On Thursday, June 12, 2008 Graduation was held for the students who attended the third year of the program.

AFSCME 1153 and Westboro State Hospital have a five year grant through the Department of Education to allow the workforce to attend classes that include both verbal and written communication skills, spelling and grammar, and some computer skills.

Some of the students have attended from the beginning, moving through different classes each year and some were new to the program this year. The flexibility within the classes is wonderful as it allows for that to occur. Sometimes students only need one of the classes and that works fine also.

This year there were 18 members who received certificates through the program. One student received an award for her writing from the SABES "Do The Write Thing" program.We saw 2 promotions occur from the group as folks gained skills and confidence in themselves, and another will take her GED test soon.

The local will miss Paula Tanona an MHW3 and AFSCME Steward who lost her battle with Brest Cancer last week.

The local has made a $100.00 donation to the AFSCME Council 93 Scholarship Fund in Paula's memory.

The annual Mass AFL/CIO conference was held May 21,22, and 21st at the Seacrest Resort in N. Falmouth, Ma.

The first day of the conference saw discussions on the economy,health care, and the income tax, as well as a stanout at the rotary for health care.

On the second day attendees heard speakers and panels on the Massachusetts Written Majority Authorization Law and the National AFL/CIO Labor 2008 Political Plan. There was a working lunch with the keynote being Secretary Suzanne Bump, Ex. Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The day ended with a polititical and legislative update and a video of the Ma AFL/CIO Scholarship Program.

 The last day of the conference consited of a Srategic Plan Update from president, Bob Haynes,a panel on Legislative issues by legislative folks from several unions including AFSCME's own Jim Durkin, and a Labor and Workforce Development update from George Noel, Dir. of Labor

On May 21,2008 the SUMMUP delegates heard from three Massachusetts State Representatives during the regular monthly meeting held at the J.P. Tuttle Post in Auburn, Ma.

The panel consisted of Rep. Marty Walsh, Rep. Jim O'Day, and Rep. Steve D'Amico.

The topic of discussion was why it is so important for the members of SUMMUP to get politically involved on a grassroots level with issues important to their families and the cities and towns they live in.

The members of the panel being two union members and a past community organizer, as well as State representatives, were very informative as to how the process works with getting legislation passed or stopped and why they needed to keep hearing from their constiuents on the issues they want addressed and why.