Workers’ Rights

“In budget-cutting season, politics can be brutal,” wrote the author of a recent View from Prospect Hill column in the Somerville News.  With an $8.1 million budget gap, it is imperative that the city cut costs.  However, the current, shortsighted approach, with its focus on outsourcing hourly jobs, will sow the seeds of discord for [...]

[ June 22, 2010; 6:00 pm; ] I would like to let people in Somerville and anywhere else know about a rally against the mayor and his wrong budget choices.

WHEN:  June 22, 2010 6 pm

WHERE:  City Hall, 93 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143

The school custodians did everything but give a kidney to him and that was not good enough. The custodians are [...]

[ June 22, 2010; 6:00 pm; ] Jackie Lawrence of the Somerville Teachers Association extends an invitation to rally to support our fellow Somerville employees whose jobs are in peril.

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Support our Good, Hardworking People

Despite the offer by the School Custodians’ Union to accept nearly $800,000 in concessions, the Mayor’s office has relentlessly and heartlessly charged forward in giving notice that the custodians [...]

I am a school custodian for the City of Somerville.  I see a Boston Herald article that Boston is cutting 83 school custodians.
Reading the comments ( there are 249 comments so far!) I see that many of what these other people are saying is true; however,  one thing that is not [...]

On May 25, 2010 my union received a letter that stated that as of the new fiscal year the school custodians would be privatized out… The mayor mentions that he does not want to cut public safety or education but this mayor has packed the police and fire with all his friends…

[ May 21, 2010; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. ] Immigrants who gather at Foss Park each morning as early as 5 am looking for work as day laborers are the subject of a new play that will enjoy its community premiere on Friday, May 21st at the Black Box Theater at the Elizabeth Peabody House, 277 Broadway. The program begins at 7:30 pm.

The new play, “They Don’t Tell You Anything!” will be performed as part of an evening of theater, stories and conversation about the struggles and challenges that many Somerville residents face after they are picked up by contractors each morning to paint or perform demolition work. Written by playwright and English teacher Meryl Becker, the play will be performed by student actors from the Somerville Center for Adult Learning Experiences (SCALE).

Through a public records request, I recently obtained scanned copies of the City’s trash contracts with the FW Russell company. The fine print challenges the claim made at the March 2nd BOA Legislative Matters Committee meeting by former City Solicitor, John Gannon, that only the Mayor has the power to break a contract.
(Just to be [...]

[ February 26, 2010; 5:00 pm; ] You can show your support for workers at the Somerville Stop and Shop by joining Massachusetts Jobs with Justice in handing out fliers on Friday at 5:00 – corner of McGrath Highway and Mystic Avenue.

Thousands of grocery workers throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut – members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local Unions [...]

Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office has reached an agreement with five Somerville waste disposal companies, collectively known as Russell, and its corporate officers… to pay $70,000 to 352 current and former employees as well as a $20,000 penalty to the Commonwealth to resolve allegations that the company violated the Massachusetts Wage and Hour Laws. In addition, Russell has agreed to a two-year monitoring and compliance plan.

About 450 laundry workers at Angelica Textile in Somerville went out on strike Thursday… negotiations have been focused on obtaining quality affordable healthcare, well-funded pension benefits, and living wages. Come support these hard working employees as they stand up for a fair contract!

Last week, the Board of Aldermen extended the City’s contract with FW Russell for another year plus 5 more under a new contract despite concerns stemming from a 2-year-old investigation by AG Coakley’s office into the waste disposal company’s labor practices. The company was selected for offering the lowest price among 4 bids procured by [...]

Pittsburgh floats a sales tax on college tuition!

Hyatt or Tufts, Deval’s choice is the hotter bed.

[ August 10, 2009; 5:00 pm; ] Rite Aid warehouse workers in Lancaster, California need our support. Before workers voted to form a union in 2008, Rite Aid committed dozens of unfair labor practices. And since then, in an effort to prevent them from achieving a first contract, the warehouse workers have faced continuing anti-union terror.

With summer just around the corner and tens of thousands of young people entering the workforce in Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick has proclaimed May “Safe Jobs for Youth Month” to focus attention on preventing workplace injuries and deaths.
The proclamation was announced at a youth leadership conference organized by youth leaders from the Jovenes Latinos program [...]

The Board of Directors of the Somerville Teachers Association (STA) voted to endorse HR 676 at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 7.
“Health care reform is finally on the national agenda,” said Linda Vitiello, President of the Somerville Teachers Association. “We are excited to be part of a national grassroots movement for Medicare for [...]

A small group of union members converged on the Rite Aid drugstore in Davis Sq. on Friday, April 3 to condemn the company’s abuse of workers’ rights and urge Congress to pass the “Employee Free Choice Act” — a law backed by President Barack Obama that would better protect employees who want to form unions [...]

Rite Aid has been abusing the rights of employees – and provides a “textbook example” of why Congress should pass the “Employee Free Choice Act,” reform legislation that would better protect employees who want to form unions by limiting employer interference in the process.

This event is an opportunity for Somerville youth and community partners to meet in person, build community, and discuss how Somerville can become a safer and welcoming place for everyone. At the event, our youth members will present personal stories, and sit in small dialogue groups with adults.

One week ago, Somerville went overwhelmingly for Obama-Biden. To keep the promises made by the Obama campaign, the Obama Administration will need all the help it can get. We in Somerville should do our part to help–and to keep the politicians honest.

Here is a very partial and incomplete list of campaign promises that I think Obama should keep:

From an Oct 12th article on Boston.com: Romulo Santos of Somerville headed off to work Sept. 9 at a Wal-Mart in Walpole as usual. But that day he was electrocuted on the job. Some might consider the 47-year-old Brazilian native’s death a freak accident, but local advocates say that for many immigrant workers, the risk of injury is all too real. Tufts University, Cambridge Health Alliance, and five Somerville community groups have come together to raise awareness of occupational health risks and to teach people their rights.

Fred Berman and Bill Bumpus interviewed a student at Tufts University about the ongoing contract negotiations between the Janitors at Tufts and the subcontractor for the school. If you would like to hear what Kevin Dillon has to say about the “Janitors Alliance” please click the link that will take you to the new blog for the Progressive Voices television show cablecast on Somerville Community Access Television. Channel 3 on the Comcast and RCN cable systems in Somerville.

[ July 30, 2008; 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. ] Come out to a rally on Wednesday to tell Tufts University to respect its workers and ensure they receive the just wages and full-time work that they deserve!

[ July 10, 2008; 12:15 pm; ] SEIU 615 26 West St Boston MA 02111

For Immediate Release:

Media Contact:
Max Goldman                                  Roxana Rivera
Maxwell.Goldman@tufts.edu Rrivera@seiu615.org

Phone
W: 617-878-7559 C: 860-917-1742    W: 617-878-7458 C: 401-965-3555

Tufts Janitors and the Somerville Community Stand United

Who:     Contracted Janitors at Tufts University…

The National Council on Disability (NCD) is gathering public input for a study of emerging issues and trends affecting the lives of people with disabilities. Information gathered will be used in the development of NCD’s next annual progress report to the President and Congress, “National Disability Policy: A Progress Report,” which is required by Section 401(b) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

Hi, my name is Kevin and I’m a full-time student at Tufts University, where I started a student group, the Jumbo Janitor Alliance. The group focuses on bringing Tufts janitors more into the Tufts community. The janitors are currently in contract negotiations with their employer, the cleaning contractor ABM/One Source.