The striking contrast between the strong level of public support for unions today (67 percent) and the small share of US workers they represent (10 percent) frames the enormous opportunity – and challenge – facing the American labor movement.Â
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Diagnosing the youth mental health crisis? Don’t forget housing and extreme heat
Well-recognized factors like the pandemic, school closures, and social media all play a role in young people’s mental health, but so do two underappreciated environmental factors — housing and extreme heat.
Posted inOpinion
DiZoglio likely to prevail, but the constitution will limit range of her legislative audit
The constitutional concept of separation of powers ensures that no branch of government becomes too powerful at the expense of the others. However, the Legislature’s separation of powers concern here is at tension with the auditor’s mandate to provide checks and balances against the legislative branch.
Posted inOpinion
Look what other states are doing on transportation funding
Decades of underinvestment in public transportation has not only left us with crumbling infrastructure and excessive greenhouse gas emissions, it’s also contributing to poor health outcomes. In fact, Springfield, Worcester, and Boston are among the 100 worst cities in the country for asthma rates.Â
Posted inOpinion
Should Mass. allow supervised injection sites?
Legislation has been filed to authorize “safe injection sites” in Massachusetts. They can lower overdose rates, but there’s little evidence that they help stem the larger opioid crisis.
Posted inOpinion
UMass comings and goings reflect impact of immigrants
UMass leaders are living proof of the incredible impact immigrants make on some of our most important institutions.
Posted inOpinion
Do local officials view us as ATM machines with feet?
Voters need to begin to make the connection between the people they elect and the policies that those officials implement.
Posted inOpinion
Redefining who gets a seat at the table
Instead of tinkering around the edges of admissions policies, elite colleges need to completely rethink what it means to be prepared for success.
Posted inOpinion
Time to prioritize out-of-school learning
Every young person deserves to have access to after-school and summer programs because school alone is no longer sufficient for closing opportunity and achievement gaps.
Posted inOpinion
Unitarians turn empty office space into shelter
With all the public and private resources invested in office space and commercial development in the past generation, yet high vacancy rates forecasted for the foreseeable future, surely there can be more creative uses for spaces like ours to meet this moment.