By: Jake S

WORCESTER, MA – United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 1445 represents almost 1,100 hospital workers across four campuses at UMass Memorial Medical Center. Workers include lab technicians, phlebotomists, scientists, anesthesiologists, housekeeping, food service, and supply chain. Despite the necessity of their labor to the hospital’s operation, union members say the hospital has yet to address serious workplace issues at the bargaining table for their next contract: abuse of non-union per diem and traveling staff which undermines their collective bargaining agreement; low wages and equality of wages across appointments to the same job title; and employer-subsidized health insurance for part-time workers.

At the same time as denying workers their needs, in June 2024, UMass purchased a research and development facility in Holden for support services. Then, in October, UMass acquired the Milford Regional Medical Center. After unveiling its $220 million North Pavilion in January, UMass is currently planning a building expansion to the tune of an additional $27 million. In 2023, UMass Memorial Health’s CEO, Eric Dickson, received a total compensation package of $3.12 million, placing him as the highest-paid nonprofit chief executive in Central Mass for the third year in a row. His pay has more than doubled since he was appointed to the role. Including Dickson, UMass Memorial Health executives accounted for 6 of the 18 highest-paid nonprofit executives in Central Mass in 2023.

On May 27, UFCW members rallied at Regatta Point Park. The following day, members launched informational pickets about their contract fight. Those have run for ten hours every day since. This past Friday, Local 1445 gave its official 10-day notice for strike action to UMass management.

1,100 workers represented by @UFCW1445 — techs, housekeeping, food service, and more — are fighting for a contract with UMass, who cries poverty after making huge new hospital acquisitions and plans for building expansions

See you at the info picket. Fair contract now! pic.twitter.com/a259VzgqRe

— 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗦𝗔 (@WorcDSA) June 2, 2025

Jake S, a Working Mass contributor and member of Worcester DSA, met with two members of the union’s bargaining committee at their picket – James, who has fixed equipment for the housekeeping department for 18 years, and Mikki, a support tech and phlebotomist of 8 years – to discuss what these expansions have meant for hospital workers and what they need in their next contract with UMass. 

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

—–

WM: What’s the most important contract issue on the table right now?

MIKKI: Health insurance and wages – we want a fair contract and the respect that we deserve.

JAMES: And protecting the jobs, not outsourcing them. I work in the housekeeping department, so, years ago, they wanted to outsource us, which would have meant we would have had to work for the company that our managers work for. That’s a different company, not UMass. We don’t want to work for that company, we want to work for UMass.

MIKKI: Yes, that would be technically eliminating our [union] positions.

JAMES: We have 1,100 members – if we outsourced the kitchen staff, that would be almost 600 members cut, which would make our union weaker.

WM: I heard UMass has been lamenting that the hospital’s CEO will only be getting a 1% raise this year – that is, 1% of $3.1 million or more. How does that make you feel?

MIKKI: That’s terrible – we wish we could get that type of money. You know, it’s hard when you’re a single parent. Some people can’t pay rent, can’t buy food. We’re out here struggling – health insurance is big, the wages are big. The cost of living is constantly going up, we need our wages to match that.

JAMES: It’s very disrespectful. We have a lot of housekeepers that can’t afford to pay their rent, they can’t afford to put food on the table. They struggle – I came to work the other day, and I see a housekeeper crying because they can’t pay their rent this month. It’s disgusting.

MIKKI: We have someone sleeping in their car right now, but [CEO Eric Dickson] has a yacht. He can sleep on the yacht. I wish we could sleep in a yacht.

WM: What do you know and how do you feel about the hospital’s recent acquisitions and plans for building expansions? Why do they cry poverty to you if they’re able to do things like that?

JAMES: They just bought Milford Regional; they’re trying to buy Nashoba Valley now to take over the ER; they just built the North Pavilion, and an extension is going to cost $27 million.

MIKKI: It’s very insulting, and it’s adding more work for us without any increase in pay. The Pavilion added a bunch of rooms, which adds new critical conditions that I only have a certain amount of time to report; now we have to rush to get through them and get them called out in a certain amount of time. But the wages don’t match.

WM: Do you think workers should have a right to control more about how the hospital is run?

MIKKI: Absolutely. We’re the ones in the jobs, we’re doing it every day, and they [hospital executives] don’t know much about the jobs.

JAMES: Yes, I think we should have a say in it, because we’re the ones doing the jobs, and they have no idea.

—–

Tomorrow, June 6, workers will vote on the hospital’s current offer. If that offer does not move in the direction union members need it to, a strike authorization vote will be requested, and workers will potentially prepare to launch a strike starting Monday, June 9.

Follow us for updates.

