Less Than Two Weeks Away: Strategies to Build Progressive Political Power Conference

Massachusetts has the reputation of being one of the most progressive states in the country. Yet we lack legislative transparency, have a progressive Democratic Party platform that the leadership ignores, and have a state government that struggles to pass progressive legislation.

In response, the Massachusetts Progressive Action Organizing Committee (MPAOC) invites you to an online Strategy Conference. We will focus on how progressive activists can gain the power to pass vigorous meaningful legislation and initiate changes to improve the lives of all of our citizens.

In panels and breakout groups, conference attendees will examine paths to increase progressive power, identify the obstacles to our success. and learn strategies to overcome them.

REGISTER HERE


Schedule

9:30 Welcome and call to order

9:50 Nina Turner – Plenary Speaker – founder, We Are Somebody; former Ohio state senator and Bernie Sanders campaigner

10:30 Panel 1 – Social/Economic Consequences in Massachusetts of excess military spending

Three activists who organize to support the social and economic needs of the people of Massachusetts will speak on how the Pentagon budget is starving state and local budgets.

Rep. Mike Connolly, state representative from Cambridge and Somerville, will speak about needed housing policies, including social housing and rent control.

Katie Murphy RN, president of the Mass. Nurses Association, will talk about the crisis in nursing and healthcare as providers try to rebuild the increasingly profit-driven system after COVID.

Jonathan King, professor emeritus of molecular biology at MIT and board co-chair at Mass. Peace Action, will address the impact on the important science and technology industries in Massachusetts.

11:30 Breakouts 1

12:30 Lunch break

1:15 Special presentation – Rep. Max Frost (D-FL)

1:30 Panel 2 – Overcoming Obstacles: Learning From Successful Campaigns

Three speakers from three different, successful Massachusetts-based issue campaigns will name the three largest obstacles to their goals and the strategies they used to overcome them, using examples from their work.

Sonia Chang-Díaz, former State Senator and 2022 candidate for Governor, will talk about how she worked with allies to pass ‘The Student Opportunity Act’, later renamed ‘The Promise Act’, which significantly increased funding to poor school districts.

Harris Gruman, executive director, SEIU State Council, will speak about the successful Raise-Up campaign he helped lead to increase taxes on income over one million dollars (The Fair Share Amendment) to fund public schools and transit.

Tricia Farley Bouvier, state representative from Pittsfield, will tell us about the campaign she helped lead which resulted in qualified undocumented immigrants being able to get driver’s licenses.

2:30 Breakouts 2

3:30 Panel 3 – What Are We Going to Do?

Speakers from grassroots organizations that have advanced the progressive agenda will be asked to identify barriers to continued progress as we enter 2024. Each will be asked to talk about strategies they employ and how they will use them to advance their political agenda.

Andrea Miller, founding board member of the Center for Common Ground, will talk about her work to build Democracy Centers in the U.S. South, addressing in particular the challenge of alienation from electoral work that is growing in communities of color.

Nicky Osborne will speak about her work to organize in southeast Massachusetts against MAGA supporters who are running for school boards with funding from major right-wing organizations. She will talk about the extent of the MAGA threat in Massachusetts and effective organizing techniques.

4:30 Wrap-up

5:00 Adjourn

Over-criminalizing Our Youth: How MA’s Own “Crime Bill” Harms the Most Vulnerable Among Us

Prison

By Zoraida Fernandez

Over the past few years, there has been an important and growing societal reckoning with the damage done by the 1994 federal crime bill and the racist legacy of mass incarceration.

However, as a new report from Citizens for Juvenile Justice reminds us, the federal crime bill did not exist in isolation: it inspired a wave of misguided “tough-on-crime” bills in the states, including Massachusetts’s Armed Career Criminal Act (“ACCA” — Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 269 § 10G), with lasting harm on Massachusetts communities of color, particularly youth of color.

ACCA imposes harsher penalties on people convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm who previously had been convicted of at least one “violent crime” or “serious drug offense.” As this report demonstrates, however, ACCA has imposed unwarranted and draconian punishments on people, especially some of the most vulnerable in our community, including young people of color. And its effects have had devastating and long-lasting consequences not just for those incarcerated, but the communities who bear the burden of losing families to incarceration for extended periods.

