Letter: Mass MoCA Strike

To the Editor:

On March 13, 2024, I had the opportunity to speak with the workers on strike at Mass MoCA. I spent several hours with them, listening to them, learning from them, and coming to understand them. The workers are on strike not because they don't love their work, but because they deserve to be paid sustainable wages. They don't just want a job but they want career opportunities, the ability to work at the museum and make enough in wages to provide for themselves and their families.

It's unacceptable for dedicated employees to struggle to make ends meet while working at an institution as prominent as Mass MoCA. Negotiating for fair compensation is a fundamental right, and it's disappointing that after five months of discussions, museum management has failed to reach an agreement that meets the needs of its workers. Anyone in our community can attest to the fact that the cost of living in Berkshire County is going up — and Mass MoCA staffers are not immune to these increases.

MASS MoCA is an important institution within our community. They are great at bringing people in to visit our city and they recently secured a grant to become a better economic partner with the city of North Adams. I am grateful for their presence and what they have done to help our city grow. Mass MoCA,is also a non-profit organization that enjoys tax benefits not available to commercial businesses, many of which still provide a higher wage to their workers.

If Mass MoCA truly supports economic development in our city and our community then there is no valid excuse for Mass MoCA failing to invest in its most valuable asset — the people who make it great. I stand in solidarity with the workers of Mass MoCA and urge the management to prioritize their well-being by reaching a fair agreement as soon as possible.

Ashley M. Shade
North Adams, Mass.

Northern Berkshire United Way: War and Peace

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
09:38PM / Saturday, February 28, 2026

Northern Berkshire United Way is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. Each month, we will take a look back at the agency's milestones over the decades. This first part looks at its successes and challenges during the war years.

 

The Community Chest started the decade on the upswing but ended with a decline in fundraising. A bright spot was its establishment of new agencies to help the citizens of North Adams and Clarksburg. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Community Chest ended its first decade on an upswing, even as the clouds were darkening over Europe.

 

But what goes up, must eventually come down. 

 

The 1940 campaign drive again set a goal of $39,600 and volunteers toted up $23,000 at the first meeting.

 

James Hunter Machine was the first to attain 100 percent enrollment with annual gift of $6.13 per person for a total of $1,275. Some 200 businesses and organizations hit their red feather level of 100 percent, including all of the schools as well as State Teachers College. 

 

The litany of businesses and organizations included long-gone establishments such as Simmons Funeral Home, Spofford Motors, McCann Ice Cream Co., C.H. Cutting, West End Market, Apothecary Hall, Florini's Italian Garden, and Pizzi's, along with still existing enterprises like Whitney's Beverage Shop, Cascade Paper and Mount Williams Greenhouse.

 

The now annual dinner was served by the Ladies Aid Society of First Congregational at the YMCA, and attendees were entertained by singers from the Advent Christian Church, directed by the Rev. Martin Ball and accompanied by his wife on the piano. "Assisting in useful capacities" were YMCA junior members Howard Goodermote, Roy Modlinger, Fred Myers, Norman Remillard, George Grenier, Wallace Konopka and Anthony Pessolano.