Labor Life Spring 2025

IN THIS EDITION
Spring 2025 Executive Director Update
In Memorium
Labor School Classes & Workshops Recap
2024 CGA Recap – Event Details and Photo Gallery

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Spring 2025 Executive Director Update

By Fr. Marc Fallon, C.S.C.

Best wishes for the new year to all of the Labor Guild Community! If we sound a bit out of breath, this is possibly due to the great success of our Cushing-Gavin Awards Dinner this past December. As always, our thanks to host Lou Antonellis of IBEW 103 in Dorchester, along with our highly professional friends from UNITE! 26 who worked with Season’s Catering to make 500 guests feel at home.

Our congratulations to long-standing Labor School Faculty Member and Arbitrator Elizabeth Neumeier, Jim Pinkham of the Utility Workers and state AFL-CIO, Roland Goff of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and Henry Vitale of the City of Boston. Personally, I was truly honored to recognize an alumnus of our Congregation of Holy Cross’s Coyle-Cassidy High School, Roland Goff, with the Cushing-Gavin Labor Attorney Award.

Meanwhile, weeks following the dinner Henry Vitale has already been in contact with two Deans of Stonehill College to offer internships and work-study opportunities at the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. There is never any surprise concerning the rationale for our Cushing-Gavin nominees by their peers! Our thanks to Co-Chairs Maria Marotta of National Grid and Board Member Frank Callahan of the Building Trades for helping us follow the evening’s agenda.

We remember the pleasant occasion for recognizing Eileen Norton and Paul McCarthy also and their decades of service. As a result, our Ecclesiastical Sponsor and Guest Most Rev. Richard Henning, six weeks into his tenure as Archbishop of Boston, probably felt like he was at South Station the day before Thanksgiving as our esteemed friend Harry Brett arranged CGA Awardee photos before the Dinner!

Regardless of the crunch of the crowd, Executive Board Members Brian Hart and Billy Vietze proceeded to calmly discuss with Archbishop Henning a number of possibilities for a Catholic Mass with the Building Trades. More details to follow, so stay tuned!

Have I ever told you that My Heroes Have Always Been Teamsters? A routine phone call this past Fall to Teamsters Local 25 Leader (and Labor School Rain-Maker!) Raphael McKnight-Gomes first of all yielded incredible background noise, and then the news that he was part of a Teamsters group engaged in relief work in rural North Carolina following September’s Hurricane Helene. So while others dealt with Election Season hurts or disappointments in a variety of manner, Raphael and several present Labor School students got up off of the couch to travel and operate heavy machinery in support of residents affected by a hurricane.

So we write this in stone: We conduct the Labor School for students such as these! In the present semester, we are pleased to welcome Tom Breslin for Advanced Stewards Training and Patti Legault-Frank for the Role of the Union Local Secretary.

January also features a Workshop on Resilience During the Challenges of Life (i.e. Covid protocols, election outcomes); Ashley Adams with a workshop on Charting and Mapping as tools for organizing; and our sponsorship with the Catholic Health Foundation of a “Know Your Rights” Workshop with the Brockton Workers Alliance. These allies are proven to have the ear of the Cape Verdean and Haitian Creole communities.

At the Annual Meeting of the Labor Guild on Thursday, January 23, 2025 we welcomed 2022 CGA Management Awardee John Folcarelli to the Executive Board, while also wishing Godspeed to Mary Gendrolis and Boyle Fellow Bruce Tran. In remembering Bruce’s two years of service with the Guild, we have applied for support with the Commonwealth Corps / VISTA program for perhaps two young adults to contribute with outreach & networking while providing IT support for the Labor School. In making this application with a large organization, we have the possibility of partnering with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese.

As I mentioned above the diligence of Board Members Brian Hart and Billy Vietze conducting initial discussions for a Building Trades Mass in a room with the ambience of a crowded subway platform, President Lisa Field and I continue to look forward to our first scheduled meeting with Archbishop Henning. Monsignor Bryan Hehir asked us several months ago to prepare a brief file on the Guild’s history and current issues, mainly the rapid transition to the Zoom remote format during the Covid protocols. Additionally, the same file is also now with several Officers of the State Knights of Columbus leadership. The Knights assisted us with our Sunday Mass accompaniment of patients when I was with the Brockton VA Chaplaincy, and their 1880s origin had a great deal to do with Survivors’ Benefits. The Guild has also had mentoring meetings with local seminarians, which is a step along the route of putting our name in the minds of pastors.

There are many favorable comments on the Oral History Video project for the Guild, prompted by Jim Cooper, John Higgins, and Rosemary Pye and under the sponsorship of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. We have had a 7-minute trailer available recently, which was screened at the CGA Dinner in December.

For our calendar events, the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions will meet in Springfield March 10-11, 2025. Immediately following this, Global Labor Justice will monitor a major Seafood Processors Convention at the Convention Center. This network is in touch with Indonesian fishers who work on Taiwanese open-ocean vessels for 12-15 months at a stretch. Primary among the list of grievances is the absence of Wi-Fi to facilitate family communication. GLJ also tracks the working conditions for South Asian women working in the supply chains of Nike, Converse, and other manufacturers. The concluding weekend of March is a busy one with the glittering Teamsters Local 25 Autism Gala (Please see above for “heroes.”) on Saturday, March 29, 2025 while the New England Jewish Labor Seder will be hosted by our friends of IBEW 103 on Sunday, March 30, 2025.

