News in Brief: April 14, 2014

Boston Jobs Coalition – Downtown Crossing

The Boston Jobs Coalition continued protests at the construction site of a new building at the historic Filene’s Basement in Downtown Boston on Monday last week. As previously reported by Open Media Boston, the coalition is critical of hiring practices for people of color and women at the site. They claim that the developer, Millennium Partners, has broken city hiring laws, and hasn’t contributed mandatory affordable housing payments. 

Budget4All – Boylston St.

In the lead up to ‘tax day’, the Budget4All campaign hit out at Bank of America (BOA) on Saturday last week for not paying their fair share of taxes, while funding for Unemployment Insurance, food stamps, and other vital programs is falling. The campaign picketed the BOA location on Boylston St., and preceded a public forum where US Congresswoman Catherine Clark, Mel King, and leaders of statewide peace, labor and community movements spoke in favor a people’s budget.

Fight for $15 and a Union – Dorchester and Cambridge

Fast-food workers and their supporters in Dorchester and Cambridge picketed Burger King and McDonald’s outlets on Thursday last week, advocating for a raise in the minimum wage to $15 an hour and the right to form a union. The group says that in addition to not paying a decent wage, fast-food companies are making it even harder for their workers to afford even the basic necessities by stealing their wages. It’s not just a single bad employer, 89% of fast food workers reported dealing with wage theft on the job.

15 Now New England – Winter St.

Members and supporters of the 15 Now New England campaign picketed Starbucks on Winter St. on Saturday last week. The group is advocating for a raise in the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and pointed out that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz receives $9,637 an hour in compensation.

Ayyub Abdul-Alim – Springfield

Ayyub Abdul-Alim went on trial on Thursday last week at Hampden Superior Court in Springfield for what supporters claim is a fabricated weapons charge by the Springfield Police Department and the FBI. Advocates for the local business owner allege that Abdul-Alim was offered exoneration of the charges only if he agreed to become an informant on the Muslim community. He had been held in confinement awaiting trial for two years, and faces 15 years in prison if convicted. 

SEIU 1199 – Melrose-Wakefield

Nurses and members of SEIU local 1199 at the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital held a picket on Thursday last week demanding a fair contact, which they say is being denied to them while executives at the hospital are pushing a merger with Partners Healthcare.