A union in the State House?

Also: How Mass. climate goals align with the latest UN report; what the world can do to stave off calamity [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 5, 2022 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 59. Good Morning Boston, I know it's technically already spring, even if that doesn't mean much in New England (I’m talking to you, [Third Winter](. But based on yesterday and today, could it really… finally… be actual spring. OK, maybe after we get past the [rainy second half of the week](. Then I’m declaring it. To the news: - Just in last night: Massachusetts state Senate staffers are taking the first steps in forming what would be the second union for legislative workers in the U.S. - Senate President Karen Spilka's office is reviewing a letter delivered by local union reps asking for voluntary recognition. - The reason behind the push? An anonymous survey last spring found that just 10% of State House staffers feel fairly paid and 89% said they live with family or rely on income from a second job or spouse to work in the Legislature. And [proposed bills]( to raise their wage floor have gone nowhere. - Senate leaders [announced last month]( that they had hired a pay consultant after commissioning a third-party report that found the chamber "does not have a formal employee pay plan" to promote internal fairness and competitiveness. - Why does it matter? Beyond ensuring quality living conditions for the workers themselves, [advocates]( say that raising salaries ensure that legislatures are staffed by more experienced and diverse professionals — and hopefully that results in more well-crafted bills in the long run. - The first Ukrainian refugees from Russia's invasion are expected to arrive in Massachusetts this week, and WBUR's Hannah Chanatry reports the local groups will have access to $10 million from a recent spending bill to help them resettle. - Still, nonprofit leaders say they'll need help from volunteers. Jeff Kinney, who works for social service group Ascentria, told Chanatry they're hoping for "a similar level of interest" as they saw for resettling Afghan refugees last year. - Remember when former Fall River mayor Jasiel Corriea was [sentenced to six years in prison]( over corruption charges? Well, that term still has yet to start. For the seventh time, a federal judge delayed Corriea's prison reporting date — [this time until April 22]( — as the ex-mayor's lawyers continue to appeal the case. - Correia is slated to serve his time in a federal medium security prison in northern New Hampshire for convictions for both defrauding investors in a smartphone app he was developing and for extorting money from local marijuana companies. - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is funneling an additional $1.5 million into the city's "All-Inclusive Boston" tourism campaign. - The expanded campaign puts a spotlight on minority-owned businesses and the neighborhoods that aren't necessarily right on the Freedom Trail. It also includes [a new ad featuring the many different types of Boston accents](. - Holy Cross is [naming its science complex]( after one of the Worcester college's most famous alums: Dr. Anthony Fauci. - Holy Cross President Vincent Rougeau says the building will officially be dedicated in June during Fauci's graduating class's 60-year reunion weekend (he graduated in '62). - Fun fact: Did you know Fauci was a [classics major]( at Holy Cross, but took "[just enough]( science classes to get into medical school? P.S.— Our investigation team is hosting [a live event tonight at 6:30 p.m. at WBUR CitySpace]( on how the Massachusetts legal system allows police and prosecutors to [keep money and personal belongings that they seize from individuals]( — even after charges are dismissed. Both in-person and virtual attendance is free! Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [How Mass. climate goals align with the latest UN report]( Experts say Mass.' climate goals are in line with the UN's targets, but they worry we aren't on track to meet them. [Read more.]( [How Mass. climate goals align with the latest UN report]( Experts say Mass.' climate goals are in line with the UN's targets, but they worry we aren't on track to meet them. [Read more.]( [It's not too late to stave off the climate crisis, U.N. report finds. Here's how]( The good news is that the world has solutions and technology to slow climate change. The bad news is that time is running out. [Read more.]( [It's not too late to stave off the climate crisis, U.N. report finds. Here's how]( The good news is that the world has solutions and technology to slow climate change. The bad news is that time is running out. [Read more.]( [Mass. hotels see uptick in tourism, but leaders warn a full COVID recovery needs more funding]( Massachusetts hotels are expecting an uptick in business as the weather warms up, but industry leaders warn a full recovery from pandemic woes may need more state investment. [Read more.]( [Mass. hotels see uptick in tourism, but leaders warn a full COVID recovery needs more funding]( Massachusetts hotels are expecting an uptick in business as the weather warms up, but industry leaders warn a full recovery from pandemic woes may need more state investment. [Read more.]( [Another booster? A vaccine for omicron? Here's what could be next for COVID vaccines]( Federal health officials are convening with outside advisers this week to talk about a vaccine plan, whether that’s another booster in the fall, an omicron shot or one that targets more than one strain. [Read more.]( [Another booster? A vaccine for omicron? Here's what could be next for COVID vaccines]( Federal health officials are convening with outside advisers this week to talk about a vaccine plan, whether that’s another booster in the fall, an omicron shot or one that targets more than one strain. [Read more.]( [Many N.H. communities are turning to local solutions in the global fight against climate change]( Local energy committees are helping more than 100 towns reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Still, local leaders say gaining momentum for energy projects at the municipal level has been difficult to manage given limited time, resources and support from the state. [Read more.]( [Many N.H. communities are turning to local solutions in the global fight against climate change]( Local energy committees are helping more than 100 towns reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Still, local leaders say gaining momentum for energy projects at the municipal level has been difficult to manage given limited time, resources and support from the state. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Radio Boston [talked to a Fitchburg man about his made-for-the-movies rescue mission]( to help his daughter and grandson flee Ukraine last month in the midst of Russia's invasion. - Brookline author Rachel Barenbaum's second novel — a time travel saga set in the wake of the Chernobyl meltdown — [encompasses both an immigrant story and a love story](. - Jack Kerouac fans aren't the only ones who should [consider a visit to The Town and The City Festival this weekend](. Organizers are also promoting the best of modern-day Lowell: the arts, the shops, the restaurants and — especially this weekend — the music. - Navy veteran Andrew Carleen [writes in this commentary]( that the $1 billion price tag for a planned 1,776-foot-tall flagpole veteran memorial in rural Maine would be better spent elsewhere. What We're Reading 📚 - How Two Best Friends Beat Amazon ([The New York Times]( - Expelled from Boston Conservatory weeks before graduation, she came back decades later for a second chance ([The Boston Globe]( - This Is What Happens When There Are Too Many Meetings ([The Atlantic]( Tell Me Something Good [This 14-year-old Carlisle resident is a crossword whiz — and the youngest to build a puzzle for the Sunday New York Times (The Boston Globe)]( August Lee-Kovach, a freshman at Concord-Carlisle High School, became the youngest known person to have a crossword puzzle published in the Sunday edition of the New York Times. [Read more.]( [This 14-year-old Carlisle resident is a crossword whiz — and the youngest to build a puzzle for the Sunday New York Times (The Boston Globe)]( August Lee-Kovach, a freshman at Concord-Carlisle High School, became the youngest known person to have a crossword puzzle published in the Sunday edition of the New York Times. [Read more.]( Before you go: "No one talks about [this kind of gentrification]( Correction: In Monday's newsletter we misspelled Jon Batiste's name. “[We Are]( sorry for the typo! 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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