In Memorium

• Dorchester native Charles Bankowski was with The Boston Globe as a mechanic for many years, while actively supporting American Legion Post 65 and the Guild.
• Long-time Guild Member Stephen F. Coyle served as CEO of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, bringing the dream of affordable housing to a lived reality for so many. A 2018 Cushing-Gavin Management Awardee.
• A Guild Member of many years’ standing, Robert C. Cerrato, Jr. served UFCW 328 members on Cape Cod and the Islands as Shop Steward. He was also a Delegate to the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Central Labor Council.
• Lucille Brett is remembered for her contributions at Dorchester Savings Bank and Kemper Insurance, while uniting with long-standing Cushing-Gavin Awards photographer (and husband) Harry to raise four children and support many at St. Albert the Great Parish in Weymouth.
• “Phil” Kerr is remembered for his 54 years of marriage to his wife Kay; their eight children; his 66 years with Pipefitters Local #537 and ultimate election to the United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters in Washington. For symmetry, his Funeral Mass required 8 priests.

Labor School Classes & Workshops Recap

Human Trafficking Symposium

On June 11th, The Labor Guild hosted the Human Trafficking Symposium to spread awareness of the ever-growing criminal industry in the United States. After an introduction from Father Marc Fallon and Lisa Field, keynote speaker Stacy Reed, CEO and Founder of Stacy’s Joy Consulting LLC, discussed her personal story. Next were legal responses from the local law enforcement organizations, local government, and UNITE! 26 hospitality industry workers in a panel discussion featuring Peabody Detective Dave Bonfanti, Massachusetts state Representative Walsh, and Jamie McNeil, and William Brown of UNITE! 26. 

Detective Bonfanti discussed how working cases on human trafficking affects one emotionally, as one realizes the absence of supportive and protective family and community for many victims.  Rep. Thomas P. Walsh has presented Bill H.2416 “An Act requiring human trafficking recognition training for certain hospitality workers” in the State House.  Next Sister Marilyn McGoldrick from the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Anti-Trafficking Coalition of the Boston Unit of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and Sheelah Gobar, Program Manager of the Support to End Exploitation Now, (SEEN), with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County turned to child trafficking. Sister Marilyn discussed the movie Sounds of Freedom, which brought child trafficking into the forefront of public consciousness.  Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Errol Flynn (not the actor!) discussed his role and experiences in investigating both sex and labor trafficking.

Basic Steward Training

This course by Deb Sullivan covered the basic duties and responsibilities of a Shop Steward. Building skills by emphasizing strategic planning for local unions, member mobilization, recording documentation, and the grievance process. Students participate in case studies to develop and enhance problem-solving techniques to navigate daily issues swiftly and professionally. Students also build more effective communication skills between trades and their members, supervisors, and/or business managers. This course gives Chairs and Members the tools they need to have more effective union meetings that will comply with their bylaws. Recording secretary responsibilities and meeting notices and minutes will also be covered.

Union Power Tools

Ashley Adams shows union leaders how to build a strong fighting union.  Specifically, we cover the topics of charting (also known as “mapping”), running action-oriented and effective meetings, leadership recruitment and development, and how to stage union-building fights in a way that incrementally increases the group’s ability to fight and win – much like a trainer develops a boxer. 

Advanced Communication Skills to Resolve Conflict

Students discuss and practice the mechanics of effective and clear communication using case studies to help them become more proficient in working with and relating to others. In addition, this class Paul McCarthy helped boost leadership skills, resulting in better interpersonal relationships by learning methods on how to resolve, defuse, and avoid unnecessary conflict. This five-week course was designed to be highly interactive and an enjoyable learning experience for all participants.

Careers in Arbitration & Mediation

Students interested in this class heard from experienced arbitrators and a mediator with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in a workshop moderated by Mike Loconto. The speakers were from across the country and had backgrounds in labor, management, and the courts. They discuss their profession and view a brief presentation with basic details about certificate courses, training programs, and other requirements and business development. With plenty of time for questions and answers, the speakers will address common concerns about barriers to entry, sustainability, and the market for new arbitrators and mediators.

Effective Communication with Your Members

Labor Guild Board Member Elissa Cadillic shared contemporary strategies for keeping your membership on the same digital page. The AFCSME experience proves valuable for all intentions of including one & all in the conversation.

Heartwell Resilience & Well-Being Symposium

With thanks to the Frank Feeley Family, the Heartwell Institute of Worcester led members of the Labor Guild community in a program of meditation, mindfulness, resilience, and self-care for challenging times on January 16. Staff presented techniques allowing committed, hard-working members of the Labor – Management Community to “take a step back” and engage in healthy practices for sustainability over the long run. The remnants of Covid protocols, stressful election campaigns with perhaps mixed results, and the challenges of maintaining supportive relationships may be all part of the mix. And by supporting a sister or brother, we are also looking after our own selves!