News: Pressley wades into gig worker fight

Friday, March 11, 2022

Pressley wades into gig worker fight

Mar 11, 2022

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: PRESSLEY SAYS 'MASS. IS NOT FOR SALE' — The coalition fighting a proposed ballot question to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors is getting a boost.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley is endorsing Massachusetts Is Not For Sale at an event Saturday, adding significant political muscle to the coalition of labor and civil rights groups squaring off against a well-funded, tech-backed rival.

The sides are sparring over legislation and a ballot proposal that would classify Uber, Lyft, Instacart and DoorDash workers as independent contractors, rather than employees, while offering them certain benefits. But Massachusetts Is Not For Sale argues that the initiatives would cost workers the rights and benefits they should already have as full employees under current state law.

"Major corporations are seeking to create a false choice and undermine the guaranteed right of gig workers in Massachusetts to be paid a living wage, access paid leave, have high-quality healthcare, and more — changes that would disproportionately impact Black, brown and immigrant workers," Pressley said in a statement, adding that she's "proud" to stand in opposition to "efforts to buy out our labor laws, residents and workers."

Pressley joins Sen. Elizabeth Warren in bringing political heft to a coalition facing an uphill financial battle against Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers, which raked in more than $17 million in 2021 — mostly from Lyft — and entered 2022 with over $14 million in its war chest. By contrast, Massachusetts Is Not For Sale, formerly known as the Coalition to Protect Workers' Rights, started this year with $682,658.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Caucus season comes to a close this weekend.

An internal memo by state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz's campaign, obtained by POLITICO, offers a glimpse into her strategy as the governor's race shifts gears. Here are a few things that stand out:

— Chang-Díaz's campaign says the "vast majority" of delegates coming out of the Democratic caucuses are "undecided." That gives candidates more time to work party activists and lock up at least 15 percent of the delegate vote at the June convention to get on the primary ballot.

— She's targeting Gateway Cities, communities of color and voters who turned out in 2020 but not in the last competitive governor's race in 2014. Her team estimates about 1 million voters could be at play. But turnout tends to decline in non-presidential years.

TODAY — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu fixes a pothole at 11 a.m. on Instagram Live and speaks at a Charlestown Knights of Columbus luncheon at 11:30 a.m.

SATURDAY — Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark hosts House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Pressley and Lori Trahan for a roundtable discussion on ARPA health care investments at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cambridge Health Alliance. Pressley joins Massachusetts Is Not For Sale at 11:30 a.m. at Zumix in East Boston.

SUNDAY — Rep. Seth Moulton and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll speak at a "Stand with Ukraine" fundraiser at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Salem. Wu, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rahsaan Hall are keynote speakers at the virtual Progressive Mass annual gala at 7:30 p.m. Sunday; state Sen. Becca Rausch, Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia, Worcester School Committee member Tracy O'Connell Novick and Beth Huang of the Massachusetts Voter Table are honorees.

THE SUNDAY SHOWS — AFL-CIO Massachusetts President Steve Tolman is on WBZ's "Keller at Large" at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Rep. Bill Keating is on WCVB's "On the Record" at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Tips? Scoops? Terrified of giant spiders that are apparently going to parachute down from the sky? Let's chat: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks with Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov about the conditions in Ukraine.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks with Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov about the conditions in Ukraine. | POLITICO Screenshot

— STAND BY YOU: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov took office around the same time. They share the same birthday. Now they're standing united against Russia's assault on Ukraine.

Terekhov described the challenges facing Kharkiv — Ukraine's second-largest city, which has been hit by airstrikes and shelling — in a video call with Wu on Thursday. Twenty-seven schools have been destroyed, residents have lost their homes and infrastructure has been damaged, Terekhov said through a translator.

He called on Wu to lobby members of the local congressional delegation to up the federal government's sanctions against Russia. Wu pledged to use "every possible tool that we can" and said her administration is working to provide supplies and humanitarian aid.

— "Dunkin' to suspend investment in Russia," by Grant Welker, Boston Business Journal: "Dunkin' Brands Group Inc. is suspending 'all current development and investment' in Russia, the company said Thursday, the latest company to halt business amid the war in Ukraine."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Massachusetts reports 802 daily coronavirus cases; 1,717 infections in K-12 schools," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "A total of 1,717 staff and students tested positive in Bay State schools in the past week, a bit up from the previous weekly average following school vacation week. Thursday's daily count of 802 new virus cases in Massachusetts was a 25% decrease from last Thursday's report of 1,067 infections."

