Lynn May Day Committee will host Caravan and Radio to honor International Workers’ Day on Saturday, May 1st

Radio at 3pm, Caravan at 330pm
More information, Livestream, Radio: bit.ly/LynnMayDay

Lea el comunicado de prensa completo en español haciendo clic aquí.

Lynn residents come together to commemorate May Day, an international holiday honoring and celebrating workers and immigrants. This year’s May Day will also commemorate the neighbors and loved ones we have lost to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Workers and immigrants make up the majority of our city, and we demand a future here: Reinvest in our city for good jobs, stable housing, real public safety, and a just recovery.”

The May Day holiday originated in the United States to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket incident, where workers in Chicago fighting for the 8 hour work day were brutally attacked by police, framed for a bombing, and many were executed. This sparked protests around the world that eventually led to the establishment of May 1 as an international holiday celebrating the fight for workers rights and economic justice. The holiday was suppressed in the United States, but gained new life in recent decades through association with the immigrant rights movement.

In Lynn, May Day is recognized with an annual event that celebrates Lynn’s proud history as a home for immigrants and as a leader in the fight for dignity, respect, and a living wage. This event brings a diverse group of organizations and people together to collectively reaffirm our commitment to the struggle for justice for all.

“Over the years GE has cut jobs in Lynn by the thousands, and drained our historic plant of resources, leaving equipment in disrepair, degrading our productivity and bringing GE Lynn down to within an inch of its life” said IUE/CWA Local 201 President Adam Kaszynski. “We join our allies on May 1 to demand that GE stop outsourcing and invest in good union jobs here in Lynn.”

“People all over Lynn are struggling with unaffordable housing” added Lynn United for Change member Drenusha Jusufi. “But most of the new buildings going up are luxury housing and don’t include a single affordable apartment. That excludes most of us and builds on the long history of racist housing policy. Instead, we need new homes that are truly affordable for Lynn residents and protections like rent control.”

With regard to the demand for public safety reform, Neil Whittredge of the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition and Diverse People United said, “Our people are targeted for harassment and arrest by immigration enforcement, and we are threatened and beaten (or worse) by our own police while violent crimes continue to traumatize our communities. On May Day we stand together with other community and labor struggles in solidarity.”

Dr. Alexandra Piñero-Shields, Executive Direcor of ECCO, also spoke to the city’s racial justice context: “In the historic Derek Chuavin verdict, we are witnessing the power of grassroots protest to change public opinion and make justice possible.  Through this year’s May Day celebration, we in ECCO are proud to carry on a 135-year-old national tradition of raising our voices and calling on our decision-makers to champion workers, immigrants, communities of color, and the planet.”

New Lynn Coalition President and Nurse Practitioner Tish Mukala highlighted the severe toll covid19 has taken on Lynn. “We are getting sick and dying from the coronavirus at such high rates that Lynn has been in the red almost the entire pandemic, while the pandemic has again shown the disparities in our city – including with vaccine rollout for our most vulnerable communities. We demand that the city finance community organizations to do the outreach and engagement for mobile vaccination sites in our must vulnerable neighborhoods, like the Highlands.”

“While our unions and organizations have their own members and struggles, we recognize that all of them stem from a lack of power for workers and immigrants” said New Lynn Coalition’s Organizing Director Jonathon Feinberg. “We are a city of essential workers who keep us safe and fed, we make Lynn’s unique culture, and we have brought life to our communities. And we want a city that works for all of us. On May Day, we stand united and demand a say in our own future.”

We are the majority of this city, and we demand a future here. Join us as we heed the call to honor May Day, “Justice for Workers and Immigrants!”, with a livestream covid-safe caravan and a radio program on WMWM Salem State Radio 91.7 fm. The radio program will begin at 3pm with music to celebrate and honor our collective struggles for our rights and for justice. The caravan will begin at 330, taking a route through our neighborhoods and into the heart of our crises in downtown Lynn. We will commemorate those who have fallen to the coronavirus and unify our demands on the steps of city hall. And we will livestream the event so that everyone in our communities can participate safely.

