For two decades, janitors have been uniting to achieve social and economic justice through Service Employees International Union’s (SEIU) Justice for Janitors campaign. Since 1985, janitors in over 30 cities throughout the United States have united in SEIU and won family health insurance, livable wages, full-time work, and better working conditions. This movement of low-wage, mostly immigrant workers has earned broad-based support from the public as well as religious, political and community leaders.
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Worcester’s Albanian Festival came together this year over the weekend of June 5th – 7th at Saint Mary’s Assumption Albanian Orthodox Church. The festival celebrated the culture and tradition of Worcester’s large Albanian community.
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With the growing possibility that City Manager O'Brien will replace Worcester's nine neighborhood pools with three $2.3M pools, community members continue to look for ways to help save our pools. The following reviews events concerning pools that have taken place over the last year, and the work that Save Our Poolz has done in defense of Worcester's pools. For more information, email saveourpoolz@gmail.com.
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The Worcester Vendors Alliance formed last July with the support of Real Solutions in response to attacks against vendors which threatened to make street vending unprofitable and all but impossible in Worcester. The group was successful in partially amending the original proposed ordinance which would have banned street vendors completely from downtown and require they move every five minutes. Unfortunately, in the end, a new ordinance requiring vendors to close at midnight without police special permitting and forcing street vendors to gain the permission of nearby business and property owners for 250’ and 500’ was passed by a 6-5 vote.
The Worcester Vendor Alliance has continued to meet, sharing experiences on the implementation of the new ordinance and researching legal and political responses.
What is clear is that the new ordinance has severely curtailed street vending in Worcester, putting several vendors out of business while threatening others.
Mike Benedetti Video
Original video interviews
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The New England Regional Council of Carpenters Local 107’s public voice continues to grow, shouting and calling out injustices across Worcester, while also standing up in support of Worcester pools, Worcester Immigrants and Green Island neighborhood.
Most recently, under the banner, “Local Jobs for Local People”, Local 107 called out Crowne Plaza on Wednesday for stabbing Worcester workers in the back.
Over 300 trandespeople and allies turned out last Thursday in support of Local Jobs for Local People, and to say “W.T.F.” to Crowne Plaza Manager Howard Sobel.
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After many months of putting road block after road block in the way of hundreds of Worcester residents trying to open some number of neighborhood swimming pools this summer, City Manager Michael V. O'Brien and Commissioner of Public Works and Parks Robert L. Moylan released two reports at the last City Council meeting saying that NONE of the neighborhood pools are safe to open this summer.
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Worcester City Councilors weighed in with their latest position on Worcester's pools this past week which ran from Councilor Rushton's belief that at least 5 pools could be open to City Councilor Haller's belief that, "It may well be there are no safe pools".
Meanwhile, District 3 City Councilor Paul Clancy took the position that, "waste of time to even think about opening pools".
[Pools discussion starts 2 minutes in, and unfortunately cuts out part of Councilor Rushton]
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Support Worcester’s Building Trades by supporting jobs for local workers,Thursday May 21st, 3:30 - 6pm.
Let's tell Crowne Plaza to hire local people for local jobs.
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May 1st, 2009 was an impressive showing of Worcester's solidarity for full rights for immigrant workers, and for all workers, in Worcester, across the United States, and around the world.
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Organizers expect hundreds of workers, immigrants and community supporters to come out for the 2009 Mayday Rally, entitled “Workers Seeking Justice for All” on Friday, May 1st in front of City Hall, Worcester. Speakers will address issues including community solutions to the economic crisis, immigration reform and raids, workers organizing and the Free Choice Act, and contributions that immigrants offer to the city. Several performers including Maury Kungfu’s Lion Dancers, Uruguayan Murga troupe “La Klandestina”, a multicultural youth hip-hop team from the Toxic Soil Busters, and Ritmos Dance Academy. http://WorcesterImmigrantCoalition.org
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For two decades, janitors have been uniting to achieve social and economic justice through Service Employees International Union’s (SEIU) Justice for Janitors campaign. Since 1985, janitors in over 30 cities throughout the United States have united in SEIU and won family health insurance, livable wages, full-time work, and better working conditions. This movement of low-wage, mostly immigrant workers has earned broad-based support from the public as well as religious, political and community leaders. 
