The Coalition for Social Justice (CSJ) is working on a campaign to address the extreme and growing problem of economic inequality in Massachusetts. They are working in coalition with many other organizations around the state in the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition. We at First Parish have been invited to become involved with the campaign, which will last from mid-September to mid-November. Here are the two issues of this fall’s campaign:
Paid Family and Medical Leave. This legislation will establish job protected paid leave for workers to recover from a serious illness or injury, to care for a seriously ill or injured family member, or to care for a newborn, newly adopted, or new foster child.
Fight for 15. This legislation will build on the successful Raise-Up Massachusetts campaign that increased the Mass. Minimum wage to $11/hour. It would establish a $15 minimum wage for workers in the state, to be phased in over 4 years, and increase the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, currently at $3.75 per hour to $9 per hour.

The coalition will be gathering signatures to qualify both these issues for the 2018 ballot. If the legislature does not pass these laws, the coalition will be ready to take these issues to the voters in November 2018 Rev. Rachel Tedesco will be asking people to volunteer to collect voter signatures for these two issues after Labor Day. Hopefully, we will have enough volunteers to organize teams of 2 or 3 to collect signatures on weekends at the Market Basket in West Bridgewater, much as we did two years ago for the Fair Share Tax Amendment. (Note that this amendment is already qualified for the 2018 ballot.) For more information or to sign up, please contact Rev. Rachel at 508-378-3904 or via email at revrayted@comcast.net. Or talk to her at church.