MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH SUCCESSLINK

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES  SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH SUCCESSLINK

BOSTON - Thursday, February 28, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the opening of SuccessLink, the City of Boston's online tool that enables Boston youth to register for summer jobs. Boston teens between the ages of 15-18 can apply on the Department of Youth Engagement & Employment (YEE) website on  youth.boston.gov. The SuccessLink application will be available through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 12th, 2019. "The SuccessLink Youth Summer Jobs program is a critical part of our effort to provide young people with chances to build lifelong skills, confidence and personal success through youth workforce opportunities," said Mayor Walsh. "I encourage all Boston teens to register for the program, and take advantage of this incredible opportunity to get a head start in learning the workplace skills that will last a lifetime." In 2018, the City of Boston served over 10,600 young people through summer jobs, civic engagement, career development training, impact projects. Every year, the City of Boston partners with hundreds of community-based nonprofit organizations across the city to provide meaningful employment opportunities. Participants can work in various positions that include after-school program assistant, administrative assistants, mural painters, peer leaders, and more. "The Mayor's Youth Summer Jobs Program plays an integral role in positively shaping the future trajectory of Boston's youth," said Marty Martinez, Chief of Health and Human Services. "Through the program, youth are introduced to an array of professional development opportunities, mentoring, and work opportunities that can increase our youth's social capital, all while giving them the hard and soft skills they need to thrive in their future career." The Department of Youth Engagement & Employment serves as a youth engagement resource center and works to advance the lives of Boston's youth through employment opportunities, career development training, and youth engagement. The SuccessLink Youth Summer Jobs program advances youth workforce development and increases the impact of community-based organizations by employing almost 4,000 of Boston's youth at local non-profits. "Creating more opportunities for Boston's youth through workforce and civic engagement is central to our mission, and our department has a unique opportunity to connect youth with organizations that see the value of their work, while moving Boston forward as an innovative and engaging city," said Department of Youth Engagement & Employment, Director, Rashad Cope. "During high school, youth jobs are important because they expose youth to future career interest while allowing you the opportunity to build relationships with employers. I'm currently employed as a Youth Director on the Mayor's Youth Council", said Mohamed Abannor, Senior at Horace Mann School for the Deaf. "As a deaf student, at first, I was not confident with public speaking and I only felt connected with deaf and hard of hearing people. Since being employed as a Youth Director on the Mayor's Youth Council, I have gained skills in public speaking, networking, problem-solving, innovative thinking, empathy, and listening to different perspective and ideas. It's made me feel more comfortable and accepted in the hearing community." Registering for SuccessLink is available online. Teens ages 15-18 interested in registering must meet the following requirements: Must be a full-time resident of the City of Boston Must have been born between July 8, 2004, and August 16, 2000 Must be legally permitted to work in the United States Registering for a summer position with SuccessLink does not guarantee a job. Applicants are welcome to register online at Youth Summer Jobs or visit Department of Youth Engagement & Employment at 1483 Tremont Street, Roxbury, or call 617-635-4202 for registration assistance. The City also invites youth to register for the 2019 City of Boston Youth Job and Resource Fair on Saturday, March 30th, 2019, from 10 A.M. - 2 P.M. at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center 1350 Tremont St, Roxbury Crossing, MA 02120. This year's theme, "Success Awaits, Come Find It," aspires to connect Boston's youth with onsite summer workforce development opportunities through engaging with employers, job placement, career development workshops, access to youth-serving organizations and more! We invite youth to register here and parents to sign up to volunteer here to support Boston's youth.

House Passes $135 Million Supplemental Budget

House Passes $135 Million Supplemental Budget; Heating Assistance, Homeless Shelters among key initiatives funded

 

BOSTON – Representative Ultrino  joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass a supplemental budget which addresses multiple areas including heating assistance, enhanced support for victims or sexual assault, and programs to help those battling homelessness.

The spending bill, approximately $135 million, highlights the House’s ongoing commitment  in support of critical social service investments while balancing fiscal prudence; this practice has resulted in Massachusetts prioritizing its most vulnerable residents while maintaining a strong and diverse economy. 

 “With state residents still facing winter weather, this supplemental budget provides vital funds for heating assistance,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop). “I thank Chairman Michlewitz and the members of the House for passing this legislation which provides funding for a number of important areas.”

“This legislation funds critical investments that the Commonwealth needs in order to continue to provide the services that our constituents so rely on,” said Representative Steven Ultrino. “This budget ensures that we maintain high quality services and programs for our neediest citizens”.

The supplemental budget makes key investments in crucial areas 

-$30 million for Low Income Heating Energy Assistance to make up for Federal funding shortfalls.

