Massachusetts Workers Rally for Safety and A Voice at Work on May Day
You can also watch the rally live on Facebook via @GBLCBoston.#PROAct #GigWorkers #StopWageTheft
Workers demand legislators back the PRO Act, Massachusetts wage theft prevention act, and support the rights of gig workers
Massachusetts’ Attorney General, Maura Healey, to deliver a special pre-recorded message for demonstrators
Chelsea, MA — This International Workers’ Day (May 1), workers across Massachusetts are rallying to build collective power for working-class families and to demand that state and federal legislators put their support behind policies that address systemic inequities and support the freedom to join together in unions.
In the spirit of International Workers’ Day, known globally as May Day, rally-goers will demonstrate in support of working-class demands such as fair wages, basic workplace rights, and dignity on the job. Workers at the rally will call for laws that protect workers’ right to organize, ensure workplace safety and advance racial and economic justice.
The legislative demands include:
- Pass the PRO Act immediately
- Pass Massachusetts’ wage theft prevention act (SD.774 & HD.967)
- Support the rights of gig workers
“On this International Workers Day, amidst a global pandemic that has brought so much pain to our lives, working people are coming together in solidarity to say: we deserve dignity and we are fighting for a better world,” said Darlene Lombos, Principal Officer, the Greater Boston Labor Council. “We demand passage of the PRO Act so that we have a clear pathway to organize into unions and to push back against years of corporate abuse against workers. We are telling the Massachusetts legislature that they must take action against wage theft because an honest day’s work should come with an honest day’s pay. And we are fighting for the rights of gig workers, who deserve the same protections and benefits as all workers in the Commonwealth.”
WHAT: International Workers’ Day In-Person Solidarity Rally
WHO: Massachusetts workers, union and community organizations; Speakers include:
- Kevin Brousseau, Political Director, MA AFL-CIO
- Natalicia Tracy, Executive Director, Brazilian Workers Center
- Jorge Rivera, Director of Organizing, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, DC 35
- Youth Leaders from La Collaborativa
WHEN: Saturday, May 1 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: 248 Everett Ave, Chelsea, MA 02150
Join us in person or via
VISUALS: Giant invoice from workers to wage-stealing CEOs for the money owed to workers; demonstrators socially distancing and holding signs
WHY: For too long, working people have gotten a raw deal. Wages have stagnated while the cost of living continues to rise. Corporations, CEOs, and the wealthy few have profited off workers’ hard work while often avoiding paying their fair share, and communities and families have paid the price as a result.
In Massachusetts, $700 million in wages are stolen from about 350,000 low-wage workers each year. For decades, our country’s unjust immigration system has enabled unscrupulous employers to exploit workers with impunity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only compounded these challenges, disproportionately affecting certain communities, including our low-income communities and communities of color. The PRO Act at the federal level and Massachusetts’ wage theft prevention act (SD.774 & HD.967) must pass immediately to end systemic inequality and ensure all workers have the freedom to form a union.
This International Workers’ Day, workers are rising up to make their voices heard.
At the event, rally-goers are fighting for the rights of all workers — including those in the so-called gig economy — to form unions, earn a living wage, and not have their wages stolen by unscrupulous employers.
The event is sponsored by the Greater Boston Labor Council.
# # #
About Greater Boston Labor Council
Chartered by the National AFL-CIO, the Greater Boston Labor Council’s mission is to improve the lives of working families within the 24 communities in our jurisdiction. Our goal is to build a movement of unions and workers to advocate for working family issues in city and town halls throughout Greater Boston. The Greater Boston Labor Council also seeks to reach out to progressive allies within our communities to form coalitions to advance the cause of economic justice. Through our Committee on Political Education (COPE), the Greater Boston Labor Council is actively engaged in the political process. We endorse and campaign for candidates for municipal office who are supportive of the needs of union members and working families. https://gblc.us/