SEIU Massachusetts State Council, SEIU

Coakley endrs 2 State Council Endorses Martha Coakley for Senate

"I can be a different kind of leader," said Coakley at a senate forum held earlier this month. The Attorney General has guaranteed that she will be a strong supporter of the rights of working class people. She is a strict enforcer of wage and hour laws and recently announced enhanced oversight of compensation practices for executives of Massachusetts' health care organizations.

Coakley SF2 SEIU members know Martha Coakley has worked tirelessly to ensure workers are accurately and fairly compensated for their labor by employers across every key industry in our state, and that her hands-on work around executive compensation and controlling healthcare costs mirror their own values. Martha Coakley’s efforts as Attorney General have touched very directly and personally the lives of our members, protecting them at work and in the community.

SF2 The endorsement was determined through a member-driven process that included a Candidate forum on Saturday, October 3rd, attended by over three hundred members from across the state, as well as other input from Local Union leaders, members and State Council delegates.

Click here to watch a highlights video from the press conference.

Watch media coverage of the press conference from WCVB-TV 5, NECN, WHDH-TV 7, and WBZ-TV 4.

Click here to read coverage from the Boston Globe.

Click here to write your Members of Congress
and show your support for majority signup.

Invest in our Future ! Stop the Cuts !

On the opening day of the budget debate the State Council, in partnership with Neighbor to Neighbor, sponsored a Lobby Day at the State House to demand that legislators stop budget cuts to essential services in our communities, and raise revenue so we can invest in our schools, infrastructure and social programs.
Rev Hearing 1

State Council holds First Legislative Breakfast
LB Attendees April 27, 2009 - SEIU State Council leaders and SEIU members met with elected officials met for breakfast to discuss our legislative priorities and issues that affect working families in Massachusetts and nationally. Among the issues presented were the Employee Free Choice Act, Healthcare reform, a Massachusetts initiative for paid sick days, and Education Parity for immigrant students. Physicians for CIR also spoke regarding a new bill to regulate hours for resident physicians. Capuano and Grunko Rocio and SF chang and Eldridge

Speakers included Attorney General Martha Coakley, Senator Niki Tsongas, Congressman Michael Capuano, Representatives Marie St. Fleur, LB Tsongas AG Coakley Jamie Eldrige and Sonia Chang Diaz, leaders and members from 1199, 615, 509 and CIR.

Burger King Backs off Opposition to Employee Free Choice

Under pressure from SEIU activists and allies like Brave New Films, Jobs with Justice, and the Coalition for Social Justice this week, Burger King scrambled to respond to allegations that it lobbied against the Employee Free Choice Act while paying its workers poverty wages. In a statement issued Friday, Burger King apparently backed off its opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act.

On February 19, 2009 members from Locals 509, 615 and 1199 in Boston joined activists from the Jobs with Justice, the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, the Coalition for Social Justice, the Massachusetts AFLCIO, and United for a Fair Economy.

Our action began at the Burger King located at Park Street, then took to the streets and travelled to Government Center. Similar events took place in Worcester, Fall River, New Bedford and Fresh Pond in Cambridge. For local coverage of these events please check out the following stories:
Boston: http://www.metro.us/us/news/boston/
New Bedford: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/_images/pdf/newsfront.pdf

Victory at McDonald’s For Employee Free Choice

McDonalds demo

On December 18, after more than 500 activists visited McDonald’s locations nation-wide to talk with workers and consumers about McDonald’s opposition to the Employee Free Choice, the company backed down from their previous opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act.

lynch rally 1 SEIU Rallies Congressman Stephen Lynch to Support Healthcare Reform

July 15, 2009 - State Council leaders and local union members, including members of 1199, 615, 509 and CIR, held a noontime rally at the office of Congressman Stephen Lynch.
Representative Lynch has not shown the same support for healthcare reform as all of his other Congressional colleagues from Massachusetts.

lynch rally 3 A delegation also presented his office with our scorecard - showing his lack of support for the reforms we need to make sure that everyone has access to affordable healthcare - including a strong public plan - and urging him to support these measures.