ORGANIZING NOTES

August 21st, 2024

        When We Organize We Win

What Happens When Protesting Becomes A Crime

States Are Restricting Protests and Criminalizing Dissent

Arrested in the crackdown against nonviolent climate protesters as he played Bach outside of Citibank’s global headquarters John Mark Rozendaal sang “….we are not afraid, we are not afraid, we will sing for liberation because we know why we were made”.   Twitter video of arrest

Rozendaal and Alec Connon, director of the climate nonprofit group, “Stop the Money Pipeline”, are accused of previous assault against a Citibank security guard, (charges that they deny). On August 8th they were arrested for criminal contempt, facing charges of up to seven years. 3700 people have participated in non-violent civil disobedience, blockading the entrance of one of the world’s largest fossil fuel financier’s headquarters. More than 475 people, including faith leaders, scientists, and elders have been arrested for calling on Citibank to stop bankrolling new coal, oil and gas production. “The window to avert the worst impacts of climate change is rapidly

closing … efforts by the fossil fuel industry and its allies to criminalize and suppress protests imperil democratic freedoms and obstruct meaningful climate action,” said Kathy Mulvey, of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). (The Guardian) While the NYPD denies increasing arrests, climate advocates accuse Citibank and the NYPD of coordinated efforts to suppress nonviolent protests in retaliation for drawing attention to the banking giant’s key role in funding fossil projects globally. (Climate News) .

Meanwhile, the New York Civil Liberties Union is calling for the disbanding of the New York Police group responsible for policing the climate protesters, the Strategic Response Group. (Inside the special NYPD This unit is specially trained in counter-terrorism, but also deployed for peaceful protests and uses techniques similar to those of  the Israeli Defense Force, (IDF), where many of the officers were trained to intimidate and control crowds. Their tactics were on full display during the police break-up of the Columbia University protests, (Arrest at Columbia University Protest Site – Manhattan)   Of note, protestors against building Cop City, a police training ground outside Atlanta, accuse the police force of teaching IDF methods. The Nation. The city of Durham, N.C. voted in 2018 to cease all police training with the IDF.  No IDF training in Durham.  More Related Links Here

ORMA Members Are Urged To Volunteer And

Vote For ORMA Endorsed Ballot Measures

Medicare for all Ballot Initiative

Universal Single Payer Health Care Remains Out of Reach in Massachusetts

Support the campaign for Medicare for All in Massachusetts 

Once again, just like in 2022, and 2020, and 2018, the Massachusetts legislature failed to confront the failed healthcare system in Massachusetts and the United States more broadly. Legislative leaders and the Governor did nothing, even as they watched the not-so-slow moving train wreck of Steward Health, and the potential decimation of healthcare services for thousands of Massachusetts residents. Steward’s failure is just one more example of what is wrong with a for profit health care system designed to generate private profits for hedge funds owners while impoverishing the public. 

We must continue to build the kind of public movement that will force elected officials to do the right thing, they are not going to lead, we have to.

In November we have the opportunity to prove to the legislature that support for universal single payer health care is broad and deep. In 13 state representative districts, a referendum will be on the ballot calling on those Representatives to support Medicare for All, you can be the difference that wins these votes, and builds pressure for passage of legislation in the next session. 

Contact the district leader in your community, let them know you are ready to help with canvassing, tabling, texting, or other outreach events, and then tell your friends and family about the ballot campaigns and ask them to get on board.

Prevent the next Steward Healthcare collapse, make sure you, your family, co-workers and friends have the healthcare they need when they need it, like the rest of the major industrialized nations!

Question #1: Authorization of State Auditor

A YES Vote supports explicitly authorizing the state auditor to audit the accounts, programs, activities, and functions of all departments, offices, commissions, institutions, and activities of the state legislature and any authorities or districts created by the state legislature. Volunteer HERE

Question #2:  Repeal Competency Assessment Requirement for High School Graduation Inititiative

A YES Vote supports repealing the requirement that students must achieve a certain competency level on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam to graduate high school. Join The Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance

Question #3: Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Transportation Networ Drivers Initiative

A YES Vote supports: 

• providing for unionizing and collective bargaining for transportation network drivers;
• requiring the state to oversee the negotiations between the parties and approve the negotiated recommendations on wages, benefits, and terms and conditions of work; and
• requiring collective bargaining agreements to be approved by at least a majority of riders who have completed at least 100 trips during the previous quarter 

Question #5:  Minimum Wage for Tipped Employee Initiative

A YES Vote supports gradually increasing the wage of tipped employees until it meets the state minimum wage in 2029 and continues to permit tipping in addition to the minimum wage. Join One Fair Wage 

On-Going Climate Struggles Need Your Help

With the Massachusetts legislative leadership apparently incapable of responding to the climate crisis in a meaningful way, and with the urgency needed, it’s time for individuals to show them how it’s done. 

