Holyoke, Chelsea Soldiers’ Homes OK contract with state
August 16, 2021
Reports from the pandemic frontlines are very positive in regards to one of the state’s sprawling labor contracts, the so-called “Unit 2” agreement.

Reports from the pandemic frontlines are very positive in regards to one of the state’s sprawling labor contracts, the so-called “Unit 2” agreement.
A media event caps Local 888's endorsement of Mayor Kim Janey in her race to become the permanent mayor of Boston.
Hajji Glover, a newly elected member of Local 888’s executive board and a veteran Boston union leader, says he aims to "fight the good fight."
Local 888’s Committee on Political Action wades into the heavily contested Boston City Council race.
Local 888 member Robert Keeler, a security officer at Barnes Air National Guard Base, wasn’t on duty — but he sprang into action when he came upon an injured man while out shopping in Wilbraham.
Local 888 members have an opportunity to learn about being a steward.
Local 888 members get training on contract bargaining.
Workers at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home were forced to experience one of the most traumatic COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. To help employees recover emotionally from the disaster, a coalition of unions has reached an agreement with the state that will provide mental health services.
Boston Police dispatchers, a Local 888 chapter, were on the frontlines as the pandemic hit. Now the chapter is hoping members’ service will be remembered at the State House this year.
The has OK'd a $400 million plan to construct a new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. However, some of the same issues that contributed to the COVID-19 disaster there, which killed over 76 veterans, still must be resolved.
Local 888 members in the production and distribution area at the Massachusetts State Lottery, about 16 people, were recently honored for being essential workers during the pandemic.
The Raise Up Massachusetts coalition, which Local 888 is a member of, has kicked off the campaign to get voters to approve the Fair Share Amendment, sometimes known as the millionaire’s tax.
Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition backed by Local 888, has successfully campaigned to get all Massachusetts workers covered by Emergency Paid Sick Time. That includes municipal workers, who Gov. Charlie Baker had sought to exclude.
SEIU Local 888 has picked three $500 scholarship winners through a lottery.
Moment of Silence
Local 888 is looking to increase membership to win better contracts. A workshop on the upcoming campaign is set for Thursday, July 15.
MEMBER WELCOME ORIENTATION: A 45-minute Zoom workshop is generally held the second Thursday of the month at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Local 888 members, leaders and staff Zoomed in for the swearing-in ceremony for the union’s top officers, trustees and executive board members, as Tom McKeever took the reins at the union.