for victims of domestic violence for a variety of reasons, such as seeking attention for injuries, counseling and to obtain legal services. The law does not define what is “reasonable” but does allows employers to obtain written certification to substantiate the need for leave. This new law is in addition to an existing state law that requires employers with three or more employees to provide up to 12 days of job-protected leave for “family violence”, defined slightly different than “domestic violence”. Employers should update their policies.
Captive Audience. Effective July 1, 2022, employers will be prohibited from requiring employees to attend any employer-sponsored meeting, listen to speech, or view any communications if the purpose if is to communicate the employer’s opinion on religious or political matters. The definition of “political matters” is broad and includes, among other things, the employer’s view on unionization.
Prevailing Wage. Under Connecticut law, employers that have certain contracts for the construction, remodeling, alteration or repair of certain public works projects must pay their employees working on such projects “prevailing wages.” Starting July 1, 2023, a new Connecticut law will significantly increase the penalties for violations by doubling the fine amount (up from $2500 to $5000 per violation) and subjecting employers to greater risk of debarment from future public contracts.
Some Notable Bills That Did Not Pass. Some bills that were proposed but did not pass included bills that would have:
- Significantly lowered the legal standard for bringing a harassment claim by eliminating the requirement that harassment be “severe or pervasive”, and eliminated certain employer defenses to such claims;
- Prohibited employers from including non-disparagement and no-rehire provisions in settlement agreements;
- Made workers’ compensation benefits available to all employees who suffer PTSD on the job, such as witnessing a death or traumatic physical injury;
- Provided unemployment to striking workers;
- Prohibited employers from replacing striking employees;
- Significantly limited the enforceability of non-competes, including an outright ban for non-exempt employees; and
- Expanded paid sick leave by requiring all private employers to provide five paid sick days and two weeks of COVID leave.
If you have questions about labor and employment matters, please contact a member of Carmody’s Labor and Employment team.
This information is for educational purposes only to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. It does not constitute legal advice and does not establish any attorney-client relationship.
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Hiring & Training Programs Available |
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Do you need help finding qualified workers for your business? Could you use some financial assistance to offset the cost of hiring and training new workers, or training your existing workforce?
The Waterbury Regional Chamber is working with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investments Board to help businesses in Greater Waterbury learn more about the available hiring and training programs and whether they qualify for them. This includes providing information on posting jobs on the states CThires.com website, as well as information about Manufacturing Innovation Fund Incumbent Worker Training, the apprenticeship program, hiring veterans and on-the-job training programs.
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