seiu local 888 december 2013 spark

8/13/2019 SEIU Local 888 December 2013 Spark

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Win in WestboroughSelectmen vote to maintain services

at senior center, save local job

December 2013

What if you lacked a say over your wages andworking conditionsall because of a draftingglitch? Thats what happened to the attorneys, admin-istrative support staff, investigators, and social workersemployed by the Committee for Public Counsel Servic-es. They were left out of the collective bargaining lawthat gave state employees the right to form unions.

With support from Local 888 organizers, the publicdefenders have been working to pass House Bill 2389which would correct that inequity and help themgain a voice at work. A hearing on the bill before thePublic Service Committee was held at the Statehouseon Nov. 25 with several CPCS staff and a law professorproviding supportive testimony.

Rachel Scotch, a staff attorney working in EasternMiddlesex County, said that too many of her col-leagues are leaving for other agencies where theyllhave formal processes for advancement and clear

career paths. Those are things that I cannot see formyself. I worry not just for my future, but also for thefuture of what has arguably been the best public de-fender agency in the country.

continued,pg. 4

Public DefendersSeek Voice at Work

At the Oct. 21 Special Town Meeting in Westbor-ough, citizens voted against a request by theBoard of Selectmen to cut current custodial services atthe Senior Center. The selectmen had proposed out-sourcing the custodians position to a private contractcleaning company in Article 10 on the warrant for the

Town Meeting without any notice to -- or discussionwith -- the union for Westboroughs employees.

Making a unilateral change of this nature withoutnotifying their union violates the workers contractwith management.

After reading about the proposed change in thewarrant, town employees (and union leaders) TerryGilchrist and Gail Silva launched a campaign tosave the custodial job.

We kicked it off on Oct. 8 by holding signs to savequality services outside the Board of Selectmensmeeting when they met to discuss the warrant ar-ticle, said Gail Silva, who has worked for the town asa computer network specialist for more than 6 years.Then we spread the word by distributing leafletsabout how this would adversely affect the SeniorCenter. We enlisted as many supporters as we couldto attend the Oct. 21 town meeting.

Selectmen had maintained that they could save$31,000 by contracting out, but Local 888 memberssuccessfully made the case that seniors who use thecenter would lose the personal service they dependupon.

In this issue:Local 888 scholarships now available

Toys for Tots

Meet the latest Crazy 8s winners

Brenda Rodrigues,

Local 888 secre-

tary treasurer, and

Gail Silva, chapter

chair of the Town

of Westboroughs

clerical unit, urge

town selectmen

not to cut custo-

dial services at the

senior center.

Chris Gonsalves,

Rachel Scotch

and Christian

Williams urge

lawmakers to

include their

agency in thestate collective

bargaining law

and help them

gain a voice at

work.


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The Spark December 2013 www.seiu888.org

Ask SparkyDear Sparky: Im part of a groupof town employees and recentlyweve been hearing a lot about

the p wordprivatization. Its thesame old, same old. They say theycan save money by contractingout some of our jobs. We haventgotten any specific info about what the town has inmind. Is there anything we can do to nip this businessin the bud?

Signed, Getting Worried

Dear Worried: When you mentioned the p word,I just assumed you meant puppy. Have you seenthe messes they make and what they can do to your

furniture? Who came up with that idea anyway??? Butback to your p word. I dont have to tell you that thethreat of privatization is everywhere these days as cash-strapped cities and towns look to save a buck. Thatswhy you have to make sure that local residents under-stand that outsourcing has costs they may not haveconsidered. Thats exactly what some of your brothersand sisters who work for the Town of Westboroughdid when they faced the loss of a custodial position (seecover story). While the town focused on a particulardollar amount, members of the Westborough unitstook their message directly to the seniors who wouldbe affected by the cut. Best of all, they won and savedthe custodians job. Now if we could just do somethingabout those darned puppies...Sparky

Learn more about privatization at:

www.OutsourcingAmericaExposed.org

Coming AttractionsSteward TrainingWhen: Saturday, December 7, 9:30 AM-2PM

Where: Local 888 Lowell office, 104 University Avenue, Lowell

Note: this training is open to all Local 888 members.

Please RSVP to [email protected].

Movie Night: Made in DagenhamWhen: Monday, December 16, 6-8:30PM

Where: Local 888 Lowell office, 104 University Avenue, Lowell

This award-winning film depicts a 1968 strike at a Ford auto fac-

tory in Dagenham, England where female workers walked out

in protest against discrimination.

