A group of employees at Mass General Brigham, the state's largest hospital concern, today asked a federal judge to block a requirement that they get vaccinated against Covid-19, saying it violates not just their religious freedom but their rights under federal disabilities law. Read more.
Update: Judge rules against union.
A federal judge today continues to ponder a request by state corrections officers to order Charlie Baker to let them continue working without getting a Covid-19 shot even after his Oct. 17 deadline for state workers to show proof of vaccination. Read more.
WBZ Newsradio's Karyn Regal reports 812 of Boston's roughly 18,000 municipal workers are no longer drawing a paycheck because they won't get a shot or a weekly test.
Photo by Greta Gaffin.
Members of the Boston Newspaper Guild, which represents the newsroom and advertising staff at the Globe, stood outside WBUR's auditorium at Comm. Ave. and St. Paul Street this evening as Globe CEO Linda Pizzuti Henry was inside speaking on a panel titled "Trailblazers: Women news leaders from Katherine Graham to today," led by NPR's Robin Young - who asked if she wanted to say anything about the guild's lack of a contract for three years now. Henry said the panel was not the place to discuss labor issues.
On Sept. 6, 1886, Boston held its first Labor Day parade: Several thousand cigar makers, carpenters, painters, roofers, sheet-metal workers, mechanics, hat makers, newspaper pressmen and other workers started marching at 9:30 a.m. through Park Square and other parts of Boston Proper, ending up on Atlantic Avenue, where they boarded steamers for the ride to Downer Landing in Hingham - sort of the Salem Willows of its day - for a daylong picnic. Read more.
A registered nurse pursued by an angry woman who tagged Children's Hospital in a Facebook rant after learning the nurse had gotten a job there can continue her suit against the hospital under a state law intended to protect victims of domestic violence and harassment, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled today. Read more.
The Supreme Judicial Court ruled today that a Canton country club that withheld a 10% "service charge" from workers at private events may have to hand the money over to the workers because, come on, anybody reading a contract with that phrase would assume the money is meant for tips. Read more.
The Boston Carmen's Union, Local 589, vowed yesterday to fight any requirement to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination without something in return from the T. Read more.
While the Boston Teachers Union gave its immediate support to acting Mayor Kim Janey's impending vaccination mandate for city workers, Boston Firefighters Local 718 is saying tonight it may fight the order, not because it opposes vaccination but because the requirement represents a change in working conditions without any bargaining. Read more.
Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced today that the city will phase in a mandatory vaccination requirement for its 18,000 employees over the next two months. Read more.
The president of Boston Firefighters Local 718 says the union is willing to fight any city policy requiring employees to get Covid-19 shots - unless the city gives members some form of compensation. Read more.
Gary, of the eponymous liquor store on VFW Parkway, reports nobody was hurt when a lift toppled over at a small residential development under construction next to the Shell station on VFW Parkway inbound in West Roxbury this afternoon. In addition to a news helicopter, the fallen lift attracted kids from the nearby Hynes Field.
WBZ Newsradio reports a year after the feds approved money for unemployment for people who normally wouldn't qualify - gig workers and freelancers - the state Office of Labor and Workforce Development is now trying to claw some of that money back, demanding up to $30,000 in repayments from some people.
Some freelancers said they resorted to self-medicating to deal with the stress of unexpectedly owing thousands, or had even become suicidal.
WGBH reports on a unionization effort among workers at Pavement Coffeehouse. If successful, they would be the first local coffeehouse workers in a union.
Live Boston reports on an incident at Boston Children's Hospital last night that sent a worker to a nearby trauma center with serious injuries.
From BPDA report.
The BPDA says unemployment in Boston dropped from a peak of 16.1% in June to a still high 7.4% in December - but in a new report says there's an important caveat with that decrease: Read more.
WBUR reports a senior Baker aide accused teachers of trying to push old people and people with serious underlying conditions out of the way in their mad dash to get vaccinated now that the state is going to force all schools to return to in-class learning and the governor isn't having it. Read more.
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