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.

North Adams License Board OKs New Italian Restaurant

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:47PM / Wednesday, March 18, 2026

The inside of the Mohawk, which is being revamped as a lounge to go with the new Italian restaurant in the former Grazie. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — David Moresi has a vision to bring a bit of the North End to North Adams.

 

He explained his plans to the License Commission on Tuesday as he applied for an all-alcohol license for Zio Roberto Ristorante and Taverna, which is expected to open in late May. 

 

The Mohawk bar and the former Grazie restaurant space in the Mulcare Building, which Moresi owns, will operate as a single entity — one side as a lounge, and the other as a full-service restaurant. 

 

"We're still going to call it the Mohawk. I mean, let me be clear from the start, in no way am I looking to operate a bar operation here," he said of the Mohawk. "There's no we've gone through the entire place. There's no jukebox, there's no pool table. We're really looking to create something very unique here, which basically is lacking in the area."

 

He has been describing the lounge as an Italian "speakeasy," or a private club open to the public — a space with overstuffed chairs and Chesterfield couches with an Italian theme. The focus will be on small plates, appetizers, craft cocktails, wines and bottled beer. 

 

"Then with the restaurant itself, we're really excited about this," Moresi said. "Obviously, I have the team here of both Nick [Moulton] and Pete [Belmonte], and we're just looking to do authentic Italian cuisine at this establishment. 

 

"As far as alcohol operations, bar operations, we still have the bar in the restaurant space, which also is a very popular spot for people to get a meal, appetizer and eat and socialize, so full bar service there."