How ACCA works to punish people more severely and curtail their rights

When the government convicts a person of unlawfully possessing a weapon, the conviction may trigger consideration of harsher punishment if the person has prior convictions for certain crimes (“predicate offenses”). When there is even one such prior conviction, including ones from someone’s youth (“juvenile adjudication”), ACCA imposes harsher punishments that must be served in state prison. One such prior conviction would trigger a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 years, two such prior conventions would trigger a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and three such prior convictions would trigger a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.

Strikingly, the report’s authors found that nearly half of all defendants charged under ACCA were charged under its most punitive provision, mandating a minimum of 15 years of incarceration.

  • ACCA imposes harsh punishment regardless of an individual’s circumstances

In non-ACCA criminal cases, judges consider not just the circumstances of the offense and the person’s criminal history, but also the person as an individual, when imposing a sentence. The defendant is entitled to present contextual information to explain why they committed the offense, information related to the impact of incarceration on their family or community, or any other information that would assist a judge in imposing a fair sentence. ACCA eliminates all contextual information. It also eliminates all opportunities for the criminal legal system to address the root causes of an individual’s repeat offending; it requires judges to simply impose at least the minimum term of years prescribed, no questions asked.  

  • Offenses committed by children can count as ACCA predicate offenses

Alarmingly, even juvenile adjudications—offenses that a person committed as a child—can count as predicate offenses for ACCA. There is a wealth of research indicating the immaturity of children’s developing brains and how this can affect decision-making. Given all this evidence, continuing to consider these offenses to justify enhanced punishments is deeply unjust. 

  • Prosecutors threaten defendants with ACCA enhancements to secure guilty pleas

Federal and state prosecutors routinely use the threat of charging defendants under ACCA as a cudgel to secure quick guilty pleas. When criminal defendants are faced with an enhanced 15-year sentence, the best of bad options for them may be to plead guilty to the charged offense—whether they committed the crime or not—rather than go to trial and risk spending decades in prison. Likewise, the report notes that criminal defense attorneys have had to forego filing motions to dismiss on behalf of their clients because prosecutors threaten ACCA enhancements. Neither the Legislature nor District Attorneys, whose mission is supposed to be the pursuit of justice, should stand for this systemic denial of people’s constitutional rights to their defense and to trial.

How ACCA disproportionately harms residents of color

The report notes that Black and Latine defendants make up over 75% of Massachusetts ACCA cases, despite making up less than 20% of the population. Moreover, ACCA cases are overwhelmingly charged in urban areas, with the Boston Police and State Police alone charging nearly half of ACCA cases during the time period analyzed, with the overwhelming majority of cases involving Black and Latine individuals.

More specifically, ACCA’s predicate drug offenses mean that people of color are disproportionately affected because, as noted in the report, laws criminalizing possession and distribution of drugs disproportionately target people of color. Police and prosecutors are more likely to charge residents of color with serious drug offenses because of overpolicing in their neighborhoods and prosecutorial discretion, respectively. ACCA exacerbates these inequities by using these charges to justify overly harsh punishments.

Similarly, stop-and-frisk policies and so-called hot-spot policing practices have meant that police disproportionately charge residents of color with gun possession charges that trigger ACCA.

And this disproportionality in charging residents of color with gun crimes as compared to white residents is even wider than that involving drug crimes.

Finally, the report notes that documented discrepancies also exist in charging decisions between white defendants and Black and Latine defendants. Prosecutors tend to charge Black and Latine individuals with more severe crimes than their white counterparts for the same or similar conduct, which leads to harsher punishment, including possible ACCA enhancements. The answer, however, is not to increase punishments for white individuals, but rather to decrease unwarranted and severe punishments for all criminal defendants.

Recommendations for action

Given the documented harm caused by ACCA punishment enhancements, the report details several recommendations for action. A few that stand out are:

  • The Legislature should eliminate ACCA. At the very least, it should start by modifying ACCA to enhance punishment only for individuals with three predicate offenses and removing drug offenses and charges of simple weapon possession as qualifying offenses.
  • The Legislature should prevent juvenile adjudications from counting as ACCA predicates.
  • Prosecutors should stop widespread use of ACCA charges and instate policies for its use only under limited circumstances.

The Legislature and District Attorneys’ offices should act expeditiously to ameliorate the harm that ACCA punishments have caused to entire communities.