— "Massachusetts will drop 3,700 from COVID death count," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "At the very beginning of the pandemic, the state was counting as a COVID death anyone who died after getting a COVID diagnosis. Last April, the state started counting as a COVID-related death anyone who had COVID-19 listed as the cause of death on their death certificate or anyone who did not have COVID listed as their cause of death but who contracted COVID within 60 days of their death. The new definition reduces that time frame to 30 days. State officials will apply the definition retroactively to all prior COVID deaths."

— "Town-by-town COVID-19 data in Massachusetts," by Ryan Huddle and Peter Bailey-Wells, Boston Globe.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Senate unanimously passes Soldiers' Home governance bill, tightening chain of command and proposing key changes in oversight," by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: "The state Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill that will tidy up the chain of command from the state's soldiers' homes to Beacon Hill and proposes other key changes in oversight for the facilities in Holyoke and Chelsea."

— TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE: Senators want to elevate the secretary of veterans' services to the cabinet level and, per an amendment from Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, require that the secretary is a veteran. Other significant differences between the House and Senate bills, particularly over the chain of command governing the soldiers' homes, mean the legislation is heading to conference committee.

— "Massachusetts animal advocates push for uniform statewide dog day care, kennel regulations," by Matt Reed, WCVB: "Amy Baxter's dog Ollie was mauled to death on only his second day of dog day care in 2020. … The facility has since closed, but the case is now the inspiration behind Ollie's Law, which aims to create uniform regulations for kennels in the state."

— "Families of COVID victims demand to know why Remembrance Day is delayed," by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: "Massachusetts families who lost someone to COVID-19 are frustrated that Beacon Hill has yet to pass legislation to honor them. A bill filed in September calls for the first Monday of March to be 'COVID-19 Remembrance Day.' The bill is currently treading water, and families impacted by the virus are offended that the day has already come and gone without any official commemoration."

— "Coalition of right-leaning groups rally to stop states from adopting California's electric vehicle policy," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "A coalition of conservative groups from several states has launched an effort to stop the implementation of California's ban on non-electric vehicle sales by 2035. … Massachusetts, as well as 15 other states, has linked its emissions policies to California's since 1991 under the Clean Air Act."

WU TRAIN

— BARRIER BREAKERS: Michelle Wu shattered several glass ceilings in Boston last fall. Now she joins two other AAPI barrier-breaking mayors, Seattle's Bruce Harrell and Cincinnati's Aftab Pureval , on POLITICO's The Recast Power List — a slate of 40 remarkable people shaking up power in Washington, the United States and beyond. See the full list and subscribe to The Recast newsletter.

Illustration by Natalia Agatte

FROM THE HUB

— "Mayor Michelle Wu names committee to study rent stabilization," by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: "The group of more than 20 people includes housing advocates, tenants, academic experts, and leaders of community organizations. It also includes a few private developers, though not the leadership of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board or NAIOP, a prominent trade group that represents developers and landlords."

— "Boston Fire's newest recruits include just one woman in a class of 90," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "The Boston Fire Department, criticized in recent years for being overwhelmingly white and male, continues to struggle with diversity. The latest evidence: its current recruiting class of 90 includes only one woman."

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ON THE STUMP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: UAW Region 9A, which has about 30,000 active and retired members, has endorsed Shannon Liss-Riordan for state attorney general, per her campaign, adding to her growing union support.

— ENDORSEMENT ALERT: State Sen. Paul Feeney will endorse state Sen. Eric Lesser for lieutenant governor at 11 a.m. today in Attleboro.

— TALKING DEMOCRACY: Secretary of state hopeful Tanisha Sullivan is hosting a series of roundtable "Democracy Conversations" on voting rights, government transparency and economic opportunity. The series starts this month and will be co-chaired by former governor hopeful Danielle Allen; Mass Alliance Executive Director Jordan Berg Powers; MIT assistant professor Karilyn Crockett; former MassVOTE ED Avi Green and Diana Hwang of the Asian American Women's Political Initiative.

— "Former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, Trump-endorsed candidate for governor, launches statewide tour in Berkshire County," by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: "At an interview in Dalton, [Geoff] Diehl said that he believes his record distinguishes him from [Chris] Doughty, who is new to electoral politics, adding that he is 'confident' in the support he already has received."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "T Looking at $230 Mil Shortfall When Fed Aid Runs Out," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "The MBTA might inch to the edge of a financial 'cliff' as soon as fiscal year 2024, when the agency will have exhausted all of the nearly $2 billion in federal COVID-19 aid it received and will face a budget gap of more than $230 million, officials said Thursday."

