NSLC February Newsletter

Victory Over Charter Expansion

This week the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) voted down a proposed measure to greatly expand the number of seats allocated to the Kipp Academy charter school in Lynn. This measure would have siphoned away an additional $8 million per year from Lynn Public Schools and diverted those funds to Kipp.

This drastic cut in funding to LPS would have come at a time when public education all over our country is attacked. Dismantling public education and empowering private sector educators is a major project of the current administration. This is done in no small part as a union busting tactic to weaken the strength of teacher's unions. We applaud those members of BESE that voted in favor of funding public schools and rejected the charter expansion in Lynn. We also want to thank Mayor Nicholson, Senator Crighton, and Reps Sean Reid, Jenny Armini, and Dan Cahill for testifying in front of the board in favor of Lynn Public Schools. This vote would also not have been possible without the efforts of the Lynn Teachers Union, Neighbor to Neighbor, and the students of LPS that stood united against this measure. When our communities are united we can effect real change.

Hospital Closures Delayed, For Now

This week Governor Maura Healey announced that she was pausing her plans to close the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospitals for Children and Pocasset Mental Health Center. This plan was originally introduced alongside a state budget that saw cuts to essential services. Chrissy Lynch, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, said the union was "encouraged and grateful" that the governor listened to concerns about the planned closures and decided to pause the effort.

Massachusetts Nurses Association spokesman David Schildmeier added that the pause on these closures is, "an encouraging step for the preservation of both facilities, and we look forward to working with the families, caregivers, policymakers and all stakeholders to ensure that these facilities are permanently preserved and that those impacted by these services have a seat at the table to ensure the proper investments are made to continue and hopefully expand care for the most vulnerable in the Commonwealth, and this includes restoring cuts proposed to case management services."

Although these plans are on pause for now, we shouldn't be led to believe that these closures are completely off the table. Unions and communities across Massachusetts came together to oppose these closures, and we must remain united and vigilant against any future cuts to the social spending on essential services.

As part of that effort, we highly encourage everyone to attend the SEIU 509 Informational Picket in Salem on March 4th. It will be held from 3PM to 5PM at Riley Plaza, 2 Margin St, Salem(by the U.S. Post Office). If you plan on attending make sure to wear purple!

WILD in the Winter a Success

This past weekend the Women's Institute for Leadership Development held their "WILD in the Winter" event hosted at the NSLC. The event was well attended and featured a host of informative speakers, panelists, and a series of engaging workshops. We want to thank WILD, the NSLC Women's Committee, and all other groups and volunteers that make the event a success. We also want to thank MA AFL-CIO President Chrissy Lynch for addressing the conference.

"Protect Our Kids" Statewide Day of Action

AFT Massachusetts is organizing a statewide day of action to protest the assault public education is facing at the hands of the Trump administration. Threats to dismantle the Department of Education, the push to cut federal funding for education, and the takeover of education by private unaccountable entities, all deeply harm children and families all over the country. Join AFT on March 4th to stand up and tell legislators that enough is enough!

The information for the Lynn Walk Ins is in the graphic below. For information on other actions in the state, or to volunteer to host actions, visit this page: AFT March 4th Actions.

Newest Council Members

We Want to thank a moment to welcome our two newest delegates to the North Shore Labor Council. This past Wednesday we swore in Emmylou Manwill from UAW 2320 and Daniel Antoine from UFCW 1445. We couldn't be more happy to have you join us, and we're always proud to be able to work with both the UFCW and UAW. Welcome brother and sister!

Stand Up for Migrant Fishing Workers' Rights

Migrant fishers in Taiwan's distant-water fishing industry, many from Indonesia, face routine deaths, injuries, and disappearances, all stemming from the blatant disregard for the safety and labor rights of the fishers who make its profits. They go on trips of 6 months and longer with no way to communicate with their families or report injury and abuse while the corporations plunder the ocean.. They fish the tuna in the cans that many of us buy on a regular basis.

On March 17, these migrant fishers are taking their fight directly to the Boston Seafood Expo, demanding that the seafood industry take immediate action to address this extreme abuse. It's time for the industry to prioritize the health and safety of fishers and uphold their labor rights. Together we can use our power as unions, community allies, and consumers in the U.S. to stand with these workers. Enough is enough!

We highly encourage everyone to attend the rally to support these workers. All details are in the flyer below. MA Global Labor Justice is also holding a roundtable discussion on the 16th titled "Practical Solutions for Companies to Protect Fishers' Labor Rights in Distant Water Fisheries." You can find more information about that event here: Link to Roundtable Event.

"Labor and the Left" Conference

Join the Labor Resource Center at UMass Boston on March 8th for the 2025 annual Boston Labor Conference. Featuring speakers and panelists such as MA AFL-CIO President Chrissy Lynch, AFT MA President Jessica Tang, and the North Shore Labor Council's very own Jeff Crosby, the conference will be an important contribution to the discussion on what labor's role is in the current political environment. We highly encourage everyone to attend! The full program for the conference can be found here: link to conference program. To register for the event, visit here: link to register.