MA Can Continue to Lead on Gun Violence Prevention

By Becca Kornet, Progressive Mass Western Norfolk County

Progressive Mass Western Norfolk County and the Medfield Democratic Town Committee co-hosted a virtual event on November 9 focused on gun violence. Rina Schneur from Moms Demand Action Massachusetts highlighted key statistics about gun violence, discussed the work that Moms does, and explained the omnibus gun violence bill recently passed by the State House (H.4139).

Moms Demand Action is an organization that advocates for gun safety laws, supports survivors and local partners, educates the public about secure gun storage, and supports candidates who will be champions for gun violence prevention.

Here are a few of the striking statistics she highlighted:

  • Every day, 120 Americans are killed with guns (up from 100 a day just a few years ago).
  • Firearms are the #1 leading cause of death for American children and teens.
  • While mass shootings are horrific and often motivate people to volunteer and take action, they actually represent <.5% of all gun deaths – the majority of gun deaths are suicides.
  • The gun death rate in the US is 20 times higher than that of other high-income countries.
Firearms are the #1 leading cause of death for American children and teens.
59% of gun deaths (2016-2020) were suicides
The gun death rate in the US is 20 times higher than that of other high income countries.

On October 18, the MA House voted 120 to 38 to pass H.4139: An Act Modernizing Gun Laws. Of Medfield’s two state representatives, Denise Garlick voted for the bill, and Marcus Vaughn voted against it.

Here’s what the bill would do:

  • Strengthen the process for and training associated with obtaining a license to carry a firearm
  • Ensure consistency in all forms of orders of protection and expands categories of people eligible to petition for protection
  • Rein in ghost guns by requiring firearm serialization and requiring the Department of Criminal Justice Information to collect and publish relevant data
  • Require all firearms sold in MA to be sold with locks or safety devices
  • Establish a commission to study the funding structure for violence prevention services and a commission to study and report microstamping and personalized handgun technology
  • Prohibit firearms in sensitive places (e.g., schools)
  • Raise the age of possessing a semi-automatic long gun to 21

The Massachusetts State Senate is working on its own bill, and we expect action by January. Please text MA to 64433 to contact your State Senator and urge them to take action.

News Roundup – November 3, 2023

Matt Stout, “Healey, promising more compassion, overhauls state’s guidelines for pardons, commutations,” Boston Globe, October 31, 2023.

“Healey, the state’s first openly gay governor, saidin weighing a petition for a commutation — or reducing a sentence — she intends to also consider whether a person is LGBTQ+, as well as a survivor of sexual assault, domestic violence, or human trafficking.”

“Investor eyed Boston. Then he considered his workers’ housing costs.,” Boston Globe (Letters), October 29, 2023.

“Wistful for my youth, I looked recently at investing in Boston and building a genetics lab. But what of my employees, whose salary would be consumed by one of the priciest real estate markets in the nation? I couldn’t do that to them or their families.”

Bahar Akmar Imboden, “Tracing the origins of our college affordability crisis,” CommonWealth, October 27, 2023.

“Let’s imagine a future where student loans are the exception, not the rule. Let’s demand a reality where high-quality, debt-free higher education is attainable for every aspiring student in the state.”

Bhaamati Borkhetaria, “Senate passes menstrual period equity bill,” CommonWealth, October 27, 2023.

“We have hundreds of years of stigma to combat to make it a top of mind priority so [that] when legislators are thinking about basic needs, they are thinking of period products,” said Goodfriend, the Mass NOW official.

The Editorial Board, “Statewide zoning could boost accessory dwelling unit construction,” Boston Globe, October 22, 2023.

“But there’s no substitute for a strong statewide policy. Rules for ADUs that are generally the same everywhere in Massachusetts should also attract more builders and lenders to create what is now still largely a bespoke product.”

Ian Rhodewalt, “Student Debt Is Haunting Us,” Daily Hampshire Gazette, October 17, 2023.

“There is currently legislation at the State House — the Cherish Act and the Debt Free Future bill — that will continue to use Fair Share Amendment funds to make high quality public higher education available for all. Call and write your legislators to make sure that they support these.”

Diti Kohli, “The median Uber and Lyft driver in Mass. makes $12.82 an hour, report finds,” Boston Globe, October 17, 2023.

“The study, based on third-party data from one million ride-hail trips in the state from June 2022 to July 2023, found that nearly three of five drivers made less than $15 an hour — the state minimum wage for hourly employees — and that half of ride-hail earnings were taken up by expenses such as gas and vehicle maintenance.”

