One of the main backers of the 2022 ballot question says a split between education and transportation shouldn’t be locked in.
unions
Posted inOpinion
Unions key in ramp up to the next industrial revolution
As the presidents of the labor union federations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, we have communicated the importance of a worker-centered approach to building out offshore wind in discussions with state officials and offshore wind developers.
Posted inGovernment
The ‘labor whisperer’ inside Boston City Hall
“Don’t demonize your opponent. Don’t question your opponent’s motives. I mean, I’m actually slipping here by even saying opponent,” said Lou Mandarini, who was called Mayor Michelle Wu’s “labor whisperer.”
Posted inPolitics
Wu-aligned unions funnel cash into super PAC backing Boston council candidate
Four left-leaning unions closely aligned with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu are directing money to a newly formed outside super PAC that is backing Boston City Council candidate Henry Santana, a former Wu aide who is considered a top hopeful for one of the four at-large seats in the November 7 election.
Posted inEconomy
Secret ballot vital in union elections
THE LATEST real-life parable that reminds us why the Founding Fathers made secret-ballot elections a centerpiece of American democracy comes from a distinctly 21st-century source – the video game industry. In recent months, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) has been working to unionize Proletariat, a Boston-based studio owned by gaming company Activision Blizzard, which […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service
Spilka sees no path forward for staff unionization
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE LEGISLATIVE STAFF have waited around four months to learn whether Senate President Karen Spilka would recognize their unionization effort with IBEW Local 2222, and on Thursday Spilka seemed to shut the door on that possibility — with an invitation for staff to attend a briefing from Senate lawyers on Friday. Senators […]
Posted inOpinion
Biden’s PLA order is way off the mark
A FEW DAYS AGO, President Biden signed an executive order requiring that all federal construction projects over $35 million be conducted under a project labor agreement, or PLA. The executive order could cover $262 billion in federal government projects. In a recent op-ed, Frank Callahan of the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions claimed that the executive […]
Posted inOpinion
PLAs get a big lift from Biden
PRESIDENT BIDEN’S recent executive order #14063 on the use of project labor agreements for federal construction projects is a major step toward fulfilling the pledge to build America back better. It’s not just good news for workers; it’s also good news for anyone who values safety and who wants to see the number of family-sustaining careers […]
Posted inOpinion
Anti-union actions reflect racist attitudes
THE CIVIL RIGHTS movement did not end with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. We are still in the midst of it. The work continues as we grapple with the legacy of our nation’s original sin of slavery. The Black Lives Matter movement is only the latest embodiment of our collective and […]
Posted inEconomy
Young workers key to a resurgent labor movement
A DECADE THAT started with the worst recession in 75 years ended with a booming economy and record low unemployment rate. The “too big to fail” era also ushered in a new generation of workers far more progressive and activist than in the past. That’s a great thing for the labor movement. Certainly young workers […]