It’s Time to Raise the Minimum Wage Again

Labor unions have always been a driving force behind every minimum wage increase in Massachusetts and across the US. Let’s continue to honor Labor Day by acknowledging recent gains and continuing the fight for fair wages.

We’ve been proud to fight alongside labor for a fair and just economy in coalitions like Raise Up Massachusetts, and we’ve had some big victories, such as winning a $15 minimum wage and paid family and medical leave.

From 2013 to 2018, RUM worked to bring the statewide minimum wage closer to a minimum wage, and given the stagnation of the federal minimum wage, that $15 is something to be proud of. But it’s still not a living wage.

And given the rising costs of health care, housing, child care, and basic goods, it doesn’t stretch as far as it did in June of 2018.

That’s why it’s time to raise the minimum wage again.

New legislation, filed earlier this year by Sen. Jason Lewis and Reps. Tram Nguyen and Dan Donahue would raise the minimum wage to $20 and index it to inflation so that it doesn’t lose value over time.

Can you write to your state legislators in support of raising the minimum wage?

2023 MetroWest Elections

2023 MetroWest Elections

Progressive Framingham/MetroWest invited municipal candidates in Framingham and Marlborough to fill out a candidate questionnaire and be considered for endorsement. You can read questionnaires below.
 
Not sure of your ward? You can find that out at www.wheredoivotema.com.
 
Preliminary Election (Framingham): September 19, 2023 — District 9 only (Precincts 1, 2, 3)
 
Preliminary Election (Marlborough): October 10, 2023
 
General Election: November 7, 2023

Framingham District 2 Councilor (OPEN)

Candidates:

  • Sean Silk
  • Brandon Ward

Read the questionnaires:

Sean Silk
Brandon Ward

Framingham District 3 Councilor

Candidates:

  • Adam Steiner (incumbent)

Read the questionnaires:

Adam Steiner

Framingham District 4 School Committee Member

Candidates:

  • Adam Freudberg (incumbent)

Read the questionnaires:

Adam Freudberg

Framingham District 5 School Committee Member (OPEN)

Candidates:

  • Judith Styer

Cheryl Gordon and Ernest Moreau did not submit questionnaires.

Read the questionnaires:

Judith Styer

Marlborough Mayor (OPEN)

Candidates:

  • Patrick Hogan
  • Samantha Perlman

Christian Dumais, Michael Baker, and Paul Ferro did not submit questionnaires.

Read the questionnaires:

Patrick Hogan
Samantha Perlman

Marlborough Councilor At-Large

Candidates:

  • Mark Oram (incumbent)
  • Katie Robey (incumbent) 

Michael Ossing (incumbent), Sean Navin, Scott King, and Keavin Duffy did not submit questionnaires.

Read the questionnaires:

Mark Oram
Katie Robey

Marlborough Ward 1 Councilor (OPEN)

Candidates:

  • Mark Vital

Read the questionnaires:

Mark Vital
Return to Elections & Endorsements >>

Want to see more questionnaires?

Celebrate Labor Day by Supporting the Massachusetts State House Employee Union

Yesterday — Labor Day — your state legislators likely talked about how much they support labor here in Massachusetts. Pro-labor legislators need to not only support unions organizing across the state but also support those organizing in the State House itself.

If you have ever interacted with your state representative’s or state senator’s office, you know how hard-working State House aides are. They coordinate the responses to constituent services requests, they connect people to needed agencies and services, they help draft and decipher policy, they staff community events across the district, and much, much more.

But compared to the work that they do and the talent that they have, they are underpaid, and they lack a voice at the job.

Despite the organizing work by the Massachusetts State House Employee Union, the MA Legislature has yet to voluntarily recognize the union, and many otherwise staunchly pro-labor legislators have yet to voice their support.

