Western Massachusetts Area Labor Federation

 

Larry Hanley Was a Transformational Labor Leader. He Will Be Missed.

On May 7, while recovering from an illness, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International President Larry Hanley died suddenly.  In a brief statement, his family,

Violence Has No Place in the Workplace

Patt Moon-Updike wanted to be a nurse since she was 9 years old.

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We Need a Better NAFTA

The new NAFTA is another corporate handout. It won't stem the outsourcing of good jobs or protect the rights of working people. Tell Congress the new NAFTA isn't good enough.

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Prevent Workplace Violence

Recently introduced legislation would provide needed protections for health care and social services workers from violence on the job. Tell Congress to support an OSHA workplace violence standard.

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We Stand Together Newsletter

Events

  • June 18- June 19: As hospitals around Western Mass announced plans to close mental health wings and the ICUs in Palmer and Westfield, nurses are organizing to save community services. There will be two Department of Public Health hearings that are an opportunity for the community to speak out about the need for local health services and what a closure would mean for them. The Mass Nurses Association is calling for public and union support for three upcoming events. To find out more information, contact Diane Scherrer at [email protected].

    • June 18, 4 p.m. in the Snow Conference Room at Baystate Wing Hospital at 40 Wright St. in Palmer, MA. Please attend the hearing if you are able, or consider submitting written testimony. 

    • June 19, 4 p.m. at Westfield Middle School, 30 West Silver St. in Westfield, MA. Please attend the hearing if you are able, or consider submitting written testimony.

    • June 19, 7 p.m. A Greenfield Town Council meeting in which councilors will consider a resolution to urge Baystate Health to preserve the inpatient mental health beds at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. The meeting will be held at the John Zon Community Center at 35 Pleasant St. in Greenfield, MA.

  • June 19: Pioneer Valley Assembly Meeting: 5:30 p.m. at 640 Page Blvd. in Springfield, MA. Contact: Assembly President, Fiore Grassetti, [email protected].

  • June 20: Massachusetts Jobs with Justice Regional Council Meeting. Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, 1380 Main St., Suite 203, Springfield, MA  01103 (2nd floor, end of the hall). Join Mass JwJ to celebrate their new office and hear updates of their current organizing campaigns. We’ll have a bite to eat at 5:30 p.m. and then a brief and informal meeting at 6:00 to talk about all that Jobs with Justice is up to. Contact: Alicia Flemings, [email protected].

  • June 25: Hampshire Franklin Assembly Meeting,  5:30 p.m., Pioneer Valley Workers Center, Northampton, MA. Contact: Assembly President, Patrick Burke, [email protected].

  • June 29: Berkshire Assembly Meeting, Saturday,  9:00 a.m., Elks Club, 27 Union St., Pittsfield, MA. Contact: Assembly President, Brian Morrisson, [email protected]. 

  • Northampton Association of School Employees Summertime Standouts. Every Thursday, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Northampton City Hall. Stand in solidarity with NASE every Thursday as they continue to fight for a fair wage increase in their next contract. 

  • September 10: Save the date for the Mass Nurses Association March for Mental Health. Starting in Greenfield, MA, at 7 a.m., community members will walk to the proposed site of the new "for profit" mental health facility that will replace the Mental Health Unit at Baystate Franklin Medical Center. The march will show just how far a person in Greenfield will have to travel to be treated for mental health care. 

News and Updates

Congratulations to AFSCME 1776. Since this fall, AFSCME 1776 has converted 260 seasonal employees to full-time benefited positions! This reclassification means better wages, more job security, and good benefits for hundreds of UMass Amherst workers. 

Whether It’s the New NAFTA or the Old NAFTA, It Serves the 1%

Mick Mulvaney, a millionaire who is President Trump’s acting chief of staff and director of the Office of Management and Budget, awarded himself another job last week: spokesman for labor.

Ohio Needs a NAFTA Deal that Works for All of Us. We’re Not There Yet

As leaders of the AFL-CIO representing working people here in Ohio and across the country, we’ve seen firsthand the damage from bad trade agreements, and no deal has done more harm to working people than the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

A NAFTA That Works for Workers

The North American Free Trade Agreement has been a disaster for working Pennsylvanians. But, the way it came about was no accident.

Those in power decided that greed, not justice or fairness, would be the rule of our economy. Corporations were handed free rein to suppress the rights of workers in Mexico, slash wages across North America and destroy livelihoods here at home — anything to fatten their already burgeoning profit margins.

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AFL-CIO Blog

Mortgages for Union Families

Union Plus Mortgage Company is owned by the AFL-CIO Union Privilege and a group of unions.

PowerTools

A resource for union members and organizers.

Defend and Resist

A toolkit for organizers and advocates on workplace raids and audits.

Read the Report

Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 2019

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