BALLOT BATTLES

— "Massachusetts think tank alleges millionaire's tax ballot question is misleading," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "The Pioneer Institute has both filed a lawsuit and released a white paper alleging that a 2022 ballot question to tax the state's millionaires is misleading voters. … 'The Supreme Court has already determined that the money doesn't have to be spent for additional education and transportation funding, that it can be used to replace current funding, and then they take that funding and use it wherever they want,' [Pioneer's Greg Sullivan] said, arguing that the language on the ballot question's explanation should be clarified to reflect that."

DAY IN COURT

— "Troopers sue Mass. State Police for alleged discrimination against new parents," by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: "Five members of the Massachusetts State Police are suing the agency, alleging it is illegally discriminating against troopers who take maternity or other types of leave. In a lawsuit filed this week, the troopers said they and their colleagues lose seniority when they take time off to give birth or deal with other medical issues, making it harder for them to obtain choice work assignments, overtime shifts, and vacation time."

— "Lawyer accused of storming Massachusetts GOP headquarters charged with disorderly conduct," by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: "The 72-year-old retired Nahant lawyer accused of stirring up some trouble at MassGOP headquarters last month will face a charge of disorderly conduct. Paul McDonald, acting clerk magistrate of Woburn District Court, found enough evidence to move forward with the charge at a probable cause hearing Thursday morning. He did not find enough evidence to move forward with a charge of threatening to commit a crime, however."

— "Doughnut dispute: The family that runs Kane's is heading to court," by Diti Kohli, Boston Globe.

— "'Forever broken': 2 Massachusetts women testify before Sackler family members," by Deborah Becker, WBUR.

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— "Mike Tyson credits marijuana for improved mental health, introduces line of products in Boston," by Meghan Ottolini, Boston Herald: "Heavyweight champ Mike Tyson's ever-evolving life has taken an entrepreneurial turn: he's touting a new line of marijuana products right here in Boston, which he credits with granting him serenity decades after leaving the boxing ring."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— "Protestors plan hunger strike over Peabody power plant," by Paul Leighton, Salem News: "Environmental activists say they plan to go on a hunger strike next week to protest the building of a new oil-and-gas powered plant in Peabody. ... On Thursday, the Massachusetts Climate Action Network released two reports saying the plant is risky both financially and environmentally."

FROM THE 413

— "5 ALS deaths, 60 cancer cases identified among workers at troubled Roderick Ireland Courthouse in Springfield," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "Five people who worked at the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse have died of ALS — including three judges who had offices in the same part of the building — according to a letter sent this week by a judge who heads the complex's Environmental Advisory Committee. In a letter calling for a full epidemiological study and for the troubled courthouse to be replaced, Judge Claudine T. Wyner also lists 60 cancer diagnoses and says the number is believed to be higher."

— "VA medical center for the ax? VA secretary expected to include Northampton facility on closure list," by Dusty Christensen and Chris Larabee, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Local veterans and elected officials are reacting to the news that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs could include Northampton's VA medical center on a list of aging facilities recommended for closure in the coming years. … In a joint statement, [Rep. Jim] McGovern and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said they are opposed to any plan that would lead to the closing of the Northampton center."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Outgoing Worcester diversity chief: Disconnect, desire for more impact prompted departure," by Steven H. Foskett Jr., Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "[Chief Diversity Officer Stephanie] Williams, hired in Nov. 2020, is the third chief diversity officer to come and go in the city since the position was created in 2016. … Williams said her decision to resign was not based on one particular experience or person, but was 'rather a decision that my skills would be best put to use in an environment where I can have more of an impact.'"

— "'Not about 'woke' culture': Indigenous people advocate changing Dartmouth High mascot," by Kevin G. Andrade, Standard-Times: "[Dawn Blake Souza, 77, a member of the Assonet Wampanoag] was the first of several indigenous people to testify at the joint meeting of the School Committee and its Equality and Diversity Sub-Committee to discuss Dartmouth High School's use of the moniker 'Indian' for its athletic teams and its logo depicting a native person."

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— "New Hampshire House rejects effort to secede from United States," by Adam Sexton, WMUR: "The New Hampshire House has rejected a constitutional amendment to secede from the United States, something lawmakers said has not come before a legislative body in America since before the Civil War."

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Liz Jaff, president of Leopard Strategies, and Joey Rodriguez, legislative director for Rep. Seth Moulton, welcomed Leona Rose Rodriguez on Monday. Pic… Another pic.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state auditor candidate Anthony Amore.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Sen. Mitt Romney, Michael Gallant and Andrew Carden, who celebrate Saturday.

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: CHANGING CAUCUSES — The Bay State Banner's Yawu Miller joins hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky to discuss the changing nature of the Democratic caucuses in Boston. Smith and Koczela discuss the future of Boston's downtown. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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