Max Page and Debt McCarthy, “State needs to end MCAS as a graduation requirement,” Boston Globe, October 2, 2023.

“Educators, parents, students, and community allies have won big gains for school funding and greater economic equality. We need to reclaim real teaching from destructive high-stakes testing so that every child has the opportunity to receive the great public education they deserve.”

PM Joins Coalition of 100+ Groups Calling on Legislature to Fund Emergency Assistance Family Shelter

Progressive Mass signed onto the following letter organized by the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. You can see the full list of signers here.

October 30, 2023

The Honorable Senate President Karen Spilka
Office of the Senate President  
State House, Room 332
Boston, MA 02133

The Honorable Speaker Ronald Mariano
Office of the Speaker of the House
State House, Room 356
Boston, MA 02133

Re: Please Fund Emergency Assistance Family Shelter; Don’t Leave Kids Out in the Cold

Dear Senate President Spilka, Speaker Mariano, and members of the Legislature:

Thank you for your longstanding strong support of children and families in the Commonwealth. We are grateful for your commitment to meeting residents’ basic needs, and especially the needs of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

We write to ask you to urgently provide enough supplemental funding for the Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter program to enable it to continue to serve all eligible families who are experiencing homelessness at least through January. This would give state leaders time to carefully consider policy solutions to the surge in demand for family shelter. It would also be consistent with the 90-days advance notice that the line item, 7004-0101, requires before eligibility changes are made. Such notice has not yet been provided by the Administration to the Legislature.  

There is no greater basic need than shelter from the elements, which is why we are so proud to live in a state that guarantees a right to shelter to eligible children in need. We are keenly aware that the EA system is under great strain at the moment, and you and the Administration are working to develop solutions. In the meantime, however, we are deeply, deeply troubled by the notion that the state may shut shelter doors to new applicants and place eligible families on a waiting list starting this week, on November 1st.

We have seen what happens when families cannot access shelter. Toddlers huddle with their parents on the street. Children are forced to sleep in cars in the bitter cold. Parents and guardians attempt to protect themselves and their small loved ones from inclement weather and physical danger in places not meant for human habitation.  

Please appropriate the necessary funds to sustain our shelter system through January, at a minimum, as an interim measure while working to develop a more comprehensive, family-focused response that could be enacted when the Legislature returns from its winter recess.

Sincerely,

Progressive Watertown Hosts Polluters Pay Forum

Prog-Watertown-Polluters-Pay1

By Eileen Ryan, Progressive Watertown

On Sunday, October 22, Progressive Watertown and Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice and the Environment co-hosted an educational forum at the Watertown Public Library about the current Massachusetts Make Polluters Pay bill. The panel discussion was moderated by Watertown resident Connie Henry and included Laurel Schwab, Watertown Senior Environmental Planner, Dan Zackin, 350MA Legislative Coordinator, and Steve Owens, State Representative for the 29th Middlesex District. 

“Make Polluters Pay” is the informal name for An Act Establishing a Climate Change Superfund Promoting Polluter Responsibility, Bill H. 872/S.481. Similar bills are currently in front of the legislatures of Vermont, Maryland, and New York. Make Polluters Pay will provide Massachusetts communities with funds from the largest emitters of greenhouse gases to address the effects of the climate crisis. The funds will be used for resiliency and adaptation projects such as geo-thermal grids, flood mitigation, and the reduction of heat islands. 

Laurel Schwab spoke about the possible use of the funds in Watertown and other Massachusetts cities and towns.

Dan Zackin spoke about broadening the coalition of groups supporting Make Polluters Pay, to include labor unions and environmental justice communities as well as environmental groups. SEIU is already a supporter. 350MA is one of several organizations actively working to educate the public and legislators about the importance of Make Polluters Pay. 

State Rep. Steve Owens who is a co-sponsor of the bill with Senator Jamie Eldridge, spoke about why this bill is important and how it differs from a lawsuit. 

There was a small but well-informed audience that asked thoughtful questions and included three current Watertown City Councilors, one previous counselor, and a candidate for school committee.

Want to find out if your legislators are already supporters? Check out our Scorecard page here.

Daily Collegian: Debating the Effectiveness of New Tax Cuts

Sam Cavalheiro, “Massachusetts passes first tax cuts in almost two decades,” Daily Collegian, October 23, 2023.

