Dear allies,

Thank you for reading our updates and being a supporter. Below you will find opportunities to engage and continue the fight on many issues that affect our communities and allies. Please spread the word by sharing our Facebook posts as well as following and retweeting us on Twitter. You can sign up to receive regular updates from CLU.

In Solidarity,
Community Labor United

Congratulations to the Driving Families Forward Coalition on the movement of the Work and Family Mobility Act! Special thank you to all who signed the petition, and to Speaker of the House Ronald Mariano, and Representatives Aaron Michlewitz and Bill Strauss in their leadership advocating for legislation that would enable all qualified Massachusetts drivers, regardless of immigration status, to apply for a standard license. When we fight, we win!

New England Machinists Union Members on strike for fair wages
Machinists union members of Local Lodge 447 are on strike for a fair contract at Cummins locations in Massachusetts and throughout New England. Members of the union voted almost unanimously to reject the company’s offer to extend their contract. Despite this, the company contended that their workers accept a contract which constrains them to subjective pay based on performance, resulting in 100% of members voting to go on strike.

“Machinists Union members at Cummins are determined to get a fair contract that reflects the current economic conditions,” said IAM District 15 Assistant Directing Business Representative Mike Vartabedian.“Our members are trying to do the right thing and fight for a contract that will make life better for their families and they are a huge part of Cummins’ success. They risked the health of themselves and their families by working through a pandemic to service generators that helped keep our senior citizens in nursing homes safe and supporting our frontline workers throughout New England to save lives. We hope that they will present us with an offer that values the hard work of our members.”

To learn more about this regional fight, visit the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

UUMass Power Forward Valentine's Day Action
On Valentine’s Day, UUMass Power Forward held an in-person and virtual action to bring attention, love, and support for all of the bills that have been delayed in legislative committees. While some bills have been delayed several months, others have been delayed for a decade.

Each day, our communities are impacted by inaction, but our partners at Mass Power Forward, Mass Renews Alliance, and Homes For All Mass shared their support and solidarity for one another. This is what building people-power across initiatives looks like. Looking ahead, we must continue to stay connected with one another in our fights in order to attain the collective liberation that we seek together. 

To learn more about UUMass’s ‘Broken Hearts Priority Bills,’ click here.

General Electric Workers Valentine’s Day Rally
General Electric (GE) workers, unions, and allies spent this Valentine’s Day demonstrating at the company’s corporate headquarters in Boston to demand a reverse in their decision to offshore and outsource union manufacturing jobs across the U.S. 

While GE executives have failed to answer how the decision to split the company would impact its domestic union manufacturing workforce, we know that it would leave hundreds of Massachusetts workers in Lynn unemployed. Already, GE’s divestment of domestic jobs has left devastating impacts on local communities across the country that have been integral to the success of GE as a manufacturing giant today. 

These demonstrations are part of a series of GE worker actions across the country. We stand in solidarity with all whose jobs have been and could be impacted by this decision.

Protesting Eversource Energy Project in East Boston: No Eastie Substation
Our partners at Clean Water Action, GreenRoots, and the Conservation Law Foundation are protesting with Boston residents against the construction of an Eversource Energy electric substation in Eagle Hill.

“Cindy Luppi, a Winthrop resident and the New England Director for Clean Water Action, stresses the importance of including community voices in energy planning discussions. 

‘There’s legislation that’s pending at the State House this year that will revise the process by which these facilities get located in neighborhoods so that more of the neighborhood perspective is centered, and so that there actually have to be conversations in the predominant language of the neighborhood,” Luppi said at the Sunday protest, referring to siting reform Bill HD3679, which was filed in February 2021.’”

Learn more about why Siting Reform bills, like HD.3679, are urgently needed for our BIPOC communities at The Boston Scope.

Family2Family 2022 Conference: United in Healing and Hope for our Students
We welcome you to join the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) for their Family2Family 2022 Conference. This year, BTU is bringing attention to the adjustments and sacrifices we’ve made in our lives and schools throughout the year. We invite parents, caregivers, and educators to share and learn from each other, support family engagement, promote family advocacy, and strengthen family and educator collaboration so that we can be a force for ‘United Healing and Hope for our Students.’
 

Saturday, March 12
10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Interpretations provided to all who register
Register today

Take Action: Transit Equity Month 
Happy Transit Equity Month! Join us today at the virtual screening of The Rosa Park Story and later in the month during the virtual panel discussion on women in the transit equity movement. Together, we can advocate for affordable and inclusive transit in our commonwealth. 

TODAY: The Rosa Park Story & The Montgomery Bus Boycott-Film History
Friday, February 18 at 6 p.m.
Register at Eventbrite.

Virtual panel discussion: Women in the transit equity movement
Monday, February 28
More details to be announced via ACE.