87%參加波市薪資協商講座女性工資漲了

MAYOR WALSH, OFFICE OF WOMEN'S ADVANCEMENT RELEASE REPORT ON IMPACT OF CITY-SPONSORED SALARY NEGOTIATION WORKSHOPS

UMass Boston research explores how women use new skills gained in city-sponsored workshops to negotiate higher salaries, improve gender equity in their workplaces

BOSTON - Tuesday, September 5, 2017- A qualitative case study of working women who took part in salary negotiation workshops offered by the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement in partnership with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) found participants used their training to improve their own salary and advance gender equity in the workforce. Researchers from the McCormack Graduate School's Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston cited these findings in a report released today at the new Edgerley Center for Civic Leadership at the Boston Foundation. The report, Gaining Ground on Equal Pay: Empowering Boston's Women Through Salary Negotiation Workshops, is based on in-depth interviews with a selection of the nearly 1,800 women who attended the first year of the AAUW Work Smart in Boston workshop program. The workshops, based on the curricula developed by former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Evelyn Murphy, are designed to empower women in the job market by giving them research tools, communications skills and strategies to negotiate their salaries with greater knowledge and confidence. Researchers interviewed more than 50 women who took part in workshops between September 2015 and September 2016 to learn how the workshops impacted their knowledge about the causes and persistence of the gender-based wage gap and how to to apply the knowledge gained in their own salary negotiations. "The City of Boston can only thrive when men and women have an equal playing field, and these workshops are one way to provide women with the tools and information they need to advocate more effectively," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "When we combine this with our efforts to address pay equity with businesses and the legislation we passed last session, we create a coordinated top-down, bottom-up effort to close the wage gap." The interviewers found 87 percent of women who completed the workshops took action by identifying target salaries, and nearly half either negotiated increased compensation in their current job or a obtained a competitive salary for a new job - but the impact reached well beyond salary negotiation. "We found that women who took part in these workshops engaged in actions that reached far beyond the metric of a pay increase," said Ann Bookman, Director of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at UMass Boston, which produced the report. "For example, they identified and utilized online resources; benchmarked the correct compensation level for various positions; started conversations about equal pay with their supervisors and co-workers - and most important, they became advocates on their own behalf." Researchers note the workshops also had a ripple effect - many of the women in the workshop said they shared the lessons they learned with others in their workplaces and in their social networks including family, friends and colleagues. "These workshops have the potential to shift the dialogue about wage and gender far beyond any one conference room or one meeting hall to the overall civic dialogue of the city," said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. "As the lessons of these workshops spread across neighborhoods and generations, we begin to create transformative momentum that could close the gender wage gap once and for all." While the research highlighted how extensively workshop participants used the lessons they learned, it also provided valuable feedback for improving the workshop content. For example, the interviews highlighted participants' desire for post-workshop activities such as networking with peers and having mentors to help them hone their skills. Many women have now become part of a growing movement that extends far beyond Boston to increase pay equity. "When I walked into that salary negotiation workshop, I had no idea what to expect," said Ashley Paré of the South End, a workshop participant. "Not only did I walk out of the room armed with concrete skills and tips, but I also gained confidence in my ability to understand and articulate the value of my position in the job market. It was empowering to leave the workshop equipped with the skills to help me ask for the pay I deserved and it inspired me to become a facilitator to help others. I will carry these strategies with me throughout the rest of my career and would encourage every woman in Boston to participate in a workshop." The AAUW Work Smart in Boston workshops continue this fall as part of a five year investment by Mayor Walsh and the City of Boston. The Boston Foundation provided seed funding for the workshops, as well as financial and editorial support for the qualitative research by UMass Boston. To learn more about upcoming workshops, interested women can visit boston.gov/women.