Jonathan Cohn, Policy Director at Progressive Massachusetts (a progressive policy advocacy group,) was disappointed at the new tax law as he felt it only focused on  cutting taxes.

Cohn explains that Massachusetts voters, in the most recent election, voted out a Republican governor who was fiscally conservative and passed an increase on taxes on the wealthy, called the Fair Share Amendment.

“Shifting the entire discussion to cutting taxes feels like ‘Wait, what just happened in the last election?’ It’s just not the best use of that in the political moment,” he said.

Cohn argues that the tax cuts do little to make Massachusetts an affordable place, referencing the Child Tax Credit Expansion: “…raising that child tax credit of $440 is ultimately not going far for people given how expensive children are. In Massachusetts, the cost of childcare is over $20,000 a year and saying that their tax credit is [going to] go up from $140 to $440 over a few years, that’s not a significant amount.”

He also argues that the rental deduction will do little to make Massachusetts more affordable: “What the expansion of the rental deduction means maybe $50 more for many renters… and many people see their rent increase each year by more than $50.”

Cohn criticized the short-term capital gains cuts and estate tax cuts, which mostly affect wealthier residents. He questions who the tax cuts are benefiting.

“Is it disproportionately benefiting those who already have high incomes or is it benefiting the people who are really struggling with being able to afford to live in Massachusetts?”

The Fight for the Healthy Youth Act Isn’t Over

Last month, the MA Board of Elementary and Secondary Education did something they hadn’t done since last century: they made long overdue updates to the state’s sex ed curriculum framework.

That’s right: they had last revised it in 1999. For years, people have been calling for updates to the curriculum so that schools offer sex education that is comprehensive, medically accurate, LGBTQ-inclusive, and consent-informed.

Because of the advocacy of people like you, the new curriculum framework is much stronger, but we can and must do better for your young people.

That’s why the Healthy Youth Act (H.544 / S.268) is still so important.

The Healthy Youth Act would provide minimum standards with which school districts that teach sex ed must comply and contains critical provisions around data collection so that we know what districts are doing.

We can’t wait another two decades for the next update to the health education curriculum, and the Healthy Youth Act establishes a process for routine updates.

Earlier this week, the Joint Committee on Education heard testimony about this and other bills about school curricula. And if they haven’t already, they need to hear from you.

Can you write to the Committee about the importance of comprehensive sex ed and urge them to swiftly advance the Healthy Youth Act?


Email the Committee
Write your own testimony

The HERO Bill Can Help Us Tackle Both the Housing Crisis and the Climate Crisis

Testimony in support of H.2894 & S.1799 An Act providing for climate change adaptation infrastructure and affordable housing investments in the Commonwealth from Caroline Bays of Progressive Watertown

Chair Moran, Chair Cusack, and Members of the Joint Committee on Revenue:

Thank you for hearing my testimony.

My name is Caroline Bays and I have been a city councilor in Watertown for 6 years. Over the last few years several things have become clear – we have several existential issues facing us and we cannot address them without your help. 

Watertown, like most of eastern Massachusetts, is experiencing a housing crisis that is not going away. It is only getting worse. In just the six years I have been a councilor I have witnessed the city transform from a mixed class city with a wide variety of residents to a relatively rich extension of Cambridge. Our housing crisis extends to both the big A and little a affordable and we are going to have to come up with more innovative ways – and more money – to address the increasingly drastic issues of displacement we are experiencing.

But we have two existential crises facing us. Our city is very concerned about climate change and Watertown has passed a very aggressive climate action plan in our attempt to do our part to address the climate crisis, but in order to get to where we need to be by 2050 we will need money to implement our plan. We have hundreds of action items on our to-do list, and it ranges from comparatively small financial commitments, such as adding more street trees and EV chargers to incredibly expensive commitments such as retrofitting all of our municipal buildings to make them greener and creating a green municipal fleet. We need money for all of it. And it will mean multi-millions of dollars in investment. 

The HERO Bill is one low impact mechanism to help generate the money we need to meet our commitments. It is a comparatively small fee but it will generate money that can have a large impact on cities and towns, by helping us to meet our housing and climate goals. 