Jake S is a member of Worcester DSA and the United Auto Workers (UAW). He is a contributor to Working Mass.

The post UMass Hospital Staff Consider Striking for Strong Contract, Workers Interviewed appeared first on Working Mass.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, June 4 (6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): New Member Happy Hour (In person at Zeitgeist, 199 Valencia)

Thursday, June 5 (5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.): Education Board Open Meeting (Zoom)

Saturday, June 7 (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.): Know Your Rights Canvassing (Meet at the intersection of Mission and Cesar Chavez)

Saturday, June 7 (1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.): Homelessness Working Group Outreach and Training (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Monday, June 9 (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.): Family Shelter Hearing (SF City Hall Room 250, 1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Plaza)

Monday, June 9 (5:50 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): Socialist in Office + Electoral Board Meeting (Zoom)

Monday, June 9 (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.): Ecosocialist Bi-Weekly Meeting (Zoom)

Monday, June 9 (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Tenderloin Healing Circle (In person at Kelly Cullen Community, 220 Golden Gate)

Monday, June 9 (6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Homelessness Working Group Regular Meeting (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Monday, June 9 (7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Labor Board Meeting (Zoom)

Wednesday, June 11 (6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): New Member Happy Hour at Zeitgeist (In person at Zeitgeist, 199 Valencia)

Thursday, June 12 (7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Immigrant Justice Working Group Meeting (Zoom)

Check out https://dsasf.org/events for more events and updates.

Events & Actions

Immigrant Justice Know Your Rights Canvass

Join the Immigrant Justice Working Group on Saturday, June 7th at 1:00 p.m. for Know Your Rights (KYR) canvassing! We will be distributing red cards and KYR posters to businesses and community members on Mission between Cesar Chavez and 30th St. Our meeting point will be at the intersection of Mission & Cesar Chavez St. New to canvassing? No worries! There will be a brief how-to training before we go out in pairs or small groups.

Family Shelter Hearing on June 9

Hello all, there will be a hearing on June 9th about the family shelter evictions, and it is in need of YOUR support! Jackie is proposing to extend the stay of families in shelters to 1 year. The mayor would like to limit the stay to 90 days, which is not long enough to secure permanent housing. Come speak at the public comment in support of families getting to stay sheltered, or just cheer on Jackie!

Chapter Convention Updates

Our 2025 Chapter Convention will be held on June 14th and 15th at Kelly Cullen Auditorium (220 Golden Gate Ave) and will take the place of our June Regular Meeting. At convention we will debate amendments to our bylaws, select our 2025/2026 chapter priorities, re-charter chapter bodies, and elect new leadership. RSVP at dsasf.org/convention-RSVP. The Convention Packet with reflections on our work from the last year and proposals for the next year can be viewed at dsasf.org/packet2025.

EWOC Fundamentals of Workplace Organizing Reportback

EWOC (Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee) is a project of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) and DSA working to build a distributed grassroots organizing program to support workers organizing at the workplace. This week local organizers-in-training met at the DSA SF office to wrap up Fundamentals of Workplace Organizing, a four-module EWOC course, with a lesson on preparing your coworkers to counter against bosses’ anti-union rhetoric, also known as inoculation. Bosses utilize rhetoric like “the union doesn’t represent you” or “we’re all making sacrifices” as a way to incite fear, division, and complacency among workers. Inoculation helps ensure that bosses’ messaging doesn’t further exploit workers and keeps the focus on the positive power of union organizing.

To learn more about the work EWOC does, come by the DSA SF office to pick up a copy of Unite and Win or tune into the Labor Board’s weekly meetings every Monday at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The next EWOC event hosted by DSA SF features EWOC staff members conducting a training on generating workplace leads and conducting organizing conversations on July 17th from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. Let us know in if you can make it! Hope to see you there!

Behind the Scenes

The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.

To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.

This month we bring you an audio adaptation of a presentation designed by the Political Education Committee of Maine DSA. It is narrated by Bluebird, and is geared especially to people who may be new to left-wing politics. It can be hard to follow the ins and outs of socialist history, so the Political Committee put together a very brief overview on the origins of the socialist movement and some bare essentials people ought to know. We hope you enjoy the program!

The post Maine Mural: Origins of the Socialist Movement appeared first on Pine & Roses.

Pasco hernando DSA is back and now on instagram, with plenty of new members ready to organize! See us on instagram, twitter, and bluesky. Check the bottom of the website for the links!

Are you interested in becoming the best organizer you can be? Do you want to expand socialism here in Milwaukee, but are unsure of where and how to start? Have you been involved but feel like the project did not go anywhere? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Milwaukee Socialist Organizer Class is for you! 

