The Springfield City Council authorized the renaming of a McKnight neighborhood street after former Ward 4 Councilor E. Henry Twiggs. It was poignant recognition of their late colleague, whose activism contributed to the revival of the ward representation. In a more ironic turn, the Council punted on a new labor contract for police supervisors.
SPRINGFIELD—When ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft began pushing a ballot question to keep employees classified as contractors, the strategy was not exotic to AG candidate Shannon Liss-Riordan. Yet, for years the companies had reminded her of something exotic—dancing, that is.
by Michael Lachenmeyer Correspondent-Intern Late last February, the 7th Hampden District’s State Rep. Thomas M. Petrolati announced that he would not be seeking reelection for the seat which he has held since 1986. Democrats have dominated the 7th Hampden District for fifty years. Yet, with
SPRINGFIELD—After weeks and months of fits and starts, the City Council passed its ban on the free distribution of plastic bags. However, passage came at the expense of the fee on non-plastic bags provided at retail, intended to discourage consumer use of single-use bags regardless
UPDATED 3/2/19 2:15PM: To reflect Ramos’ announcement he was delaying a decision on a mayoral run. SPRINGFIELD—It took three tries for Orlando Ramos to join the City Council. But in 2013, he defeated the incumbent, John Lysak, Ward 8 two-term councilor. Rather than shunting him
SPRINGFIELD—Amid a flurry of financial orders for the closing fiscal year, the City Council acted on several items Monday night, many it had considered recently. Most notably, it advanced the chief diversity office (CDO) ordinance to the mayor, prompting executive freak out. The stated reason
SPRINGFIELD—On December 3, 1990, amid disputes over the bargaining process, a grim City Council voted 8-0 to approve a contract awarded after “interest arbitration” that ended city cops’ obligation to live in Springfield. The move effectively killed what was left of the residency ordinance as
SPRINGFIELD—The City Council inched closer toward another round of complex and fraught legislating as it signaled plans to reform the city’s beleaguered responsible employer ordinance. The law, intended to provide minimum standards of employment for workers employed by city contractors, has been buffeted by weak
Sitting on nearly $100,000 accumulated via stingy spending, Governor’s Councilor and ex-Springfield Mayor Michael Albano appears poised to open the floodgates on behalf of his bid to become the Democratic nominee for Hampden Sheriff. Much like his mayoralty, Albano’s campaign has been suspenseful, colorful and over-the-top.
This post is part of It’s Working, an occasional series on labor and employment issues. SPRINGFIELD—The horn of a Magic Hat brewing truck roared as it thundered through an older part of downtown. Another brief blast sounded as the truck looped around Chestnut Street and