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Statement of Belief
Economic Justice
UU Mass Action is committed to dismantling the systems of oppression that create and contribute to economic disparities in Massachusetts. We believe that a person employed full time should be able to meet their basic, economic needs. We believe that all people should pay their fair share of taxes and contribute to the common good. And we believe that strong communities make a strong Commonwealth. Economic decisions must be driven by their impact on the common good.
We’re exploring launching a UU Housing Justice team!
Please click here to share if you’re interested in staying updated and to help us get a sense of you experiences with these issues
Legislative Priorities
ECONOMIC AND HOUSING JUSTICE With Homes for All Mass
Priority Legislation
S.1299/H.2103 Rent Control: An Act enabling cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants FACT SHEET (Pat Jehlen, Dave Rogers and Samantha Montaño) Referred to Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government
S.653 / H.942 An Act establishing a Massachusetts foreclosure prevention program (Sen. Gomez / Rep. Barber) Fact sheet
UU Mass Action is a member of the
Raise Up Mass Coalition.
UU Mass Action supports Homes for all Massachusetts.
Solidarity Economics
UU Mass Action has launched a pilot program on solidarity economics. We are partnering with the Boston Ujima Project. The Boston Ujima Project is an ecosystem centered in working-class, Black and Brown neighborhoods and rooted in community ownership, democratic decision making, and reimagining our economy.
Six congregations hosted two workshops to learn about the racial wealth gap, Ujima’s Faith Network, how to invest in their fund, and how their congregations can be a part of this work.
This partnership invites us to work to support investing in creating the world we want to see.
Resources
Boston Globe article about Boston's racial wealth gap
NYT 1619 article about the racial wealth gap history
This Forbes article showcasing Ujima's democratic investment fund
This graphic about some of the policies that contributed to building wealth
Paid Family And Medical Leave
Raise Up Mass Statement, June 2018
Raise Up Mass Action Coalition Statement
On June 28th Governor Baker signed into law the $15 Minimum Wage Law and the Paid Family Medical Leave law that we worked so hard with our colleagues in Raise UP MA to get passed.
This only happened because we gathered 360,000 signatures of voters last fall and this spring, and the countless meetings we had with legislators. Without this, these huge wins would never, never, never have happened. TOGETHER WE DID IT! WE HAVE ENABLED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE in MA to HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY AND SECURITY IN THEIR LIVES!!
This will help 840,000 low wage earners get $2.75 Billion (yes Billion!) in wage increases over 5 years.
The Paid Family Medical Leave law will enable almost all workers in MA… many millions…to get 20 weeks of paid time off for serious illness or injury to themselves and up to 12 weeks to care for a family member with such illness or injury who needs their care. Also covers maternity, paternity, and military leave.
The Paid Family Medical Leave is the strongest in the country and overall our new Massachusetts law is even better than the $15 Wage laws in CA and NY in several areas. Our Raise Up statement is at the bottom of this email.
State House News Service said of our efforts: “Raise Up has established itself as a force on Beacon Hill, having successfully fought for the last minimum wage increase, an earned sick time law and now having likely secured another minimum wage increase and the establishment of a paid leave program. The coalition also succeeded in convincing House Speaker Robert DeLeo that another minimum wage increase was necessary on the heels of the boost approved in 2014.”
The members of the Raise Up Mass Coalition (including UU Mass Action) are deeply disappointed by the phase out of time-and-a-half wages on Sunday and holidays for retail workers and the amount of the tipped worker increase. We are deeply motivated to fight for new state revenue since the Millionaires Tax is off the ballot. These are all issues to consider for work in 2019.