Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Don’t shop at Shaw’s

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The company’s final offer would also allow for the use of outside agencies to perform work at the facility, costing union jobs.  

The rally was sponsored by UFCW Local 791, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Greater Boston Labor Council and Jobs with Justice.  

Don’t shop at Shaw’s until it respects its workers and reaches an agreement that preserves good jobs with decent wages and benefits!

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  1. I won’t collect signatures to get on the ballot at Shaw’s unitl this issue is rectified.

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    p>Respectfully Submitted,
    Sincerely,
    Wayne J. Wilson, Jr.
    Candidate for State Senate
    Suffolk & Norfolk Senate District
    Roslindale, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, Dedham, Westwood & Norwood

    • Sounds like the perfect opportunity to talk to voters about the situation and, if applicable, explain what you would do to alleviate it if elected.

      • I wouldn’t want to cross the unions’ picket line, and it would show disrepect to the union if I did. I happened to see some union members picketing on Route 1 in Dedham today near the Star Market about this issue.

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        p>To my understanding, the points of contention are with management of the workers at the Methuen Distribution Center. There isn’t much that a candidate or a State Senator from the Boston area could do in regard to it.

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        p>However, I think that the healthcare reform legislation in Massachusetts was a giveaway to the health insurance companies, and the legislature could have done much better by the citizens of the Commonwealth by creating a single payor health insurance program.

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        p>Lastly, I do support raising the state minimum wage annually by the rate of inflation. If the legislature can do it for themselves, they should be able to do it for people who work diligently at the minimum wage. Subsequently, as the minimum wage would increase, wages for most hourly workers would also increase to help keep inflation in check. In a rising sea, all boats are lifted.

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        p>Respectfully Submitted,
        Sincerely,
        Wayne J. Wilson, Jr.
        Democrat for State Senate
        Suffolk & Norfolk District
        ( Roslindale, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, Dedham, Westwood & Norwood )

        • in Massachusetts.
          Where are the rest of the Democrats?
          Workers have stagnating wages, cities, towns and small business are going broke, while insurance company profits go through the roof.
          Single payer would be a huge boost to the Massachusetts economy.  Companies could hire, workers would have money to spend, instead of insurance companies sucking the economy dry.

          • Sue

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            p>I am not sure to which profits you are referring.

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            p>I looked up 3 for 2009:

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            p>Tufts – $17 million on revenues of $2.5 billion http://www.tuftshealthplan.com…

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            p>Harvard Pilgrim – $20.8 million on revenues of $2.7 billion https://www.harvardpilgrim.org…

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            p>Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA – Loss of $149.2 million https://www.bluecrossma.com/vi…

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            p>I agree that health care needs to be reformed but if we take the net profits of these three insurance companies then we will have no additional funds to hire workers or raise salaries.  Sounds good, but the numbers I found at those three did not support the statement.

            • I shouldn’t have included executive raises, increases in perks and benefits as profits.

        • …if there were bills you could sponsor which would help labor in a situation like this.  As for the picket line, the point is to not patronize the business, but I’ve never bought the idea of treating the line itself as if it were the Berlin Wall or the Korean DMZ, which physically can’t be breached.

          • Again, to my understanding, the points of contention are with management of the workers at the Methuen Distribution Center. There isn’t much that a candidate or a State Senator from the Boston area could do in regard to it. Collective bargaining is usually a matter best left to the leaders of the union.

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            p>If it were a local matter and I was the State Senator for the district, any help requested by a union of me to show support or to expedite mediation would be happily and quickly given.

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            p>It is due to the respect that is held for the union that you would not cross a picket line, especially for a pro-union candidate such as myself. Some things are sacred.

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            p>Respectfully Submitted,
            Sincerely,
            Wayne J. Wilson, Jr.
            Democrat for State Senate
            Suffolk & Norfolk District
            ( Roslindale, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, Dedham, Westwood & Norwood )

        • Do you also support lowering the minimum wage in times of deflation?

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          p>This was part of the Social Security debate, as there was to be no COLA due to lack of increase in actual cost of living.

          • One word, NO. In a year where the cost of living did not increase, there would be no automatic raise in the minimum wage OR in the pay of state legislators. Fair is fair.

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            p>BTW, the state minimum wage has not increased since 2008. I believe it is long overdue.

            <

            p>Respectfully Submitted,
            Sincerely,
            Wayne J. Wilson, Jr.
            Democrat for State Senate
            Suffolk & Norfolk State Senate District
            ( Roslindale, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, Dedham, Westwood & Norwood )

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