Category Archives: Uncategorized

By Eli Gerzon Boston – Last week, a lively crowd of a few hundred rallied on Marsh Plaza at Boston University in support of Boston University Graduate Workers United (BUGWU). The union went public this month and is now building up support in the lead-up to eventually filing for a vote to unionize. Speakers talkedContinue reading “BU Graduate Workers Build Momentum on Union Drive“

By Eli Gerzon Starbucks workers at 874 Commonwealth Ave have declared victory after the corporation folded on their minimum availability requirements and agreed to investigate a problematic manager,  major issues of the strike. This victory comes 64 days into the historic strike, the longest Starbucks strike in US history.  The victory shows that unionized StarbucksContinue reading “Victory After Historic Boston Starbucks Strike“

By Eli Gerzon Watertown – Greater Boston continues to be a hub of the labor movement’s growing size and boldness, as strikers at 75 Mt Auburn St in Watertown, MA launched a strike, paralleling the existing strike at the 874 Commonwealth Ave store at Boston University. The strike at the Watertown Starbucks started on Friday,Continue reading “One Week Strike Gets Results at Watertown Starbucks”

With a supermajority of cards signed, the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Graduate Workers’ Union is filing for a union election with the NLRB. In August, Working Mass spoke with two members of the organizing committee to discuss how the union drive got started, the impact of the pandemic and rising cost of living, and why, in the face of an administration fixated on money, a union is needed to safeguard workers, the broader WPI community, and the institution’s scientific mission.

by Will Sennott, Propublica Owned by a billionaire Dutch family, Blue Harvest Fisheries has emerged as a dominant force in the lucrative fishing port of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Its business model: benefit from lax antitrust rules and pass costs on to local fishermen. This story was originally published by ProPublica, in partnership with The New Bedford Light. Sign upContinue reading “How Foreign Private Equity Hooked New England’s Fishing Industry”

By Eli Gerzon This Sunday Bernie Sanders, Sara Nelson of the Association of Flight Attendants, and Sean O’Brien of the Teamsters union are speaking on Cambridge Common at 1pm. Working Mass caught up with Sara Nelson this weekend, to talk about unions, socialism, and why she’s coming to Boston. Nelson will be joining the StarbucksContinue reading “Sara Nelson Speaks on Strikes, Unions, and Capitalism”

By Eli Gerzon Senator Bernie Sanders will headline a rally in Cambridge this Sunday, August 21st at 1pm, alongside Teamsters president Sean O’Brien and Association of Flight Attendants president Sara Nelson. The rally is being held at the Cambridge Common, with doors opening at 12pm. You can RSVP for the rally here. The rally willContinue reading “Why is Sanders Holding a Rally In Cambridge This Sunday?“

By Eli Gerzon Brookline Starbucks Workers Continue Historic Strike One year ago there were no unionized Starbucks in the US. Then, this company with a “progressive” reputation and billions of dollars in profits was challenged by the source of those profits: their workers. It started in late 2021 when Starbucks stores in Buffalo, NY unionized.Continue reading “Historic Starbucks Strike Places Boston At Center of Labor Revival“

By Agnes Smedley Picketing in the Heat Brookline– The doors are locked and the lights are off at the Starbucks at 874 Commonwealth Ave across from Boston University, as the workers strike until further notice. Working Mass joined Starbucks workers braving 90-degree temperatures on the picket line in front of the store on Wednesday, theContinue reading “Workers Strike Brookline Starbucks”

By Michael Gutierrez Jamaica Plain: Workers at the grocery store City Feed & Supply voted to form a union this past June. The vote came on the heels of an outpouring of local support and rode the wave of a national unionizing trend in business sectors not traditionally associated with union representation.  The vote wasContinue reading “City Feed Workers Seek First Contract”