Legislative Breakfast a huge success
A capacity crowd of nearly 350 unionists, lawmakers and administration officials attended the Greater Boston Labor Council’s annual legislative breakfast on Monday March 3rd. The venue for the event was the rooftop ballroom of the OMNI Parker House in downtown Boston.
Among the speakers were Governor Deval Patrick, House Ways and Means chair Robert DeLeo and Senator Steve Tolman.
GBLC President Louis Mandarini opened the breakfast by issuing a challenge to lawmakers and the administration to find revenues to meet the fiscal problems being faced by communities across the Commonwealth. GBLC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Rich Rogers called for several revenue measures including giving localities the power to assess meals and hospitality taxes, closing of corporate tax loopholes and adoption of Governor Patrick’s destination resort casino proposal. Rogers also spoke out against the Governor’s proposal to shift health care costs on the backs of the state workforce.
Other union speakers were GBLC Vice-President Patricia Armstrong, Frank Callahan President of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council and Tim Sullivan, Legislative Director for the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Sister Mary Priniski from the Labor Guild gave the invocation at the breakfast.
GBLC Continues Mayor’s Meetings
On Wed February 27th the GBLC convened a meeting in Cambridge City Hall with new Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons. A strong contingent of unionists attended the meeting in which a broad array of issues including public employee collective bargaining and the new ‘Green Building’ initiative being rolled out in Cambridge were discussed. The GBLC will be scheduling regular meetings with Mayors throughout the year.
GBLC Casino Committee is Up and Running
GBLC President Louis Mandarini has appointed a committee to generate grassroots activity behind Governor Patrick’s proposal to bring casino gambling to the Commonwealth. Representative’s from the following unions are involved in the Committee: IBEW 103, IBEW 123, Fireman and Oilers/SEIU, Laborers Local 22, New England Council of Carpenters, Operating Engineers Local 877, Teamster Local 25, UAW District 9-A, UFCW Local 1445 and UNITE/HERE. This powerful group of unions is promoting the job creation and revenue aspects of the casino proposal and urging lawmakers to support the proposal. GBLC Secretary-Treasurer Rich Rogers is chairing the groups meetings, which are being held at Teamsters Local 25 in Charlestown. Thank you Sean O’Brien and Steve Sullivan.
GBLC NEWS and NOTES
The North Shore Labor Council, the GBLC’s sister council to the north is holding its 10th annual education conference on Sunday March 30th. ‘Building Labor in 2008: Winning Back America and Building Our Movement “ is the conference theme. It will be held at the Breed Junior High School in Lynn. For more information about the conference contact NSLC organizer Rosa Blumenfeld at 781-595-2535.
LABOR GUILD Classes start on March 10th. A wide variety of labor classes taught by a strong faculty will once again be on tap in the Labor Guild’s spring offerings. To find out more contact the Labor Guild at 781-340-7887.
Hold the date - Tuesday April 29th. Workers Memorial Day an annual commemoration for workers killed on the job will be highlighted by a major event in Boston on Tuesday April 29th at 12 noon. The GBLC is working with Mass COSH and the Mass AFL-CIO on event planning.
The same evening Community Labor United will be holding its second annual fundraising dinner at 6pm at the China Pearl Restaurant, 9 Tyler Street in Chinatown. Tickets are priced at $50. Donna Shaw and the Boston Cab Drivers seeking respect with the USW and Lauren Jacobs SEIU 615’s Organizing Director who is spearheading the campaign to organize Boston area security guards are among the honorees at the event.