貝克政府撥款70萬元資助地方食品業創辦

Baker-Polito Administration Awards Over $700,000 in Grants to Local Food Ventures

Grant Program Aims to Increase Access to Fresh Food, Create Jobs in Low- and Moderate-Income Communities

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced that the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has awarded $700,000 to four agricultural groups through the Massachusetts Food Ventures Program (MFVP), a grant program intended to address food access and expansion of economic opportunities through new food ventures and enterprises throughout the state. The announcement was made by Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito during a visit to World Farmers in Lancaster.

“Our administration is committed to providing opportunities for everyone to have access to fresh and healthy foods,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The Massachusetts Food Ventures Program is an important tool for providing healthy foods, reducing food insecurity, and improving economic opportunities for low and moderate-income communities.”

“Massachusetts’ community-based agricultural enterprises drive economic growth and provide opportunities for local job creation and entrepreneurship,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “By providing these ventures with financial assistance, the Commonwealth helps farms and agricultural businesses thrive and ensure underserved communities have access to healthy, Massachusetts-grown products.”

The MFVP, part of the 2014 Environmental Bond Bill and funded for the first time in the 2017 Capital Plan, provides financial support to food ventures sited primarily in or near communities of low- or moderate-income, including Gateway Cities and rural communities. With expanded investment, completed projects will improve access to Massachusetts-grown, harvested or caught food products through the development of collaborations with local agricultural enterprises and private/public entities. The program also helps implement the goals of the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan. 

“The Baker-Polito Administration continues to support local farmers and is dedicated to making nutritious, affordable food available to all of the Commonwealth’s residents, especially children,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “The grants awarded today ensure strategic investments in infrastructure for local agricultural businesses such as commercial kitchens, greenhouses, farmers markets and food truck commissaries.”

Funded projects include new construction that will create temporary and full-time employment, as well as create facilities that will foster job creation and expansion of food access and distribution in low- to moderate-income areas.

“The Massachusetts Food Ventures Program strengthens our shared food infrastructure, which is a critical component in addressing food insecurity in the Commonwealth. It has the added benefit of stimulating the economy and creating jobs,” said MDAR Commissioner John Lebeaux. “Additionally, our farmers benefit from the ability to extend their season and expand their markets through value-added products. We’re pleased to once again offer this important funding to support the growth and development of Massachusetts agriculture.”

Key areas for investment for the MFVP are food processing infrastructure to meet the needs of the expanding local food system; improved distribution systems to support opportunities for equitable access to fresh local food; and retail outlet strategies that enhance access to healthy food. 

The following groups received grants:

UTEC, Inc., Lowell – $75,506

This grant will allow UTEC to invest in specialized equipment and infrastructure improvements in their new 5,000 square foot full-service commercial kitchen. It will expand their contract manufacturing enterprise to support local food producers and entrepreneurs who need a nearby, affordable certified kitchen facility for small scale processing and preparation.

Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation, Roxbury – $250,000

The grant will support Nuestra Comunidad’s development of a community grocery store in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. The funding will be used for the purchase of grocery store equipment. The project creates a retail outlet which will increase equitable access to fresh healthy foods, through collaborative partnerships with local growers and manufacturers.

The Livestock Institute of Southern New England, Westport – $250,000                      

The grant will be applied to the construction costs for the state-of-the-art slaughter house and process facility.  This facility’s mission is to revitalize and strengthen livestock farming in Southeastern Massachusetts. The project will also teach Massachusetts residents safe and humane handling and slaughtering techniques as well as provide job training for butchering.

World Farmers, Lancaster – $124,699

This grant will support the renovation of a commercial community kitchen, providing the infrastructure needed for incubator businesses and local food entrepreneurs. The project will enable nearly 250 immigrant and refugee farmers at the organization’s farm to produce value-added products as well as provide commercial kitchen space to local businesses and new food businesses.

“I couldn't be more proud of World Farmers,” said State Representative Harold Naughton (D-Clinton). “This funding is instrumental towards World Farmers' mission assisting small farmers, rural communities and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in reaching sustainable, culturally relevant agriculture. The renovation of a large community-based kitchen is the perfect model of what the Massachusetts Local Food Action plan strives for, this kitchen will provide access to healthy, affordable and locally sourced produce.”

