unions Archives

When Married Women Couldn’t Teach, Massachusetts Unions Led The Fight

An often forgotten chapter in women’s labor history, the fight against marriage bans in Massachusetts eventually found success with activism, passionate union efforts, and nationwide economic change

JACOB SCHLES July 17, 2025

Large crowd outside of Skinner and Eddy employment office. The shipyard workers struck two weeks before the Seattle General Strike on Feb. 6, 1919.

General Strikes Are Now Mainstream In Massachusetts

Big ups for Rep. McGovern and Jon Keller discussing what was once undiscussable in Bay State media, but a few historical corrections are in order

JASON PRAMAS March 20, 2025

THE BEST OF BINJ: LABOR REPORTING

From Cole Rosengren’s extensive coverage of recycling workers which impacted policies across the region to bombshell reporting by Eoin Higgins on problems at a major Boston-based company

BINJ ONLINE November 5, 2024

CHAIN REACTION

Coffee shop workers organize, inspire others Labor organizing in the Boston area has gotten a hip makeover. Two local coffee shop chains, Pavement & Darwin’s Ltd., have had their employees vote to form unions. These baristas have been the unlikely stars of the progressive left in Boston this past summer:

CHRIS HUES November 17, 2021

PROTESTERS DECRY NONPROFIT LAYOFFS; FOUNDERS RESPOND TO CLAIMS OF UNION-BUSTING, RACISM

“I don’t think we’re a racist organization. I just think the power structure, the culture, is made up of people who don’t look like me.”

JANE REGAN June 23, 2020

AN MBTA BUS DRIVER GETS BACK ON THE ROAD AFTER A TWO-WEEK QUARANTINE

“We should only be able to have seven passengers on the bus so they can keep that amount of distance between them. But that is not happening.”

IÑAKI ESTÍVALIZ April 22, 2020

INVISIBLE HEROES OF CORONAVIRUS CRISIS CLEAN HOSPITALS, STREETS

“These men and women are the anonymous heroes of the coronavirus pandemic and are among those who least can afford to lose their wages and benefits during this crisis.”

IÑAKI ESTÍVALIZ March 28, 2020

BLOOD SUCKERS

Call center workers battle abusive customers, managers, bedbugs Abraham Zamcheck had had enough. On Wednesday, Nov 8, the 32-year-old call center representative jumped onto his desk in the offices of downtown Boston security systems firm SimpliSafe and attempted to rally his fellow workers to fight for their rights. “There are

EOIN HIGGINS November 28, 2017

STRIKE. IRON. HOT.

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) demonstration with Joseph J. Ettor speaking from platform to striking barbers in Union Square, New York. (1913) You don’t need a union to take action for justice on the job July 18, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS Last week 1,200 Tufts Medical Center nurses unionized with

JASON PRAMAS July 18, 2017