On December 3, MassCOSH celebrated its 38th anniversary to a packed house of workers, labor activists, public officials and health, safety and legal professionals. The organization presented awards to unsung heroes who played a distinguished role in protecting the safety and health of the state’s workers.
Night after night, the man would come to the store where “Rebecca” worked, asking the teenager to go out with him and making other inappropriate comments. When she asked for help from her boss, he told her to make sure she was nice to the customer. Rebecca shared her deeply…
This past winter, when Flor Correa stood in the snow-covered, wind-whipped parking lot of Fulfillment America, protesting along with dozens of coworkers and MassCOSH labor and community supporters, she had no idea that her calls for justice would lead to a groundbreaking settlement and provide compelling evidence of the need for…
Adaeze Nduaguba of Dorchester still remembers the devastation and anger that she and 40 other teen writers of the e-magazine Enterteenment experienced when their employer cheated them out of thousands of dollars in compensation. Years later, studying at Dartmouth College, she finds it almost ironic that a group of youth…
In 2004, the fatal electrocution of 39-year-old Roger LeBlanc, a Massport electrician, spurred labor unions and MassCOSH to unite behind health and safety legislation seeking to ensure that no other public employee would suffer a similar fate. This past June, ten years later, the Commonwealth made groundbreaking strides towards this…
For Cecilio Rodriguez, a veteran MBTA janitor, a proposed 30% staffing cut meant 30% more trash to pick up, 30% more vomit to clean, and a 30% increase in having to deal with dirty, used needles. It also meant having to say goodbye to 30% of her co-workers. …
Thanks to the time, effort, and generosity of MassCOSH supporters, June marked the passage of major legislation with tangible impacts on all working people in Massachusetts. Just a few short years after helping MassCOSH and allies pass a ban on a deadly floor finishing product and a “Right to Know”…
“Now that school is nearly over, 23 million youth across the US will be heading to work for the summer,” said Justin Caballero, a 17-year-old MassCOSH Teens Lead @ Work (TL@W) peer leader. “Jobs are important but young people face dangers. TL@W is working to stop workplace violence and now the…
For over 10 years, Marta Medina has helped ensure that the millions of riders who use the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) have clean bathrooms, stairs and elevators. Her work also includes keeping subway maps and signs graffiti free and trash cans empty and sanitary. “Let me tell you that…
For the family of Victor Gerena, January 14, 2014 was the start of a long, painful process from which they will never fully heal. That morning, Gerena was working the night shift for Sea Watch International Seafood in New Bedford when he became entangled in a rotary turbine engine. He…
Massachusetts has taken a massive leap forward in implementing progressive legislation to make the state a better place to live and work. On June 26, Governor Deval Patrick joined legislators, MassCOSH, organized labor, business leaders and worker advocates to sign S.2195, “An Act Restoring the Minimum Wage and Providing Unemployment…
This past January, as most of New Bedford slept, Víctor Gerena was working the night shift for Sea Watch International Seafood, one of the largest clam processing plants in Massachusetts and the nation. Assigned to clean out a shucking machine, Gerena became entangled in a rotary turbine engine that allowed…