This nine week program will focus on holistically teaching you to be an unstoppable organizer who builds socialism, changes hearts and minds, and impacts our city.  You will learn direct action organizing, as defined by Organizing for Social Change: Midwest Academy Manual for Activists, in which we organize actions, campaigns, and tactics to “1) win real, immediate, concrete improvement in people’s lives . . . 2) Give people a sense of their own power . . . 3) Alter the relations of power.” 

Interested individuals will apply (Click here, which is due by 11:59 p.m. on June 10, 2025), be interviewed, and enter the program if selected.  DSA membership is not required to participate, but is encouraged. 

This education program will be a combination of in-person events with virtual events if necessary. Each unit will be roughly a week, with a week break in the middle of the program. Each unit will consist of classroom-style instruction in the unit topic (no more than 2 hours, which will be in-person), field work in organizing (which will be at least 3 hours and consist of having conversations, moving people to action, and building infrastructure for a strong socialist movement involving several types of campaigns), and time for personal reflection. Each participant must commit to the entire program and, unless excused, attend every unit instruction, and field work session.  Missing more than two classes and field work sessions may result in removal from the program.  

This is the sixth time this program has been offered, and it is back by popular demand! The two instructors have updated and revised the course to make you even more prepared to lead in socialism.  

Time commitment per week: 

Unit instruction: 2 hours 

Organizing work: 3 hours 

Miscellaneous tasks: 1 hour 

Total time per week: 6 hours

Weekly Schedule 

Class will be conducted on Thursday evenings from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and held in-person at Zao MKE, located at 2319 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, 53211.  

Field work will be held at regular intervals over the week, with options to organize at several points during the week: 

(tentative schedule, subject to change . . .) 

Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

Sundays 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. 

Mondays 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. 

Program Timeline: 

June 10 at 11:59 p.m.:

Application deadline – apply here

June 12:

Start of nine week program ( class held, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.), held at Zao MKE, located at 2319 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53211

June 19:

Class will be held from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

June 26:

Class will be held from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

July 3:

Class will be held from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

July 10:

Week Break

July 17:

Class will be held from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

July 24:

Class will be held from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

July 31: 

Class will be held from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

August 7: 

Class will be held from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Units

Each unit helps to answer the question: what is organizing? 

Welcome: what is organizing?

• Get to know participants and instructor
• Define scope of class and intentions 
• Determine goals and desired outcomes 

Organizing is one-on-one Conversations

• Learn the 7 point organizing conversation 
• Practice the conversation and its elements 

Organizing is building the committee and the campaign 

• The importance (or not) of the committee
• Power Mapping the campaign 
• Strategy Chart 

Organizing is holistic productivity 

• Traction versus distraction 
• Time management and its importance
• The Reverse Calendar 
• Overcoming blocks to action

Organizing is a mindset 

• Acknowledging hurdles and setbacks 
• Failure is a great option
• Develop a practice to keep you going

Organizing is raising money and managing it

• Why money is OK 
• How to bring energy and money to your campaign 
• The basics of campaign budgeting and finance 

Organizing is communications

• What does “messaging” mean? 
• The power of media 
• Writing workshop

Organizing is bringing it all together

• You’ve got momentum – now what? 
• Recap of unit themes

Reviews

Here is what previous students have to say about the Milwaukee Socialist Organizer Class: 

“[Before the class] I had no idea about the actual work of organizing.  Now I feel confident that I would be able to become a leader in a campaign setting . . .” 

“I loved the practical application of socialism . . . [and] I loved the far-reaching application of some of the class content.” 

“This is a great way to move into the world of socialism. . . thank you so much for offering this course” 

“This [class] is a great first step for anyone looking to start organizing . . .” 

“I radically grew in my comfort around being upfront and simply being able to approach a complete stranger with a potentially controversial topic.” 

“New organizers and experienced organizers can benefit from this class.” 

“Generally speaking my confidence level just interacting with people about socialism has gone through the roof.  I have been given a phenomenal overview of how to organize and I feel confident that I can find out what works best for me in the future.”  

“It was great to grow as an organizer within the confines of a welcoming community/instructor.” 

“I feel more confident organizing outside of an electoral context.”  

Meet your instructors: 

Alex Brower

Alex Brower is a labor leader, socialist organizer, and Milwaukee’s 3rd district alderperson as a DSA endorsed elected. Professionally, Alex has been the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans, which organizes union retirees. In his organizing work, Alex has saved jobs from privatization, helped workers win a union voice on the job, defeated a temp agency, organized against a proposed iron-ore mine, helped bring comprehensive sex education to Beloit Public Schools, and won workplace healthcare for many uninsured MPS Substitute Teachers. As an MPS substitute teacher and former Milwaukee Rec. Department instructor, Alex brings a host of experience teaching others. Alex has also been a candidate for Milwaukee City Comptroller and School Board, running both times as a socialist. 