Womens CaucusWhen: Wednesday, December 11, 6-8PMWhere: Local 888 union hall, 52 Roland Street, Charlestown

Local 888 Executive Board MeetingWhen: Wednesday, December 18, 10AMWhere: Local 888 union hall.

Getting Ready to Run TrainingWhen: Saturday, February 1, 2014Where: To Be AnnouncedAre you frustrated that the legislature isnt implement-ing more progressive policy? Think that you might makea difference by running for office or helping someonewho will? Curious what it would take? Mass Alliance andProgressive Massachusetts are teaming up to offer a work-shop designed for progressives who are thinking about

running or leading a campaign in the 2014 primary. Call617-722-4320 for an application.

Local888ScholarshipsLocal888hasascholar-shipprogramformem-

bersandtheirimmediatefamilywithawardsupto$500. Threescholar-shipswillbeawardedforanyqualifiedcol-legeorpost-secondaryeducationprogramandtwoscholarshipsaredesignatedspecificallyforlabor-studyprograms.Applyandlearnaboutadditionalscholarshipsatwww.seiu888.org/888members/[email protected]:Applica-tiondeadlineisDecember1

5!

Holyoke Soldiers Home Executive Board memberKwesi Ablordeppey and Brenda Rodrigues presenteda check for $1,000 to the Shiners Hospital for Childrenin Springfield. The money was raised at the SpaghettiDinner in October organized by the WesternMassachusetts Caucus.


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The Spark December 2013 www.seiu888.org

Public Defenders Seek Voice continued from cover

Chris Gonsalves, a CPCS investigator, told law-makers that experienced and dedicated employeesare increasingly leaving the agency for other agen-cies or the private sector.

Public defender Chris Williams, who worksin CPCSs Fall River office, points out that most ofthe other workers whom the defenders encountereveryday--court officers, DCF attorneys, DMH attor-neys and DTA attorneyshave the right to organizeand have formed unions. Said Williams: Like all otherstate workers, we deserve a voice in our future.

Northeastern law professor and labor law expertKarl Klare also weighed in on behalf of the publicdefenders. It is fundamental to a democratic societythat all employees are entitled to have a voice in thedecisions that affect their working lives, said Klare.These men and women made a life-choice to foregomaximum personal gain and prestige to perform amission indispensable to justice and the rule of law.

The Public Service Committee will decide whetherto report the bill out to the Ways and Means Commit-tee and then the full House of Representatives. Local888 members can support the public defenders bidfor a voice at work by writing or calling their StateRepresentatives and urging them to support HouseBill 2389. Please call or email Local 888 to let usknow what your Rep. said.

You can follow the progress of the legislation at

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/188/House/H2389

Meet the Crazy 8s Winners

Congratulations to the winnersof last months Crazy 8s contest.Scott Hampton,WestwoodSchools found 110 eights in The

Spark and won the first placeprize of a $75 gift card. AmyEddy, from UMass Lowell wasthe second place winner ($50)and Priscilla March, also fromUMass Lowell, was third ($25).

Local 888 Aids in Effort to Raise

Minimum Wage

More than 275,000 Massachusetts residents havesigned onto an effort to raise the state minimumwage and guarantee earned sick days. The successfulsignature gathering, spearheaded by Raise Up Mas-sachusetts, reflected the hard work of thousandsof individuals, along with community organizations,church groups, social service agencies and unions.Local 888 staff and members set out to collect 2,000signatures and ended up bringing in 3,250. If statelawmakers fail to enact a bill raising the minimumwage, voters will get the last say in November 2014,when both the minimum wage and earned sick timequestions will appear on the ballot.

Barnes O & M Unit gets

Chapter Visit

Local 888 Secretary-Treasurer Brenda Rodrigues visitedwith members at the Barnes Air National Guard Basein Westfield to discuss contract and representationalissues. Members Chris Gouin, Mike Feeneyand DavidPayeare in the operations and maintenance unit there.If youd like Rodrigues or Local 888 President MarkDelloRusso to meet with your chapter, call Brenda at617-421-3300 or email [email protected].

Stay in the loop and

up-to-date by liking

Local 888 on Facebook.

Find us at:

www.facebook.com/

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seiu local 888 december 2013 spark

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