Upcoming Event: FREE Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) Training

The Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) and Suffolk Construction will be hosting a free 10-hour Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) training. The training will cover OSHA regulations and requirements that are necessary as you apply to the construction industry. This will be a good opportunity  for women looking to enter the construction industry.

Saturday January 24th, 2015, 8:30am-3:30pm
Sunday January 25th, 2015 8:30am-3:30pm

OSHA Training
38 Oak Street 
Boston, MA 02111

For more information, check out the event flyer.
If you have any questions or need to sign up, please call Brian McPherson at 617-517-4446 or email BMcPherson@suffolk.com

Repost: MassGaming to establish ‘Access and Opportunity’ committee, Initiative created to support state’s commitment to ensuring workforce and vendor diversity

Last week, The Massachusetts Gaming Commission announced their plans to establish an Access and Opportunity Committee for "the primary function of monitoring diversity in the construction workforce and supplier base of the state's resort-casino licensees" (MGC Communications, 11 Dec. 2014). This motion was passed unanimously by The Commission on December 4. The Policy Group on Tradeswomen's Issues (PGTI) co-conveners Susan Moir and Elizabeth Skidmore expressed their excitement for the achievement, which was spurred in part by The Commission's collaboration with PGTI. "'After six years of hard work developing best practices for increasing the number of women in construction jobs, this is a great milestone, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Commission'" (MGC Communications, 11 Dec. 2014). With major construction planned for new casinos in Massachusetts, this motion means hundreds of jobs for tradeswomen.

To read the full news release, visit http://massgaming.com or download the PDF.

Repost: $100m US purse for apprentice programs: Labor Secretary cites Boston unit as a model

Recently the US Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez toured the Local 17 Sheet Metal Worker’s headquarters and “announced a $100 million program of competitive grants to help fund apprentice programs like Boston’s Building Pathways organization”. Thomas Perez praised the success of the Boston’s Building Pathways which has helped minorities and women enter trades that have been previously closed off to them. Perez believes that the success that Boston achieved can be done throughout the country leading to good jobs for those looking for them.

Visit http://www.dotnews.com/2014/100m-us-purse-apprentice-programs-labor-secretary-cites-boston-unit-mo to read the full article.

 

Labor secretary talks wages in Boston

Perez also wanted to raise support for the Obama administration’s proposals of increasing the national minimum wage and granting workers paid sick leave. He says that Massachusetts has “been a model for the rest of the nation” in which voters recently passed a referendum that requires businesses with 11 or more employees to earn up to 40 hours of paid sick time a year. Perez praised the apprenticeship model and the success found in Boston, he says that the model can be used for numerous job sectors.

Visit http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/11/17/labor-secretary-talks-wages-and-apprenticeships-boston/cZuGY4n16k2KQvcQB5RMgM/story.html to read the full article.

Visit http://www.dol.gov/_sec/newsletter/2014/20141120-2.htm#Boston to read the Department of Labor Newsletter.