Autumn Pickett

Autumn Pickett is a union organizer and Communications Director for American Federation of Teachers – Wisconsin. She helped win back voting rights for 20,000 students while attending college in Indiana, protect 100’s of custodial and grounds crew jobs from privatization across Wisconsin, sink Billionaire Howard Schultz’s 2016 presidential run, use organizing tactics that garnered national headlines, and mentor dozens of YDSA chapters across the country that continue to make real wins for working people. She has served on the National Coordinating Committee for YDSA, as Milwaukee DSA’s Education Officer, and currently represents Milwaukee DSA on the statewide Socialists in Office committee. Autumn is excited to bring her years of experience mentoring new socialist organizers over to the Milwaukee Organizer Class for the first time and help build a people powered movement in Cream City alongside each of you.

Any questions? 

Contact Alex Brower at 414-949-8756 or milwaukeedsa@gmail.com 

Apply now!

Apply here, or copy and paste this URL into your web browser: https://forms.gle/JLgc33sE3fpK8TSH7

Monthly Newsletter of the Rochester Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America

Welcome to our June issue. You’ll find Upcoming Events, coverage of chapter activities, and articles on the threat of deportation, the value of protests, Rochester’s budget, gardening, Socialism 101, and more. Want to contribute? Submit to bit.ly/SubmitRedStar, or reach out to get involved with our communications committee by emailing steering@rocdsa.org.

The post Rochester Red Star | June 2025 | (Issue 14) first appeared on Rochester Red Star.

From the Portland DSA Steering Committee:

At the Beaverton School Board meeting this Thursday, after an hour-long closed-door session, a motion was made to engage a “third-party investigator” to look into the actions and comments of Dr. Tammy Carpenter, an elected school board member and a proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). What was her alleged offense? Being an unabashed supporter of Palestinian liberation in the face of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. While discussions in executive session are legally withheld from public records laws, our understanding is that this retaliation was instigated by the Jewish Federation of Portland, an organization lobbying for Zionist interests and the State of Israel that has a history of waging smear campaigns against pro-Palestinian elected officials and community members.

We commend Dr. Carpenter for fighting for the rights of all children – in Beaverton, in Palestine, and around the world. We believe that children have the right to go to school in peace, unburdened by war and famine, and that those defending them are on the right side of history. As the United States’ funding of Israel grows increasingly unpopular, it is clear this “investigation” into Dr. Carpenter is a desperate maneuver to force local governments to crack down on free speech, and to go down with the sinking ship of the Zionist project. In the last 600 days of genocide in Gaza, every public school and university in the territory has been destroyed by the Israeli military. We cannot allow this to continue.

Dr. Carpenter is a beacon of community integrity and is the only elected official on the Beaverton school board to regularly hold town halls, respond to constituent inquiries, and share information with families. She is also a champion of unions and workers’ rights in our schools. It is no wonder that the political establishment is colluding with the Jewish Federation of Portland to slander her.

This is just the latest example of how the US’ war industry attempts to silence dissent around Palestine. Schools – and by extension, school boards – should be a place where people can speak freely and learn the truth about our military’s complicity in genocide. The people of Beaverton elected Dr. Carpenter, and she is our voice for justice.

We call on all supporters of free speech and a free Palestine to rally at the Beaverton School Board meeting to show our opposition to this undemocratic retaliation! Join DSA and allies this Monday, June 2nd, 6:30pm at the Beaverton School District offices at 1260 NW Waterhouse Ave to defend Dr. Carpenter, along with all those facing political retaliation for their support of Palestinian children and families. No to Genocide! Solidarity Forever!

The post Statement on the Political Retaliation Against Dr. Tammy Carpenter appeared first on Portland DSA.

By Bennett T The United States intends to target socialists for political persecution. It will investigate them inappropriately, it will charge them spuriously, it will revoke their legal protections, and it will remove them from the United States. The administration has already sent surveys to researchers and organizations overseas who receive federal funding, and this […]

By B. Maloney Politics permeate every aspect of our lives. While discussions may arise about distinguishing human issues from political ones, it is evident that human issues are becoming increasingly politicized. How can we protect ourselves from the overwhelming and divisive attacks on human issues? On Tyranny offers insights into the resistance needed to navigate […]

By Rachel M Toiling to survive and a long day of labor deadens the best parts of We. Are there instructions? A guide map? How do we document the end of an empire nourished by blood, built on brazen exploitation… the thought of writing with sincerity only elicits fatigue Fatigue that reverberates, penetrating far into […]