I will be delighted if you pass the enabling act for the transfer fee and I support that bill wholeheartedly, but that will not be enough. We are facing the humanitarian crisis of homelessness and the existential crisis of climate change. Now is the time for action and all of us in Watertown are doing our best to meet these crises, but we need your help. On behalf of my city and others across the Commonwealth, I am asking for your support. I urge you to report H.2894 & S.1799 out favorably so the state can raise the funds which will help our towns and cities do our part to implement the solutions we all know we need.

Thank you for hearing my testimony.

Why the UAW Strike Matters

UAW strike

By Enid Eckstein, JP Progressives

On September 14, United Automobile Workers took to the picket lines to begin their “Stand Up Strike.” The first week, workers struck a number of strategic profitable plants at the “Big 3” automakers: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. Over the next few weeks, the strike expanded to parts suppliers and other assembly plants. The idea is to increase pressure gradually and keep the companies guessing what is next. On September 21, Massachusetts Stellantis workers at the Mansfield facility joined the strike. Over 30,000 workers are now on the picket lines in 22 states. President Biden made history when he joined the UAW line in suburban Detroit, demonstrating his support to the striking workers.

It is not just our strike, it is a strike for social justice”, Shawn Fain, UAW President

During the 2007-2008 recession, the automakers were in trouble and facing bankruptcy. The Obama administration and the automakers pushed for major concessions. The UAW leadership agreed, and workers were forced to weaken pensions and retiree health benefits, give up cost of living adjustments, cut overtime pay, and agree to a multi-tier pay structure and temporary workers. Those hired after 2007 would be paid significantly less, and not receive the same pensions. As the employers hired more workers and began recovery, there were workers working side by side with radically different pay rates for performing the same work. One worker would receive $ 32/hour and another $19 for the same job. It would take a worker 8 years to reach the top of the scale, and many never make it since they are considered temporary workers, making even less an hour.  

In March 2023, UAW members voted in a historic direct election for the officers of their union, following a long fight for a more democratic union. A new leadership, led by Shawn Fain, took charge and immediately began to educate, organize, and mobilize workers in a contract campaign. Key demands for this contract campaign include the end of the temporary workers classification and the end of the multi-tier system. The workers want everything they gave up to be restored and to receive a significant pay increase to make up for the years of concessions. Union members sacrificed and lost income for the last 16 years while the companies made billions.

This is also a strike about the future of the auto industry and its transition to electric vehicles. The union is demanding job security—the right to strike over plant closings and for Electric Vehicle workers to be bought under the union’s three master agreements. As UAW President Shawn Fain says, this is about a “just transition”: ensuring that the transition to a green economy is one that lifts up workers, not leaves them behind. The union has also fought for a reduced work week. It was during the 1930s that the UAW won the five-day work week. Yes, the folks “that brought you the weekend” are once again fighting for a shorter work week.

A recent Gallup poll found that 75% of the public supports the UAW strike. Just as the Writers Guild and AFTRA/SAG strike were about more than wages, this strike is a strike against corporate greed and high CEO pay, and it is an effort to restore the American dream for auto workers. This is a fight for the future of American manufacturing workers.

The companies and CEOs raked in billions while the workers lost out

All three companies have been extremely profitable. In the first 6 months of this year, they took in $21 billion. Estimates are they made $32 billion in profits due to the concessions, yet workers lost 19% of their wages during the same period. Car prices rose by 35% over the last four years, so the companies are doing well as are the CEOs. Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, was paid $28.9 million last year. The CEOs of Stellantis and Ford each $24.8 Million and $21.0 million respectively. According to UAW President Shawn Fain, “a worker would have to work 400 years to equal a year of CEO pay.”

What you can do!

The Mansfield Stellantis Facility (550 Forbes Road) is a small facility, and the 60-some workers need your help and support. They maintain a 24-hour active picket line. So far, many unions have joined the picket line, providing needed bodies and moral support. Senators Warren and Markey have also joined the line. Special shout-out to State Senator Paul Feeney who has walked the line many nights and is working to build other support.

The picket line is lively since the company is moving supplies and trucks in and out.

Organize a group of friends or members of your chapter to take a trip to Mansfield. Talk to the workers on the picket line. They are very friendly and appreciative of support. Make a sign telling them who you are and why you are there. Bring coffee and other refreshments.

A recent Labor Notes story also encourages people to call the Big 3 CEOs at 318-300-1249 and leave a message telling the CEO’s to settle. Let people know you support the members of the UAW in their fight against corporate greed.