Get Involved

Local 509 currently has the following social justice committees for members to participate in according to our solidarity principles.

In addition, the committees as a whole work together collaboratively, unified in their dedication to promoting and supporting anti-racism and social justice efforts in our union. The coordinating committee is committed to the following goals:

• Protecting Local 509 members from discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, or veteran’s status. 
• Developing programs and local-wide events aimed at educating Local 509 members about the meaning and importance of anti-discrimination and social justice principles, including their legal/political aspects, of significance to the lives of Local 509 members both at work as well as in the communities they live in.
• Proposing anti-racism and social justice policy to the Joint Executive Board of Local 509 in order to create, improve, and/or change practices and policies and thus supporting the efforts of Local 509 to identify and address racial inequality and other socially unjust practices in order to engage inclusive practices and positive social relations, and to develop resources that will deepen our capacity to build a union based on anti-racism and social justice.

If you have any questions, contact a committee chairperson below or Jerry Levinsky, Internal Organizer, at jlevinsky@seiu509.org.

The future of our world requires a healthy environment and green future. The impact of climate change disproportionately hurts working people and low-income people. The impact of climate change is shaped by racism and discrimination. As workers, we have the power to shape the world around us, and we must commit to a green future through a green workforce and reducing our carbon footprints.

Click here to learn more about the Climate and Environmental Justice Committee.

Chair: Nina Kammerer

Staff: Jon Grossman—local-wide member education and legislative initiatives (contact Jon)
Jerry Levinsky—issues related to state labor-management committee & bargaining (contact Jerry)

Check out SEIU’s Climate, Jobs, and Justice page here.

Read SEIU’s latest newsletter edition of Climate, Jobs and Justice here.

As the Disability Justice Committee, we identify and address issues that impact the work life and well-being of Local 509 members with disabilities. We operate from a disability justice lens but also aim to provide people with disabilities information about their rights to accommodation and how to go about seeking it. We invite disabled members to look to us for a sense of community, a refuge where they are safe from stigma and the risks of self-disclosure to managers, consumers, and colleagues.

Chair: Jim Badger, Acting Chapter President, Mass. Commission for the Blind (contact Jim)

Staff: Jerry Levinsky (contact Jerry)

Coming soon! Massachusetts needs safe and affordable housing that can be accessed with equity and justice by all working people. The Housing Justice Committee focuses on developing and organizing programs, policies, and initiatives for the Local focused on housing justice.

LGBTQIA stands for Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer and Questioning/Intersex/Asexual+. We advocate for and legitimatize a place for the recognition of the aspect of diversity represented by the presence of LGBTQIA+ individuals. To recognize that LGBTQIA+ individuals come from all communities and that many LGBTQIA+ individuals will not be “out” in their workplace; this does not diminish these individuals’ need for the same protections. We work towards a union that provides a safe environment for all members of the community.

Chair: Tina Simmerman, DDS Chapter President (contact Tina)

The Organizing Committee focuses on building power in our sectors. Employers use non-union workers to do the same jobs as you for less pay and without the job security that comes from a collective bargaining agreement. These same workers could be in the fight with you when it comes time to bargain, but only if they hear from you what it means to be union. Supporting non-union workers in their fights to win a union makes our labor movements stronger and helps working people to win better conditions on the job and in our communities!

The purpose of the Racial Justice Committee is to educate, organize and mobilize Local 509 members, staff, and leaders on the issues of racial injustice and the importance of building a broad-based movement for racial justice that can put a stop to racist attacks on People of Color and advance policies for racial equality. The Racial Justice Task Force shall be responsible for carrying out the programming and policies of both the International Union and Local 509 designed to dismantle and eradicate systemic racism in our society.

Chair: Ethel Everett, DCF Chapter President (contact Ethel)

The Women’s Committee focuses on bringing women into full participation in the activities of the Local and to eradicate discriminatory practices against women by their employer. Also, we offer members a space to discuss gender the issues we encounter in our workplaces and to strategize collectively about how to address them. We empower members by freeing all women from structural obstacles to participation and leadership in workplace and union activities, including but not exclusive to sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism.

Chair: Amy Meinert, DOR/CSE Chapter President (contact Amy)