When State House staff are not provided fair wages, safe and healthy work conditions, or a seat at the table, we lose talent and limit who can even consider entering public service in the first place. When we don’t have all of the diverse voices of the Commonwealth at the table, we miss vital perspectives in crafting policy.

Can you write to your state legislators today to support collective bargaining rights for State House staff?

S.2014/H.3069(An Act relative to collective bargaining rights for legislative employees) would permit legislative staff in the House and Senate to form a union, if they want to, for the purpose of negotiating their wages, benefits, and working conditions.

To learn more about legislative staffers’ union drive, visit: https://statehouseemployeeunion.org/.

One More Way to Take Action

Want to help us reach our to more people? This summer, we restarted an Activist Afternoons series. For the fall, we’ll be switching to weekdays.

Tomorrow, at 6:30 pm, we’ll be making calls in support of these bills.

Can you join us tomorrow?

Happy Labor Day! Support Workers Year-Round.

🔎New Feature on Our Scorecard Website

Do you know what your legislators are up to?

Our Legislator Scorecard website (https://scorecard.progressivemass.com/) helps you do so, and we’re happy to announce a new feature. We aren’t yet far enough into the session to update votes for this legislative session (Stay tuned!). However, now, in addition to looking up your legislator and the bills that they are co-sponsoring, you can look up co-sponsors by bill on the Sponsored Bills page.

This helps give you a big-picture view of which state senators and state reps are already on board with a bill and who needs some friendly, and organized, pressure.

PM Scorecard website with "Sponsored Bills" circled in green

Even if you actively follow the news (what little coverage of state politics there is), or check the State Legislature’s labyrinthine website, it can still be difficult to know how your legislators voted and what bills they are championing.

That’s why our Legislator Scorecard website is such a vital tool. It allows you to see how your legislators are voting on the progressive issues you care about, and it allows you to see if they are co-sponsoring key bills. Such data points help break down the information barriers that residents face to becoming effective everyday lobbyists.

So check out the new feature — as well as the old ones. And if you have any questions (An error? A bill you’d like to see us include? Something else entirely? Want to help?), let us know.

One more ask….We’ve been diligently keeping track of votes since 2011. And doing that takes work. It take staff time, volunteer time, and tech platforms that cost money.

So if you value that work, and I hope you do, please consider making a donation to keep it going.

Here’s What Fair Share Is Delivering in its First Year

Last year, voters like you showed up in November to vote for the Fair Share Amendment because you understood the importance of a fairer tax code and greater investment in public education and transportation. And you didn’t just show up to vote — you canvassed, phone-banked, text-banked, tabled, spoke to neighbors, and much more.

Now that Governor Maura Healey has signed the FY 2024 budget, we can see how much the Fair Share Amendment has delivered in its first year. Let’s take a look.

  • $229 million for public colleges and universities
  • $224 million for K-12 public schools
  • $70.5 million for early education and care
  • $175 million for roads and bridges
  • $95.7 million for regional public transit
  • $205.8 million for the MBTA
✅$229 million for public colleges and universities ✅$224 million for K-12 public schools ✅ $70.5 million for early education and care ✅$175 million for roads and bridges ✅$95.7 million for regional public transit ✅$205.8 million for the MBTA

For early education and K-12 public education, that means….

For early education and care, that means $25 million for reducing the early education and care waitlist, $15 million for additional early education and care slots, $25 million for early educator and pay benefits, $5.5 million for expansion of pre-K. For K-12, public schools, that means....$150 million for school building projects and green schools, $69 million for universal school meals, $5 million for early college programs

For public higher education, that means….

For public higher education, that means.... $109 million for financial aid for Massachusetts public colleges and universities $20 million for the endowment match program $50 million for maintenance of physical buildings Free community college for students ages 25+ and nursing students this fall $50 million for free community college Building towards free community college for all students in fall 2024

For roads, bridges, and regional transit, that means….

