The Local 888 Executive Board met on March 19 at the union hall in Charlestown.  Local president Mark DelloRusso reported on the SEIU public service division meeting he attended and the recent Governor's Election Forum.

[caption id="attachment_4696" align="alignright" width="150"]March 2014 Local 888 Executive Board meeting[/caption]

Secretary-Treasurer Brenda Rodrigues provided the board with an overview comparing Local 888's projected budget with actual revenue and expenses for 2013.  For the first time in several years, the local ended the year in the black.  Total expenditures were $4,291,000 with a balance carried forward of $36,000.  Members interested in learning more about Local 888's finances should email myunion@seiu888.org for more detailed information.

Brenda also reported that Local 888 was recently awarded $8,000 by the International Union for our membership leadership development program that will strengthen our caucuses and regional committees.  Local 888 will also have a national Occupational Health Internship Program student intern working with Lisa Field to assist with the development of a new Safety Council for Local 888 members.

The Executive Board approved up to 10 scholarships for members to attend the Women's Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) June 20 - 22.  Members interested in a scholarship should call the union at 617 241-3300 or email myunion@seiu888.org.  The deadline for registration is June 6.  For more info about WILD call 617 825-0520 or visit www.wildlabor.org

The Executive Board also voted to contribute $5,000 to the Raise Up Massachusetts campaign.

During the lunch break, Board members and former co-workers held a ceremony to appreciate long-time member Greg King for his dedication and service to the membership of SEIU Local 888 and the labor movement.

[caption id="attachment_4697" align="alignleft" width="300"]SEIU’s Maureen Ridge who is spearheading the effort to win $15 an hour and collective bargaining rights for fast food workers in Massachusetts, tells the Local 888 Executive Board about the campaign. Members with family or friends working in the fast food industry are urged to contact the campaign at maureen.ridge@gmail.com.[/caption]

The featured speaker at the meeting was SEIU's Maureen Ridge who is spearheading the campaign to win $15 an hour and collective bargaining rights for fast food workers in Massachusetts.  Local 888 members with family or friends working in the fast food industry are urged to contact the campaign at maureen.ridge@gmail.com.

A second speaker, James Razsa, made a presentation on a campaign to require the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Trust to divest its holdings from fossil fuels.  The Fossil Fuel Divest campaign supports efforts to remove fossil fuel companies from institutional endowments, organizational investments, and public employee retirement trust funds. They are seeking to pass state legislation (S.1225) to divest the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Trust of fossil fuel assets. Sign the petition here!