Special to the Journal
Days after scoring a historic victory workers across the country, the Teamsters have endorsed Michelle Kelley for an At-Large seat on the Revere City Council, backing Kelley’s plan to make Revere’s government more responsive to its citizens.
Teamsters Local 25, which represents more than 12,000 members in Eastern Massachusetts and is New England’s largest chapter of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, threw its weight behind Kelley, a first-time candidate and lifelong resident who works as an attorney and realtor. Union officials – who recently reached a milestone deal with UPS resulting in both immediate and long-term wage increases for Teamsters – praised Kelley for vowing to serve as a government watchdog and as her constituents’ voice at City Hall.
Kelley said she was thrilled by the Teamsters endorsement, which adds to a groundswell of support among labor unions, calling it indicative of the broader support she has received since launching her first campaign for public office in May. She said she will continue to accept support from working people and the groups they have chosen to join in order to stand up against powerful outside interests.
“I’m proud to count the Teamsters among the working men and woman who recognize that I’m fighting for them and I’ll take that fight to City Hall,†Kelley said. “I was raised in a union family, I’ve worked hard my whole life, and I’m honored that the people I grew up around want me to represent them. The people of this city have too much at stake not to have a voice in the way their city is run.â€
Targeting sweetheart deals for developers that routinely bend the municipal zoning code authored by Revere residents, Kelley has proposed an enlarged abutter notification zone for development projects. Once in office, she will seek to enact a code of ethics for the Revere City Council, similar to those adopted by other governing bodies and professional organizations. She has also advocated for an increased emphasis on vocational education at the new Revere High School.
And she will ensure that Revere’s seniors receive more respectful treatment from their government, including common courtesy from city officials and at public meetings.
Kelley has vowed to bring a “neighborhood watch†approach to city governance.
“People want accountability in how their tax dollars are spent, they want transparency, and they want responsiveness,†Kelley said. “That’s my agenda, because it’s the people’s agenda.â€
The first person in her family to graduate college, Kelley attended Revere Public Schools and worked her way through both college and law school, receiving degrees from Salem State University and New England School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts state and federal courts.
Kelley lives in West Revere with her husband, David.
For more information, or to get involved with Kelley’s campaign for Councillor-At-Large, please visit : KelleyForRevere.com; on FaceBook @ MichelleKelleyForRevereCityCouncillorAtLarge; Email: [email protected]; or call: 781-854-1717.
