Friedman Backs Bill To Extend Unemployment Benefits

From The Office of Cindy Friedman: On Monday, December 3, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) voiced her strong support for the nearly 1,250 Massachusetts workers and their families that have been impacted by the National Grid lockout.

In a mass email to constituents, Friedman said she has been in regular contact with National Grid and the United Steel Workers Unions regarding the ongoing contract negotiations and remains “troubled that National Grid has been unable to put forward an agreeable contract, and am frustrated by reports of continuous safety violations on gas lines.”

Friedman recently co-signed a letter to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) regarding the ongoing safety issues related to the lockout of qualified gas workers, urging the DPU to implement strict penalties on National Grid until they are able to resume safe operations in our communities.

In addition, Friedman has continuously met with locked out workers across the 4th Middlesex district to hear their concerns, and has also been in contact with all of the municipalities in the community to see what can be done on the local level to end the dispute.

Two bills, H.3133 and S.1028, will be heard by the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy on Tuesday, December 4. These bills would extend the locked out workers’ unemployment benefits, which are set to expire in January. Without unemployment benefits and healthcare coverage, these workers and their families face a devastating financial situation.

“I fear that National Grid is using the expiring unemployment benefits to unjustly improve their bargaining position, thus preventing the negotiation of a fair contract,” Friedman said. “By preventing a trained and qualified workforce from returning to work, National Grid has placed citizens across the Commonwealth who rely on this public utility at risk. That’s why I believe it is appropriate for the state to intervene on behalf of the locked out workers, and I intend to support these pieces of legislation to ensure that a fair contract can be negotiated.”

Friedman represents the 4th Middlesex district, which includes Arlington, Billerica, Burlington, Woburn and precincts 1-2 and 4-7 in Lexington. For more information, visit www.cindyfriedman.org.

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