April 12: Quality Home Care Workforce Act advocacy day Come Support Quality Home Care, 12:00 PM, Grand Staircase, State House.

The PCA Quality Home Care Workforce Act, S. 139/H. 4246 makes it easier for people with disabilities and seniors to find and keep personal care attendants and gives personal care attendants the ability to form a union and advocate for better wages and benefits. Join 1199 SEIU, Jobs with Justice, seniors and people with disabilities as we advocate for quality home care. It is very important that we all join together to educate our legislators about the importance of this bill, making PCA services more accessible and stabilizing the PCA workforce.

April 12: Death in the Haymarket

Book Release Party to celebrate the publication of Prof. James Green's new book, Death in the Haymarket. Jim will read from his book and sign copies from 5:00–7:00 pm at Campus Center Alumni Lounge, UMass Boston. Light refreshments will be served. Co-sponsored by CPCS Labor Resource Center and Labor Studies Alums Network. For more information, please contact jean.pishkin@umb.edu or UMASS/Boston Labor Resource Center at 617-287-7426.

Harvard security guards organize

Security guards at AlliedBarton, a security firm used by Harvard University, are trying to organize with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615. Workers who have complained about the company's grievance process have been harassed and threatened with suspension. At a March 8 teach-in sponsored by the Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM), guard Fidel E. Solano said that managers “do not have respect for the people who really come in to work here."

Coke off campus

SLAM has launched a campaign to end Harvard contracts with Coca-Cola. At the teach-in, Gerrardo Cajamarca, a former Coke employee in Columbia, charged that Coke-funded paramilitaries had assassinated eight Colombian union organizers. Cajamarca said, “this is an effort to sow fear, sow terror in the hearts of these workers who are trying to form a union.”

Carpenters picket Cambridgeport development

On top of neighborhood objections, the developer of Blessed Sacrament now faces Carpenters Local 40. They picketed the site of his 49 condo project on Pearl Street in Cambridgeport, calling for developer Paul Ognibene to use union carpenters. Union members were joined by State representatives Tim Toomey, Jr. and Marty Walz. The Cambridge Chronicle wrote that "Ognibene was a campaign organizer for former Republican state treasurer candidate Bruce Herzfelder, who is also an investor in the Blessed Sacrament project. He worked as a consultant in the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, which is run by Herzfelder's wife."

Rally to raise the minimum wage

More than 100 supporters of raising the minimum wage to $8.25 rallied at the State House on March 22. The Legislature’s Joint Labor and Workforce Development Committee has approved a smaller increase over the next two years. AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes called for amending the bill to provide the full increase, and said legislator's votes would be considered in future endorsement decisions.

West Springfield nurses file for mediation

School nurses in West Springfield have filed for state mediation after four months of unsuccessful negotiations with the school department. The last proposal put forward by management would pay nurses 30 percent less than teachers, counselors or librarians.

Springfield: firefighters reject offer

In other news from Western Mass., Springfield firefighters returned the Finance Control Board's latest offer - delivering the shredded offer with a note to executive director Philip Puccia reading, "Phil. Thanks but no thanks. Your offer is totally unacceptable. Please just honor the contract and the law. Springfield Firefighters." The Finance Control Board, a creation of Mitt Romney and the legislature, has been trying to resolve Springfield's financial crisis on the backs of its workers.

Utility locals merge

Utility Workers Union of America Local 654, representing employees at National Grid (formerly Mass. Electric), RCN, the Pilgrim nuclear plant and elsewhere, has merged with Local 369 (the NSTAR local). The combined local will consist of more than 3,000 members.

KeySpan workers ratify contract

1,200 gas utility workers at KeySpan (also now part of National Grid) have ratified a new contract providing 3 percent raises over the next three years. The contract was similar to that approved by Nstar workers last year after a 16-day strike. ''We were pretty pleased with how it turned out," said Dennis Halloran, president of Steelworkers Local 12003, one of the locals (along with 12012-04) involved in the negotiations.