-$10 million to fund emergency assistance for homeless families

-$8 million to begin to address the backlog of Sexual Assault Evidence Kits at the State Police Crime Lab.

-$39 million to fund ratified-collective bargaining agreements at various state agencies.

ARIZONA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO THREATENING HARVARD BLACK COMMENCEMENT ATTENDEES IN 2017

ARIZONA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO THREATENING

HARVARD BLACK COMMENCEMENT ATTENDEES IN 2017

Defendant posted internet threats to shoot attendees and bomb Harvard University

                                                                                                                            

BOSTON – An Arizona man pleaded guilty today in connection with posting threats to bomb Harvard and shoot attendees at the Black Commencement event held on May 2017. 

Nicholas Zuckerman, 24, pleaded guilty to two counts of transmitting in interstate and foreign commerce a threat to injure the person of another. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for May 23, 2019. In June 2018, Zuckerman was arrested and charged.

On or about May 13, 2017, Zuckerman commented on a post published to Harvard University’s Instagram account, saying: “If the blacks only ceremony happens, then I encourage violence and death at it.  I’m thinking two automatics with extendo clips.  Just so no n***** gets away.”  It is further alleged that on that same date, Zuckerman posted a comment to another Harvard Instagram post, saying: “#bombharvard and end their pro-black agenda.” Several minutes later, Zuckerman commented “#bombharvard” on other users’ posts approximately 11 times over a span of four minutes. 

A concerned citizen who saw the posts reported them to the Harvard University Police, who ultimately referred the case to federal authorities.

The charge of transmitting in interstate and foreign commerce a threat to injure the person of another of provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, and Harvard University Chief of Police Francis D. Riley made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne Paruti and Scott Garland of Lelling’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case

IN MAJOR WAGE THEFT CASE, IPSWICH CONSTRUCTION COMPANY CITED $580,000 FOR VIOLATING STATE WAGE LAWS

IN MAJOR WAGE THEFT CASE, IPSWICH CONSTRUCTION COMPANY CITED $580,000 FOR VIOLATING STATE WAGE LAWS

BOSTON – An Ipswich construction company and its owners have been cited $580,611 in restitution and penalties for violations of state wage and hour laws, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

            The AG’s Office has issued six citations against ERA Equipment LLC and its owners, Kristen and Angelo Ciardiello, for a range of wage theft violations including failing to pay overtime and the prevailing wage.  

           

“Our investigation showed that this construction company stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from its workers,” said AG Healey. “Wage theft is a serious offense in Massachusetts and we will continue to take action when needed.”

            The AG’s Office began its investigation in September 2017 after receiving a report alleging the company was not paying the proper prevailing wage. The investigation revealed that none of the company’s 13 employees received overtime pay when working more than forty hours in a week. Four employees were also not paid the appropriate prevailing wage rate while working on projects in the towns of Littleton, Scituate, and Wellesley, sometimes receiving less than half the prevailing wage rate required by law.

The investigation also revealed that the company failed to include some employees in the company’s payroll records, inaccurately reported the employees’ hours of work to avoid paying them overtime and kept inadequate and inconsistent payroll records.

The AG’s Office previously brought enforcement action against ERA and the Ciardiellos for nonpayment of wages, prevailing wage, and payroll records violations, including issuing citations that Angelo Ciardiello and his company, ERA Disposal LLC d/b/a ERA Equipment LLC, paid in 2015 for failing to pay five employees for one day of snow removal work.

Under the Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law, contractors and subcontractors engaged in public construction projects must pay their employees a special minimum wage. The required wage rate is based on the occupational classification for the type of work the employees perform.

As a part of its continued efforts to protect workers and their families in Massachusetts, the AG’s Office issued its third annual Labor Day Report on the office’s efforts to address wage theft and other forms of worker exploitation last month. The report shows that in fiscal year 2018, the office opened 729 cases and assessed more than $9.6 million in restitution and penalties against employers on behalf of working people in Massachusetts.

As part of an ongoing initiative to combat wage theft in the construction industry, Attorney General Maura Healey issued 165 civil citations against 66 construction companies in 2018. Restitution exceeded $1.47 million for more than 1,030 employees of the various employers, and the companies were fined a total of more than $1.23 million.

AG Healey’s Fair Labor Division is responsible for enforcing state laws regulating the payment of wages, including prevailing wage, minimum wage, earned sick time and overtime laws. Workers who believe their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to file a complaint at mass.gov/ago/wagetheft. For information about the state’s wage and hour laws, workers may call the Office’s Fair Labor Hotline at 617-727-3465 or go to the Attorney General’s new Workplace Rights website www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor for materials in multiple languages.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Erik Bennett and Investigators Tom Lam and Ricky Galvis of the AG’s Fair Labor Division.