Hartford Business Journal

4 Hartford Business Journal • March 12, 2018 • www.HartfordBusiness.com Briefs E. Windsor casino demolition begins amid project uncertainty East Windsor's planned casino will hire at least 650 workers — half from Hartford, the developers said March 5, the same day demolition began on the former Showcase Cinemas site where the gaming hall will be erected. But before that hiring can begin, MMCT Venture, the joint partnership of Connecticut's Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes, still needs federal approval to open the state's first commercial casino. MMCT is in a legal spat with the federal Interior Department, which has failed to approve the tribes' gaming agreements with Connecticut and clear the way for them to jointly develop the East Windsor gaming site. MMCT sued the Interior Department last November to hurry along the approval process, which some have said has been delayed by politics. The Interior Department tried to get the suit dismissed in February. That's occurring as state lawmakers consider proposed legislation that would re- open competitive bidding for a new casino, something that MGM Resorts International has lobbied for intensely as it seeks to build a casino in Bridgeport. Coalition backs 'fair workweek' bill limiting on-call work scheduling A group of lawmakers and activists are pushing a "fair workweek" bill in the state legislature that would limit what they call abusive on-call scheduling across large retail, food service, hospitality and certain nursing home operations. The Fair Workweek Coalition is backing Senate Bill 321, which would limit on-call shift scheduling by guaranteeing workers are compensated for lost time when hours are cut at the last minute. Advocates say the bill can lift up the state's low-wage hourly workers who struggle to earn a stable income because of unpredictable work schedules and are often called to work with little notice, maintain open availability for "on-call" shifts without any guarantee of work, and have shifts canceled at the last minute. The Connecticut Business and Industry Association opposes the measure. In written testimony on the bill, CBIA lobbyist Eric Gjede said it would prohibit on-call employment by requiring employers to give workers at least 24 hours prior notice of a shift change. Starling Physicians elevates chief medical officer Post to CEO Starling Physicians, a physician-owned and led multispecialty medical practice in central Connecticut, has tapped Dr. Jarrod Post as its new CEO. Post, who also has an MBA, has been Starling's chief medical officer since 2016. He took over as CEO last month, succeeding Dr. Michael Genovesi, who relinquished his position in December. Genovesi will continue working as a pulmonologist with Starling for the remainder of 2018, then retire. Starling was officially created in 2016 after the merger of Grove Hill Medical Centers PC and Connecticut Multispecialty Group PC, the latter of which Post joined in 1999 and led as CEO from 2011 to 2015. CT defense industry a likely loser under Trump tariff plan Connecticut's defense industry would be a likely loser if President Donald Trump moves forward with his intention to raise tariffs on imported aluminum and steel. It's not so much that the state's large defense contractors are dependent on these imported metals — although CNN says the United Kingdom is the only Week in Review TOP STORY Unions sue gunmaker Colt's for alleged outsourcing breach C olt's Manufacturing Co., which emerged from bankruptcy two years ago and received a $10 million loan from the state last year in exchange for a pledge to maintain and grow jobs in West Hartford, is being sued by two labor unions that say the gunmaker has violated a collective bargaining agreement by outsourcing significant production and laying off dozens of local workers. The Amalgamated Local No. 376 and United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, AFL-CIO filed the civil lawsuit in February in New Haven's U.S. District Court District of Connecticut, alleging that Colt's has violated a labor compact that runs through 2019 by outsourcing all manufacturing of major rifle components, including the two most significant parts — bolts and barrels — to outside vendors, court documents said. That decision was made last October and challenged by the unions, which brought their grievance to arbitration, court documents say. Last month, however, Colt's laid off 74 union employees because the company was moving forward with the outsourcing, even though the arbitration case isn't being heard until July, court records show. In March 2017, shortly after Colt's emerged from bankruptcy, the state announced a $10 million loan package for Colt's in exchange for the company maintaining and growing its West Hartford workforce. Colt's employed 615 people at the time. Colt's received the loan funds last April, according to Jim Watson, a spokesman for the state Department of Economic and Community Development. Under the contract, the company must have an average of 615 jobs for 60 consecutive months ending Dec. 31, 2021. BY THE NUMBERS 17 The number of Connecticut residents who made it on Forbes' 2018 list of billionaires. 650 The number of workers MMCT Venture said it will hire for its planned casino in East Windsor. 7.25% The state sales tax rate proposed by the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth — which is higher than the current 6.35 percent rate — as part of a broader tax reform plan. 5.75% The top income tax rate recom- mended by the Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth for the state's highest earners — which is 18 percent below the current top 6.99 percent rate — as part of a broader tax reform proposal. TOP 5 MOST READ On HartfordBusiness.com • Unions sue gunmaker Colt's for alleged outsourcing breach • 2 CT men illegally exported to Pakistan • ESPN's new boss is Disney executive James Pitaro • Goodwin Hotel owner is sole DoNo bidder • Starling Physicians elevates chief medical officer Post to CEO STAY CONNECTED For breaking and daily Greater Hartford business news go to www.HartfordBusiness.com HBJ on Twitter: @HartfordBiz HBJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HartfordBiz HBJ on Linkedln: www.linkedin.com/company/ the-Hartford-Business-Journal Daily e-newsletters: HBJ Today, CT Morning Blend www.HartfordBusiness.com/ subscribe Weekly e-newsletters: CT Health Care Weekly www.HartfordBusiness.com/ subscribe Colt's last year bought its West Hartford headquarters on New Park Avenue. PHOTO | HBJ FILE Dr. Jarrod Post, CEO, Starling Physicians

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