originally published in the May edition of Socialism Today
On Strike at Clark University
(Worcester, MA // March 13 – March 23)
Members of ISG in the Clark University Undergraduate Workers Union joined with coworkers on strike, seeking union recognition with the Teamsters from the Clark administration. The 680 undergrad student workers on campus want better pay, guaranteed hours, safety training, and improved staffing, among other demands.
ISG members joined picket lines in solidarity throughout the strike, including our union members in SMART-TD (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers), NPMHU (National Postal Mail Handlers Union), MTA (Massachusetts Teachers Association), and AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees). Read more on the strike here.
NALC USPS Letter Carriers’ Rallies
(Nationwide // March 23)
In Boston, MA, Portland, ME, and Providence, RI, ISG joined nationwide rallies organized by the NALC (National Association of Letter Carriers), which represents 200,000 US Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers. The union called for workers to “Fight Like Hell” against the Trump administration’s privatization of the USPS and urged the need for a strong contract for its members. In January, the membership voted down a Tentative Agreement (TA) by 71%. The TA offered 1.3% yearly wage increases over the 3-year contract. Since the rallies, NALC leadership has accepted binding arbitration, which ultimately enforced a nearly identical TA on the membership.
In Boston, ISG members of the USPS mail handlers’ union and the MTA were invited to speak. Our speeches called for an independent political party for unions and working people and for unified contract fights among all USPS unions. We also spoke of public-sector strikes and the need for the whole labor movement to unite forces to fight Trump.
Union Election Campaign in the Massachusetts Teachers Association
(Boston, MA // March 2025)
ISG member Peggy Wang, an animation studio manager at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, ran for a position in her union’s local chapter at MassArt. Her union local, the Association of Professional Administrators, covers 1000+ higher ed support staff across nine state colleges. A recent MTA survey found that around a third of campus staff work extra jobs, and a third reported some degree of food insecurity.
Wang’s campaign ran on the need for much higher pay, increased staffing, and compensation for unpaid work/overtime. Unfortunately, the union chapter ran a snap election, announcing election dates and candidates and sending out campaign statements less than three days before elections were being held. The final results were 47-59, with Wang receiving 44% of the votes against a candidate who ran on collaborationist “win-win” solutions with management.
Hands Off Rallies
(Nationwide // April 5)
ISG joined millions who protested in 1,000+ actions/rallies across the country against the Trump administration’s attacks on federal workers, unions, immigrants, and students. ISG raised the need for mass protests, coordinated union action to build toward a general strike, and openly showed solidarity as union members from our unions. We called out the Democratic Party as a dead end for the fight against Trump that working people need a workers’ party armed with a socialist program that can serve as an alternative to two-party corporate politics.
Speaking at the Just Transitions Summit at the Scontras Labor Center
(Portland, ME // April 5)
ISG members held a panel discussion at the Scontras Center’s Just Transitions conference at the University of Southern Maine—Portland. We raised the need for a green jobs program that provides union jobs with good wages and paid training for those in the coal and gas sectors. We promoted the ongoing Public Rail Now campaign, which envisions a publicly-owned rail network that can transition from fossil fuels to widespread electrification that improves living and working standards for workers and sustainability for the planet. Ultimately, capitalist solutions can’t solve the climate crisis: only a coordinated global plan with a socialist vision can build a sustainable future that puts people over profit.
Holyoke Teachers Association Negotiating First Contract Post-Receivership
(Holyoke, MA // April 2025)
The Holyoke Teachers Association (HTA) is negotiating for local control, collective bargaining rights, and safe conditions for students and staff. These are the first real negotiations since the union lost the right to bargain when receivership began in 2015. An ISG member is serving as a Silent Representative and a member of the HTA’s Building Action Team, mobilizing members for bargaining. The HTA will hold a community rally at Holyoke High School on May 15th at 3:30 PM to support a fair contract.
Independent Socialist Group 