MDAR’s goals have been to increase and sustain the capacity of local food producers and enterprises to provide tangible, measurable benefits to residents in low-moderate income communities which include increased access to healthy, Massachusetts-produced foods, entrepreneurial opportunities, and economic enhancement.

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY’S LOCAL & FAMILY HISTORY LECTURE SERIES FALL SCHEDULE

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY’S LOCAL & FAMILY HISTORY LECTURE SERIES FALL SCHEDULE

BOSTON – September 5, 2017 – Boston Public Library's Local & Family History Lecture Series returns this month, offering information about the history of Boston and its diverse neighborhoods along with tips and guides for those beginning their own genealogical research. The complete September through December schedule can be viewed or downloaded online. The series offers a wide range of topics, from the Cocoanut Grove Fire to the history of Marshmallow Fluff’s production in Massachusetts:

·         Eve LaPlante discusses how Puritans viewed women’s power and women’s bodies, in this life and in the afterlife in “Monstrous Births, Powerful Midwives: The Battle Over Women’s Bodies in 17th-Century Boston” on Wednesday, September 13, at 6 p.m. in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.

·         Steven Edson and Dan Gilman share their knowledge to help you preserve your family’s history before it’s lost or forgotten. Discover how to scan and restore old photographs, transfer paper to digital formats, convert old film to video, record interviews with relatives, and learn best practices for editing, storytelling, and sharing your family’s memories on Wednesday, September 20, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.

·         Margaret Newell, author and vice chair of the History Department at Ohio State University, explores the stories of Indians enslaved by English colonists in New England and shows how they influenced New England society in crucial ways, including by exposing their captors to Native religion, foods, and technology and fighting for citizenship in cases that had implications for all enslaved peoples in 18th-century America. Wednesday, October 4, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.

·         Lisa Berenson, director of Educational Programming and Development at the Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts, discusses an ambitious initiative to transform and restore a former Jewish mortuary chapel in East Boston into a state-of-the-art exhibit hall on the history of immigration in the Boston area. Wednesday, October 25, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.

·         David Allen Lambert, chief genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, shows you how, despite challenges, you can start reconstructing your ancestor’s service history using draft registration cards and enlistments, the U.S. census, discharge papers, unit histories, and several other resources on Wednesday, November 8, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.

·         Rosalyn Delores Elder, author, registered architect, and cofounder of Jamaicaway Books, explores sites in towns across the commonwealth that document the contributions of African Americans to our state’s history on Wednesday, November 15, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.

·         Stephanie Schorow, author of six books including The Cocoanut Grove Fire and Drinking Boston: A History of the City and Its Spirits, explores the worst nightclub fire in U.S. history in its 75th anniversary year, in which 492 people perished on Tuesday, November 28, at 6 p.m. in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.

·         Marshmallow Fluff was invented in Somerville and has been manufactured in Lynn since the 1950s. In celebration of Marshmallow Fluff’s centennial, Mimi Graney, author of Fluff: The Sticky Sweet Story of an American Icon, presents a fascinating narrative of Boston’s forgotten candy industry on Wednesday, December 6, at 6 p.m. in the Commonwealth Salon at the Central Library in Copley Square, located at 700 Boylston Street.

