When MassCOSH helped pass a law extending Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) protections for over 458,000 public sector workers, we knew that was just half the battle. Education would be key to ensuring these workers and their union leadership were aware of their new rights and how they can…
Wage theft in the construction industry is rampant and can have devastating effects on our communities. Employers who cheat their employees out of pay can charge less for work and drive good, well-paying job providers out of business. For workers who directly experience wage theft, it can be hard to…
The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH) is greatly saddened to learn of the death of James Jacobs. While working for Otis Elevator Company on September 3, Jacobs was killed on the job at TripAdvisor's Needham headquarters. He was 52-years-old and a resident of Westport. …
MassCOSH releases statements regarding workplace deaths as we are made aware of them. Sadly, yesterday a worker lost their life on the job. By working hard to ensure that the media and the general public are made aware of such a needless loss of life, we seek to shift the…
In the fall of 2016, MassCOSH and Greater Boston were stunned and heartbroken by the deaths of Robert Higgins and Kelvin Mattocks on the job. Working in an unprotected trench deep in the street, a water main burst, drowning the men in a deadly mix of water and gravel.
We are happy to report a successful victory against the restaurant chain Happy Lamb Hot Pot, highlighting the power of worker solidarity to challenge mistreatment and injustice on the job. MassCOSH’s Worker Center, Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, and other allies supported the Chinese Progressive Association who helped…
On July 9, MassCOSH and its Immigrant Worker Center Collaborative partners gathered at the State House for a public hearing to demand the passage of An Act Protecting Injured Workers (SD1182/HD2947). Too many workers face retaliation for seeking their right to care, resulting in workers avoiding filing for workers’ compensation. Currently, the…
On June 26, MassCOSH’s Teens Lead @ Work peer leaders dived headfirst into their biggest training of the year. As part of the Malden Work Readiness Program, 11 of our summer peer leaders trained 245 young workers just entering the labor force to earn money over their summer break. …
MassCOSH is happy to announce the recent hiring of Ben Weilerstein, who will serve as MassCOSH’s Labor-Community Training Coordinator and Organizer. Weilerstein brings a wealth of experience and great passion to MassCOSH and will help expand the over three decades of work and progress created by former MassCOSH employee Tolle…
On May 20, MassCOSH’s Worker Center Director Milagros Barreto flew to Cincinnati to take part in a five-day training on infectious material hazards at the workplace. The 40-hour training was specially designed to train those leading worker centers across the country on effective methods to communicate essential safety information to…
On May 16, MassCOSH took part in the Fund our Future campaign rally at the Boston Common to demand that our elected officials fully fund our schools, allowing them to finally tackle deteriorating building conditions and the unhealthy environments they create. Al Vega, MassCOSH’s Director of Policies and Programs, helped…
On May 16, MassCOSH Executive Director Jodi Sugerman-Brozan traveled to Pittsburgh to help lead an incredibly powerful workshop on opioid addiction and worker training interventions for resilience, suicide, and addiction. The workshop was part of the Tony Mazzocchi Center’s Exploring Workplace Training Interventions Addressing Workplace Stress and Addiction event. The…