For roads and bridges, that means $100 million for municipal roads and bridges, $50 million for state bridges, and $25 million for federal matching funds. For regional transit, that means $90 million for regional transit agencies(funding fare-free pilot program, expanded service hours, weekend services, and route expansions) and $5.7 million for ferry service.

For the MBTA, that means…

For the MBTA, that means... $70 million for station and accessibility improvements $50 million for MBTA bridges $30 million for subway track and signal improvements $20 million for commuter rail infrastructure $20 million for work and safety improvements $10.8 million for design of the Red-Blue connector $5 million to study a low-income MBTA fare program

(See a written version of this information here.)

But Wait…The Fight Continues

The new revenue raised by the Fair Share Amendment could be at risk this fall if the Legislature passes major tax giveaways for the ultra-rich and large corporations.

Massachusetts needs to prioritize spending on what will make our state truly affordable, equitable, and competitive: programs that support working people and ensure a labor force adequate to our economy’s needs. That, in turn, requires that families have affordable housing, childcare, educational opportunities, and reliable transportation to make it possible for them to work, gain skills, and earn a good living.

We need to act NOW to protect the Fair Share Amendment from tax avoidance, and ensure that Massachusetts can invest more in our schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and public transit systems. At the same time, we need to make sure our legislators don’t give away billions of dollars to the ultra-rich.

Can you write to your state legislators to thank them for the budget victories and urge them to protect Fair Share revenue?

Email Your Legislators

2023 Newton Municipal Elections

2023 Newton City Council elections

Progressive Newton invited City Council candidates to fill out a candidate questionnaire and be considered for endorsement. You can read questionnaires below.
 
Not sure of your ward? You can find that out at www.wheredoivotema.com.
 

Preliminary Election: September 12, 2023

General Election: November 7, 2023

Ward 2 (OPEN)

Candidates:

  • Peter Bruce
  • Dan Gaynor
  • David Micley

Incumbent Emily Norton is not seeking re-election.

Read the questionnaires:

Dan Gaynor

Ward 4 (OPEN)

Candidates:

  • Randall Block
  • Doris Ann Sweet

Incumbent Chris Markiewicz is not seeking re-election.

Read the questionnaires:

Doris Ann Sweet

Ward 6 (OPEN)

Candidates:

  • Martha Bixby
  • Lisa Gordon
  • Mark Holt

Incumbent Brenda Noel is not seeking re-election.

Read the questionnaires:

Martha Bixby

Ward 8

Candidates:

  • Holly Ryan (incumbent)
  • Stephen Farrell

Read the questionnaires:

Holly Ryan

Ward 3 At-Large

Candidates:

  • Andrea Kelley (incumbent)
  • Pam Wright (incumbent)

Read the questionnaires:

Andrea Kelley

Ward 5 At-Large

Candidates:

  • Deb Crossley (incumbent)
  • Andreae Downs (incumbent)
  • Rena Getz

Read the questionnaires:

Deb Crossley
Andreae Downs

Ward 6 At-Large

Candidates:

  • Alicia Bowman (incumbent)
  • Vicki Danberg (incumbent)
  • Alan Lobovits

Read the questionnaires:

Alicia Bowman
Vicki Danberg

Ward 7 At-Large

Candidates:

  • Becky Grossman (incumbent)
  • Mark Laredo (incumbent)

Read the questionnaires:

Becky Grossman
Return to Elections & Endorsements >>

Want to see more questionnaires?

📣Good News in the State Budget — and Next Steps

On Monday (a month past the deadline), the MA House and Senate came to an agreement on the budget for the next fiscal year.

We wanted to highlight some of the important victories in it:

  • Tuition equity for all students regardless of immigration status
  • Permanent funding for universal school meals
  • No Cost Calls, keeping incarcerated individuals and their families connected
FY 2024 budget victories from the surrounding text (Graduation cap, school meal, mother with child on phone)

These victories came because of people like you reaching out to your legislators (and then reaching out to friends to do so too) and keeping the momentum going.