花果靈根集音樂會 9/23 登場

中華表演藝術基金會  Foundation For Chinese Performing Arts               3 Partridge Lane, Lincoln, MA 01773 ChinesePerformingArts.net Foundation@ChinesePerformingArts.net  Saturday, 9/23/2017, 8 pm  at NEC's Jordan Hall  Reflections on Diaspora  花果靈根集    Bao Jian 包鍵,  guanzi Hu Jianbing 胡建兵,  sheng Chen Tao 陳濤,  dizi Zhou Yi 周懿,  pipa  Xia Wenjie 夏文傑,  erhu  Weng Hui 翁惠,  guzheng  Liu Li 劉麗,  qugin  Mike Block, cello Hall. http://www.chineseperformingarts.net/contents/season/20170923/index.html Ticket: $50: VIP Reserved Seats $30: open seating at non-VIP section $15: student open seating at non-VIP section Children under 6 not admitted. Program: (program notes available on our website) 1,  Mantra of Puan 普庵咒 by Aixinjueluo Yuhuan 清故恭王府音樂 -愛新覺羅毓峘傳譜 Bao Jian 包鍵 guanzi  管子, Hu Jianbing 胡建兵 sheng 笙, Chen Tao 陳濤 dizi 笛子,Xia Wenjie 夏文傑 erhu 二胡 Zhou Yi 周懿 pipa 琵琶 Weng Hui 翁惠 guzheng 古箏, Liu Li 劉麗 zhongruan 2,  Selling Vegetables  Shanxi 山西 folk music  (arr. by Liu Guanle 劉管樂 )  Chen Tao 陳濤,dizi 笛子 Hu Jianbing 胡建兵,sheng 笙 3,  Men of Letters 墨客 for guzheng 古箏   solo  by Fang Dongqing 方岽清   Weng Hui 翁惠, guzheng 古箏 4,  Running Streams 流水  for guqin 古琴   and xiao 簫 Chinese Traditional  Liu Li 劉麗,guqin 古琴 Chen Tao 陳濤,xiao 簫  5,  Five Colors - Impromptu 即興笙獨奏 for Sheng 笙   solo  by Hu Jianbing 胡建兵 Hu Jianbing 胡建兵,sheng 笙 6,  The sound from Tianzhu 天竺梵音 by Hu Jianbing 胡建兵 Zhou Yi 周懿,pipa 琵琶 Mike Block, cello 7,  Pipa Language  by Lin Hai 林海 (arr.by Hu Jianbing 胡建兵)  Zhou Yi 周懿,pipa 琵琶 Weng Hui 翁惠,guzheng 古箏  Chen Tao 陳濤,dizi 笛子  Jianbing 胡建兵,sheng 笙 Mike Block, cello 8,  Along the River During the Qingming Festival 清明上河圖  by Liu Weiguang 劉為光  (arr.by Zhang Weiliang 張維良)  Chen Tao 陳濤,dizi 笛子 Weng Hui 翁惠,guzheng 古箏 9,  The Orchids 幽蘭  by Hu Jianbing 胡建兵  Bao Jian 包鍵,guanzi 管子 Hu Jianbing 胡建兵,sheng 笙 Mike Block, cello   10,  Lao Liu Ban 老六板  Jiangnan Silk and Bamboo 江南絲竹    Chen Tao 陳濤,dizi 笛子  Xia Wenjie 夏文傑,erhu 二胡 Zhou Yi 周懿,pipa 琵琶,  Hu Jianbing 胡建兵,sheng 笙 Weng Hui 翁惠,guzheng 古箏  Liu Li 劉麗,percussion Bao Jian 包鍵,percussion

REP. LIEU STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S DECISION TO END THE DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS (DACA) PROGRAM

REP. LIEU STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S DECISION TO END THE DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS (DACA) PROGRAM

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In 2012, President Obama established DACA to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Those protected by DACA, also called DREAMers, met several requirements including being under 16 when arriving in the United States; being enrolled in school or having completed high school or earned a general education development (GED) certificate; and posing no threat to public safety. Since DACA’s inception, nearly 800,000 individuals have received DACA protection, though it is estimated that 1.7 million young immigrants are DACA-eligible. Today’s announcement puts these DREAMers at risk of deportation.

“I am outraged by the President’s foolish decision to end DACA. This decision will cost our economy $460 billion over the next decade. More importantly, it ignores our nation’s rich immigrant heritage. Our nation can never be great without embracing immigrants. Ending DACA is an unconscionable assault on thousands of young Americans who know no other home than the United States. I will stand firmly with my Democratic colleagues to fight this action and do whatever we can to protect DREAMers.”