There are several ongoing struggles that need your help now, struggles that depend on a vibrant movement to create change:

Support the Triple-Win Pledge/Support the Climate-Labor Alliance

Billions of dollars are coming to Massachusetts as a result of the Biden Inflation Reduction Act, the American Rescue Plan, and Infrastructure Act. Funds to invest in needed infrastructure including climate mitigation, pollution reduction, transit, public buildings, water and sanitation, and other projects that will make Massachusetts cleaner, greener, and more equitable.

The Green Justice Coalition is leading the charge to ensure that these projects are based on strong Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). With PLAs, we can achieve a triple win in the green economy. Our state can ensure fair wages, benefits, training, and safety on public construction projects while creating strong career opportunities that increase equity in Massachusetts.

Sign the Pledge, share with your family & friends, urge your organization to sign

Stop the “Peakers”/Support the No Fraked Gas In Mass Campaign

What on earth is a Peaker? Peaker plants are the electric generation plants that come online when all the baseline plants on the grid are maxed out. This most often happens during stretches of the hottest days of the year. (Put Peaker in The Past) With the Office of Energy Transformation making decarbonization of peakers one of their three main tasks, it’s really important to show that there’s support across the state for this to happen.

Sign the petition to Shut Down and Transition the Massachusetts Peakers! – And sign up here for “Shave the Peak” alerts and take direct action to reduce the number of days that the Peakers are in service!

These Peaker plants are some of the oldest, least efficient, most emitting and most costly power plants Massachusetts – In Pittsfield for example, 15% of the city’s total emissions in 2018 came from the Pittsfield Generating station, even though it operated for only a FEW DAYS in 2018!

Protect Boston EJ Communities/Convert MATEP

MATEP Peaker Organizing meeting for Longwood Medical Area power plant.

This power plant is located directly in between several of Boston’s major medical facilities and in Environmental Justice communities. It has 10 gas and diesel oil generation units that put out  402,140 tons of COs equivalent emissions every year.

We’re organizing folks who want to see this plant converted to non-emissions alternatives.

August 15th, 1:00 – contact Mireille to join – mireille@slingshotaction.org

August 24th, 10am to August 25th, 3pm 

The disease that is marketplace medicine has been festering in Massachusetts for decades. Its boils have reached the surface and are now about to burst, bringing down the urban hospital Carney in Dorchester and the rural hospital Nashoba Valley in Ayer. Can we deliver the life-saving remedy in time? Where do we go from here?

                        REGISTER

Swing Blue Alliance carefully selects volunteer programs poised to make the most impact in upcoming elections. Below are the top actions from our calendar to support Democrats in the 2024 election.

Governor Healey Listens to Voices Urging 

Takeover of Steward Hospitals by Eminent Domain

With her Secretary of Health, Kate Walsh, and Commissioner of Public Health, Robbie Goldstein standing behind her, Governor Healey announced, on August 17th, the takeover of Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston by eminent domain. Heeding the call of Mass-Care and others she announced, “Today, I’m pleased to say we’re closing the book on Steward once and for all in Massachusetts. Good riddance and goodbye.”  Boston Globe

Six of the eight Steward Hospitals, including St. Elizabeth’s, will open under new operators. The Healey administration is providing $30 million in bridge financing plans  and more than $80 million a year in state and federal funding for additional MassHealth payments over the next three years. Other funding sources are also contemplated. 

Kimberly Connors, executive director of  Mass-Care lauded the takeover of Saint Eliabeths but said, “….what about the two hospital communities that I stood in solidarity with this week? Why is the largest black and brown neighborhood in Boston being sacrificed? Or our rural areas filled with veterans and small towns in central Massachusetts? ….We continue to call for the State to take these hospitals by eminent domain as outlined in Mass-Care’s White Paper.”

For more information:CommonWealth Beacon

      If you would like to work with ORMA Members on

• Climate Change
• Community-Based Alternative Emergency Response Teams
• Ranked-Choice Voting
• Housing For All       

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