The 2021 Lynn May Day planning committee includes: The New Lynn Coalition, IUE/CWA Local 201, Lynn United for Change, The Highlands Coalition, Latina Center Maria, Lynn Latino Leadership Coalition, Essex County Community Organization (ECCO), Mass Senior Action Council, Diverse People United, and The North Shore Labor Council.

For more info. please email Jonathon Feinberg of the New Lynn Coalition by clicking here.

The above press release was submitted to us by the Lynn
May Day Planning Committee.

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Anyone over the age of 16 who lives, works, or studies in MA is now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. If you haven’t yet preregistered for an appointment at one of the Commonwealth’s mass vaccination locations, now is the time. Learn more by clicking here and sign up by clicking here.

A vaccination site has opened at Lynn Tech for Lynners.

Find out more & watch a video tour by clicking here.
Schedule an appointment by clicking here.

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INTERVIEW: Lynn Public Library is open!

On this segment of the “Lynn Lowdown” from the LCTV News we discuss the Lynn Public Library and how they are operating during the pandemic. Lindsey Robert & Theresa Hurley from the Library joined News Director Mukala Kabongo to discuss how the Library has operated the last year, how the community can take advantage of services currently, how the Library’s patrons grew, and more.

Watch directly on our website by clicking here. 

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My Brother’s Table Soup Kitchen #FromYourTableToOurs Giving Campaign

Local charity, which continues to serve a staggering number of meals each month, to raise much-needed funds with Matching Challenge.

My Brother’s Table Soup Kitchen (MBT), located in Lynn, MA, will launch the 2nd Annual #FromYourTableToOurs Giving Campaign on April 29th. Each day through Mother’s Day, MBT will highlight on social media MBT’s impact in the community, share stories, and encourage others to give.

Double your impact! The Knights of Pythias have generously pledged to match any donation to the campaign, dollar for dollar up to $10,000. Donations can be made online on the My Brother’s Table website. Follow the campaign on social media platforms @MBTLYNN on facebook and @MyBrothersTable on twitter.

The #FromYourTableToOurs Giving Campaign is sponsored by Eastern Bank, Institution For Savings Bank and Salem Five Bank.

Since 1982, MBT, the largest soup kitchen on the North Shore, has served 4.8+ million free, hot meals to women, men and children in need. The need has grown dramatically over the past year due to the pandemic. In fact, MBT has served 1.1+ million meals since March 2020. As some sectors of the economy slowly recover, many within our community continue to struggle and MBT continues to see genuine need – serving 126,521 meals last month.

MBT’s mission is to nourish the community everyday through hospitality, free meals and unconditional love. It is privately funded and does not receive or seek federal, state or local aid to insure the privacy of its guests and to serve the greatest number of people in need. Funding comes from individual donations, events and private grants. MBT also relies heavily on donated food from supermarkets, restaurants, food drives and individuals.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We will be conducting an interview with My Brother’s
Table in the near-future on this campaign, so stay tuned!

The above press release was submitted to us by My Brother’s Table.

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From Mayor McGee’s office: The Lynn Public Health Department has confirmed that as of today, the number of active, confirmed positive COVID-19 cases is 253 with 35 new cases today. 16,885 Lynn residents have recovered and 214 have died. The total number of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Lynn since March 21, 2020, including those who have died and recovered, is 17,352. Please visit the City of Lynn COVID-19 Data Dashboard which is updated daily.

Vaccine Appointments NOW Available for All Individuals Age 16+ at Lynn Tech Vaccine Site

Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people age 16+ and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for people age 18+. Appointments are now available at the Lynn Tech Vaccination Site athttps://www.lchcnet.org/covid-19-vaccine-scheduling.

City of Lynn Mobile Vaccination Efforts

The City of Lynn Department of Public Health, Lynn Community Health Center, and Mass General Brigham are pleased to announce a joint, mobile COVID-19 vaccination operation. The goal of this mobile vaccination program is to meet people where they are in order to reduce barriers to vaccination in our hard to reach communities.

Eligible community partners for mobile vaccination clinics include Lynn businesses, community organizations, or places of worship. Link to register for Lynn mobile vaccine clinic:https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Tl1uPZRKVE-zK_NbRzISn_hCQ5t92dBBjZJNzhlrNR5UQUdKSFc0RUhYMTVDTVhQN1JPQjZVNTIxQy4u