The budget also contained transformative new investments because of the Fair Share amendment, which you voted for and organized for last year.

Raise Up MA @RaiseUpMA · Jul 31 With the state budget released last night, voters can now see exactly how the first billion dollars from the #FairShare Amendment will be spent. Legislators are delivering on the promise of the Fair Share Amendment by making new investments in transportation & public education. Raise Up MA @RaiseUpMA This year, Fair Share funding will help: 🚃Upgrade the MBTA 👩‍🎓Make public college more affordable 🌉Repair bridges 🍱Provide free school meals for all students 🏫Build green schools 🚍Expand local bus service 🚸Increase access to early education ⛴️Support new ferry service

But the fight is not over yet…..

Call Gov. Healey to urge her to sign the budget

The budget doesn’t become law until Gov. Healey signs it.

Can you call her office at (617) 725-4005 to urge her to support Tuition Equity, Permanent Universal School Meals, and No Cost Calls without changes?

The call can be short and sweet: it just needs that simple message.

Urge Your State Legislators to Reject Tax Cuts for the Ultra-Rich and Large Corporations

Although the Legislature came to an agreement on the budget, they are still in negotiations about a tax reform package.

Massachusetts needs to prioritize spending on what will make our state truly affordable, equitable, and competitive: programs that support working people and ensure a labor force adequate to our economy’s needs. That, in turn, requires that families have affordable housing, childcare, educational opportunities, and reliable transportation to make it possible for them to work, gain skills, and earn a good living.

We need to act NOW to protect the Fair Share Amendment from tax avoidance, and ensure that Massachusetts can invest more in our schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and public transit systems. At the same time, we need to make sure our legislators don’t give away billions of dollars to the ultra-rich.

Can you write to your state legislators to thank them for the budget victories and urge them to protect Fair Share revenue?

Email Your Legislators

PM Joins Coalition of 20 Organizations Calling for Elimination of Fines and Fees in the Juvenile Justice System

This week, Progressive Mass joined a coalition of 20 organizations from the Massachusetts Coalition for Juvenile Justice Reform in a letter to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in support of legislation to eliminate fines and fees in the juvenile justice system.

As the joint letter notes, “By eliminating the remaining eight fines and fees imposed on juveniles, it will firmly root the juvenile court process on conditions based on the developmentally appropriate needs of youth and not on their financial status.”

You can view the full letter here.

Pro-Vaccine Voices Needed: Send in Testimony in Support of the Community Immunity Act

Yesterday, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health heard testimony on the Community Immunity Act.

If we want to be ready for the next pandemic, or even just ready for the next outbreak of a disease we thought we were decades past, we need to be strengthening and standardizing our infrastructure for immunization. We need to leave the past three years with lessons borne out in policy.

The Community Immunity Act is an essential part of that path forward. The bill facilitates robust data collection to assess gaps in statewide vaccine delivery, standardizes immunization protocols for our schools and other youth programs, and supports local interventions in communities lacking herd immunity against dangerous (and even deadly) yet preventable diseases.

Two years ago, I testified in support of the bill and was horrified by much of what I heard during the hearing. Over 15+ hours back in July 2021, the Committee heard from literally hundreds of individuals who espoused toxic disinformation about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, grossly distorted and flatly misstated the content of the Community Immunity Act, and personally attacked the character of any legislators and public health professionals who care about strong immunization policy and infectious disease prevention.

That’s why voices of people like YOU, who believe in pro-science and pro-public-health policy, are so important.

Can you submit written testimony in support of the Community Immunity Act?

You can use the link above or copy, paste, and adapt the text from it and send it to Rosalind Jordan (rosalind.jordan@mahouse.gov) and Brian Rosman Brian.Rosman@masenate.gov).

A Week Full of Hearings

This week has been full of hearings at the State House. If you haven’t already, make sure your voice gets heard in support of the following bills that we spoke about in recent emails: