[caption id="attachment_9168" align="alignnone" width="300"]LOOKING AHEAD: In line with the Executive Board’s plan to have chapter leaders take an oath of office, the new Lottery Commission stewards were sworn in at Local 888 headquarters.[/caption]

Local 888’s Executive Board has forged a strategic plan for the new year aimed at strengthening the union to help members win better contracts. The plan was unanimously adopted at the board’s Jan. 9 meeting.

The plan includes recruiting hundreds of rank-and-file leaders, emphasizing a comprehensive orientation for new hires and defining six key industry sectors. Those are: early education, public schools, higher education and public authorities along with state and municipal workforces.

The strategic plan lays out a range of legislative priorities including bills that would:

• Grant those working in the state’s public defenders agency the right to unionize.
• Upgrade pensions for members working as police dispatchers, natural resource officers, Soldiers Home caregivers and certain DPW personnel.
• Have the state adopt a “Medicare for all” approach to health insurance funding.
• “Achieving our political goals means working with community organizations and coalitions to advance important legislation and link our members’ struggles for dignity and justice on the job with the people who benefit from the services they provide,” said Local 888 President Brenda Rodrigues.

In line with that, the Executive Board has agreed to join or support:

• The Fund Our Future campaign aimed at increasing state funding for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade by $1 billion a year. See: https://massedjustice.org/fundourfuture/
• MassCare, a coalition working for a single- payer, “Medicare for all”-style health reform that would save money on administrative costs and cover everyone in Massachusetts. See: https://www.masscare.org/
• The Boston PILOT Action Group, which is campaigning for more responsible Payments In Lieu Of Taxes from major tax-exempt organizations. For more info, see: https://pilotaction.weebly.com/

A summary of the Executive Board’s strategic plan will be posted to Local 888’s website.