Posts tagged Massachusetts
GATRA strike suspended, drivers to return to work
October 1, 2025 // On day two of the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority strike outside of its headquarters in Taunton, a worker was allegedly hit by one of the busses. He was seen in a video with other workers yelling at one of the drivers when a bus pulled up.
Unions rally around new plan to boost clean energy jobs
September 30, 2025 // Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Climate Jobs Massachusetts Action coalition and a handful of individual locals were among those who voiced support for a bill (H 3476 / S 2275) that would require energy and air quality audits for public schools, universities and colleges. The assessments would estimate the costs of energy improvements as well as greenhouse gas reductions that would result if improvements were made, and it would establish a new Healthy and Sustainable Schools Office within the Department of Energy Resources that could implement the recommended changes.
Judge tosses challenge by Boston-area plumbing concerns to state law requiring health-insurance coverage for workers on certain leaves
September 30, 2025 // In his ruling, US District Court Judge George O'Toole said the Greater Boston Plumbing Contractors Association was unable to show that any of its 60 members had actually been penalized under the law, or that any state action was immediate, which means they had no "standing," or legal reason to continue their suit, since federal law requires proof of actual or impending harm. The association charged the requirement violated their federal right to negotiate a contract with unions, because their collective bargaining agreement includes a section under which workers "bank funds to pay for health insurance if they take leave from work, based on the number of hours they work. Workers who exhaust their banked amount have to pick up the remaining costs of their health insurance, such as through COBRA, on their leaves.
Republic Services and Teamsters reach 5-year agreement in Boston
September 25, 2025 // After the Boston-area strike began, other Teamsters locals across the country either went on strike for their own contracts or halted work in solidarity. At the peak of the action in mid-July, more than 2,000 Republic Services workers represented by Teamsters were off the job. Since then, three other local chapters have reached agreements with Republic Services and returned to work. Teamsters Local 728, which represents 32 Republic Services employees in Cumming, Georgia, remains on strike over alleged unfair labor practices, according to a union official. Republic workers represented by the local in Columbus, Ohio, walked out last week in solidarity with members already on strike.
Update: Labor Peace Agreements, the Cannabis Industry, and the NLRB
September 23, 2025 // The intersection of LPAs, the cannabis industry, and the NLRB presents a legal landscape marked by uncertainty and rapid change. As states continue to require LPAs as a condition of licensure, and as the NLRB remains without a quorum, employers and unions must navigate a patchwork of state regulations without clear guidance. Until federal legalization or NLRB functionality brings greater clarity, businesses should work closely with legal counsel to ensure compliance with state requirements while preparing for potential shifts in federal enforcement. Ultimately, the future of labor relations in the cannabis sector will depend on how courts, regulators, and industry participants respond to these unprecedented challenges.
MASSACHUSETTES: Trash strike over: Teamsters, Republic Services agree to contract
September 22, 2025 // Teamsters Local 25 and Republic Services have agreed to a new contract, ending a strike that began back in July and impacted garbage and recycling pickup in numerous Massachusetts communities. Republic Services confirmed the five-year collective bargaining agreement in an email Friday morning. They thanked the community for their patience during the service interruption and apologized for the inconvenience it caused.
How California reached the unthinkable: A union deal with tech giants
September 15, 2025 // In roughly six weeks, three California Democrats, a labor head and two ride-hailing leaders managed to pull off what would have been unthinkable just one year prior: striking a deal between labor unions and their longtime foes, tech giants Uber and Lyft. California lawmakers announced the agreement in late August, paving a path for ride-hailing drivers to unionize as labor wanted, in exchange for the state drastically reducing expensive insurance coverage mandates protested by the companies. It earned rare public support from Gov. Gavin Newsom and received final approval from state lawmakers this week.
Encore Boston Harbor Unionization Continues as Cage Workers Join Teamsters
September 11, 2025 // Proponents of unions say collective bargaining leads to better pay and benefits for workers, and gives employees a stronger voice against management and ownership. Opponents claim unions harm businesses by raising costs, hindering productivity, limiting worker autonomy, and contributing to economic instability.
Uber and Lyft drivers in California win a path to unionization
September 2, 2025 // In exchange, California regulators say they’ll support legislation to reduce expensive insurance coverage mandates that ride-hailing companies have to pay. Uber and Lyft have attributed those insurance payments to higher ride fares in California and lower driver pay. “With Sacramento now aligned on the need to make rideshare more affordable in California, we’re happy to see these two important pieces of legislation moving forward together,” Ramona Prieto, Uber’s head of public policy for California, said in a statement. The deal comes years after Uber, Lyft, and other app-based gig companies spent more than $200 million to convince California voters to pass Prop 22, which classifies gig workers as independent contractors while granting them limited benefits.
Over 600 workers begin strike at 2 GE Aerospace facilities
September 2, 2025 // The Boeing engine supplier will continue to provide benefits to the striking union members at its sites in Ohio and Kentucky in accordance with the law, according to the company’s website.