City Councilors approved a resolution in support of voluntary recognition for Somerville Workers United

By Harry Kane

The Somerville City Council proclaimed its approval of labor unions, saying they are “critical to workplace and economic justice” in a resolution that supports the voluntary recognition of Somerville Workers United (SWU).

Following a slew of layoffs intended to close a municipal deficit, city workers are pushing for union representation.

“I know that this round of layoffs has just been incredibly difficult,” said Ward 3 City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen during the May 28 City Council meeting. “It has brought a real sense of urgency to the work that they do and this organizing in particular.”

City Councilors strongly support the right for all City of Somerville employees to unionize with SWU and urged the administration to engage with SWU and their affiliates at the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 93.

The City Council’s resolution says that union representation for more than 200 city employees will establish a bargaining unit to negotiate working conditions and compensation. The resolution states that union representation will “help address conditions that have led to significant employee turnover in multiple critical departments.”

Back in April, labor leader Steven A. Tolman was hired as Somerville’s Senior Labor Advisor to help negotiate contracts.

The city eliminated 29 municipal positions from the city budget, according to a May 22 staffing update from Mayor Wilson. The cuts will help close a projected $5.4 million budget shortfall.

At the City Council meeting, Ewen-Campen sponsored three speakers to help delineate the reasons why the union will be mutually beneficial for workers and for the Wilson administration.

Luis Quizhpe, who was a Strategic Planning & Equity Manager with OSPCD, spoke first. His position was eliminated.  He said that “recognizing and respecting the collective bargaining process is critical to the work of creating a Somerville where everyone belongs and can thrive.”

Benjamin Wyner, the Inclusionary Housing Program Manager within Somerville’s Housing Division, spoke next. “We came together as a union because we believe in the work we do for this city,” said Wyner. “I personally joined this movement to organize because we need to ensure our work is sustainable, and that staff do not burn out trying to constantly do more with less.”

The third speaker, Kate Bossingham, works as the Environmental Policy Manager in the Office of Sustainability and Environment. She said, “I saw organizing as an opportunity to improve our workplace and provide better service for the Somerville public.”

After the speakers, City Councilor-at-Large Wilfred N. Mbah spoke about another resolution that he submitted, requesting that the Wilson administration share all the municipal positions that were cut from the FY 2027 budget and their departments, and explain how the cuts align with Mayor Wilson’s equity agenda.

“I’m hoping that this resolution also seeks to ensure that budget decisions align with the administration’s publicly stated equity goals,” said Mbah.

He’s also asking the administration to present its organizational restructuring plans before the City Council to promote transparency into how organizational and staffing changes may affect service delivery across the community.

“I’m hoping that we have a robust conversation, and this discussion will help us ensure that any restructuring advances,” said Mbah.