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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>Note: WMass JwJ received
the letter below and is communicating our support of these workers to them and
also to their employer, which may be reached at (413) 458-8127, <a
href="mailto:info@nbhealth.org">info@nbhealth.org</a>, or the contact form at <a
href="http://www.nbhealth.org/NBH/14/Contact-Us.html">http://www.nbhealth.org/NBH/14/Contact-Us.html</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>(On that form, Coordinator
Jon Weissman left the following message:</span><span style='color:windowtext'> On
behalf of the Western Massachusetts Coalition of Jobs with Justice, a national
campaign for workers’ rights, I write with the understanding that you
have previously refused to be neutral regarding the workers’ choice to be
unionized. You still may do so, so we urge you to. Otherwise you
will be interfering with their universal and fundamental human rights.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:windowtext'>~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:windowtext'>Dear Friend
of Labor,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:windowtext'>181 Workers at
nursing homes in Williamstown, MA (Berkshire County) are up against a tough
fight and need your help. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:windowtext'>On January 7
they filed an NLRB petition to be represented by United Healthcare Workers East
(1199 SEIU), with signatures from three quarters of the workers! The name
of the nursing home is Sweet Brook Care Center. It is part of Northern
Berkshire Healthcare, which also owns North Adams Regional Hospital (NARH),
where the hospital workers are already proud members of 1199SEIU. The
hospital workers have played a great role in letting their fellow workers at
the nursing home know that “We’ve got your backs.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:windowtext'>Attached is a
leaflet that the workers started distributing to each other. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:windowtext'>Now that the
nursing home workers have filed for the election, they’ll need backing
from community people beyond their sisters and brothers at the hospitals.
The union had previously asked the company owning the nursing home to agree to
be neutral in the event that the workers chose to unionized, and management
refused. So it’s safe to assume that the workers will need all the
community support they can get.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:windowtext'>For more
information or to offer support of any kind, contact Dana Simon at the address
below. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:windowtext'>Many thanks!<br>
<br>
<i>Dana Simon<em><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'> </span></em></i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";
color:windowtext'>Massachusetts Hospital Organizing Campaign Director</span></em><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";
color:windowtext'>1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";
color:windowtext'>150 Mt. Vernon St, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02125</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";
color:windowtext'>Cell: (617) 291-4899 / Toll-free:
877-409-1199 / Fax: 617-474-7150</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";
color:windowtext'><a href="mailto:dana.simon@1199.org"><em><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";color:windowtext'>dana.simon@1199.org</span></em></a></span></i><i><span
style='font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'>TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send an email to wmjwj@wmjwj.org with a
Subject of "Unsub Health Care Action" or "Unsub Workers'
Rights", depending on which list you are on.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'>[Workers' Rights] posts opportunities for you to learn about
and show solidarity with workplace and working class struggles. And these
events are opportunities for JwJ members to fulfill their pledge: </span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:windowtext'><a
href="http://www.jwj.org/pledge.html"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue;text-decoration:none'>"</span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>I'll be
there for workers' rights at least five times a year!</span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue;text-decoration:
none'>"</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'> This is the core mission of Jobs with Justice (</span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:windowtext'><a
href="http://www.jwj.org/"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>www.jwj.org</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>), affirming that workers'
rights are human rights. To subscribe, send an email to wmjwj@wmjwj.org with a
Subject of "Subscribe Workers' Rights".<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'>[Health Care Action] posts events and information that
support the large and vibrant Western Mass. movement for health care justice.
Nationwide, Jobs with Justice (</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif";color:windowtext'><a href="http://www.jwj.org"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>www.jwj.org</span></a></span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>)
has prioritized Health Care as a basic human right. To subscribe, send an email
to wmjwj@wmjwj.org with a Subject of "Subscribe Health Care Action".<br>
<br>
Western Mass Jobs with Justice<br>
640 Page Blvd #101<br>
Springfield MA 01104<br>
(413) 827-0301 </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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