Special to the Journal
The Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, the governing body of the State’s Democratic Party, met at the Beachmont Veterans Memorial School this past Saturday, April 6th for the first time since the election of Democratic State Committee Members on the March 5th presidential primary ballot.
Present at the event were Revere City Councillor and only Revere Democratic State Committee Member Juan Pablo Jaramillo, Mayor Patrick Keefe, State Senator Lydia Edwards, and State Representative Jessica Giannino. Mayor Keefe and Rep. Giannino welcomed the crowd of Democrats which descended from every corner of the Commonwealth, from Pittsfield to Plymouth and everything in between. Former State Senator Joe Boncore, a member of the Democratic State Committee from Beachmont was also present.
The members of the Democratic State Party came to the home of America’s First Public Beach for their reorganization meeting, a meeting held every 4-years to pick party officers. The meeting was hosted by the Revere Democratic City Committee through Mayor Keefe, Senator Edwards, Rep. Giannino, Rep. Turco, Councillor Jaramillo and Congresswoman Katherine Clark who each pitched in to pay for the venue and the food for the attendants which was purchased from La Esquina Del Sabor a Colombian food restaurant in Beachmont.
Jaramillo who worked with the state party for months to gain the bid to host the meeting in Revere remarked that he was “very proud to showcase all the things our beautiful city has to offer. Revere is making a comeback as a city that centers working class people in its policy decision-making a value that is fully aligned with the mission of the Democratic Party and walking away from this meeting I am more energized than ever to continue to deliver for working families from city hall to the White House by electing more pro-worker Democrats at every level of government.” In an e-mail to all the Democrats who were attending prior to the meeting, Jaramillo invited his colleagues to visit local restaurants like Cafe Costa Del Sol, New Deal Fruit, and Thmor Da while visiting.
The meeting started at 10:00am and ended at 2:00pm. Signs for Biden for President could be seen along Bennington Street in Revere as early as 8am on Saturday and the Beachmont’s Parking lot was full by 9:30am before the meeting kicked off. In addition to electing officers, the party gave committee reports relating to the campaign to re-elect President Biden.
Long-time State Democratic Party Secretary, a member of the Third Suffolk Delegation, Carol Aloisi did not run for re-election at the reorganization and received a standing ovation after the election of her successor. In addition to Aloisi, Boncore, and Jaramillo, the other members of the Third Suffolk Delegation, which includes Revere, Winthrop, and East Boston are Gigi Coletta from East Boston, Alicia Delvento from Winthrop, and Lydia Edwards also from East Boston.
On Wednesday, April 10th, the Revere Teachers Association (RTA) will rally before school and walk-in together with over 5,000 teachers and support staff across the North Shore, demanding paid parental leave for all education workers.
The RTA is advocating for paid parental leave benefits for all education workers, which were excluded from the Commonwealth’s Paid Family Medical Leave legislation benefits provided to private sector workers in 2018. The Revere Teachers Association represents over 750 teachers, service providers, and education support professionals.
“In Massachusetts, while private sector employees can access the state’s PFMLA for parental leave, our educators are forced to piece together personal and sick days or even face unpaid time to grow their families. This is a profound injustice in a profession dominated by women—it’s time we change the narrative and fully support our educators, enabling them to support the growth of all children.” — Jane Chapin, an 7th-grade math teacher and Co-President of the RTA.
