Guest Column: Governor Healey Stands With Workers — And We Stand With Governor Healey

By Colton AndrewsGuest Column
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Massachusetts is a union state, built by workers, protected by workers, and powered by workers. And right now, only one candidate for governor has proven she's willing to fight for us every single day: Maura Healey.
 
Governor Healey doesn't just show up for photo ops. She shows up when it matters. She shows up when jobs are on the line. She shows up when workers need a champion who won't flinch, won't fold, and won't sell them out.
 
Her expansion of Project Labor Agreements didn't just "support" workers; it will spur the creation of more than 15,600 new jobs across the Bay State. That's real paychecks, real benefits, real careers. And she knows what every contractor in this state knows: union labor delivers superior work, on time, under budget, every time.
 
Healey is also building the next generation of skilled workers. She invested $70 million to expand career and technical education and opened 2,500 new training seats at schools across Massachusetts. That's not a promise, that's action. That's a governor who understands that strong apprenticeship programs are the backbone of a strong economy.
 
She's also put more than 200 union members on boards and commissions across Massachusetts. She wants workers in the room. She wants workers shaping policy. She wants workers' voices heard, not ignored, not sidelined, not treated as an afterthought.
 
And here in Western Mass, Governor Healey has done something no governor has done in decades: she shows up. She listens. She invests. She treats Western Massachusetts like the beating heart of the commonwealth, not a forgotten corner.
 
Her opponent, Mike Minogue, is a Trump mega?donor who backs Trump's agenda, an agenda that has made life more expensive and more difficult for working families. Minogue would bring those same policies to Massachusetts, and we know exactly who benefits from that playbook: corporate executives, not workers.
 
Workers don't need a governor who caters to corporate interests. Workers don't need a governor who follows Trump's lead. Workers don't need a governor who would roll back the progress we've fought tooth and nail to win.
 
If you want lower costs, stronger job opportunities, and a governor who actually stands with workers. Governor Maura Healey is the one who's earned that support.
 
Governor Healey stands with workers. And we stand with Governor Healey.
 
Colton Andrews is president of the Western MA Building Trades Unions
 

 


Tags: election 2026,   endorsement,   governor,   labor,   


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Urban Legends and Cryptids Come Alive as North Adams Prepares for Mohawk Theater Haunted House

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A spooky and scary night at the Mohawk Theater is approaching fast after local officials decorated it for their annual haunted house.

For the third year in a row the police department, fire department, City Hall, Northern Berkshire EMS, nbCC, Drury High School, American Legion, and 18 Degrees spent hundreds of hours the past few weeks setting up at the former theater.

This year's theme is Urban Legends and Cryptids, with an emphasis on local lore and giving participating groups room to create their own scenes.

Business Manager for the Department of Public Safety Meghan DeLuca showed iBerkshires the setup and what they have been working on.

When you first enter you'll notice the Hoosac Tunnel welcoming you with a train lit up and smoking. The posters on the wall were made by Drury High's digital marketing and media class will give you a sneak peak of what you may encounter when you enter the tunnel.

All of the departments chose a different theme for their space; MCLA welcomes you in detention, the American Legion is putting a twist on Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs, Drury is hosting aliens and another cryptid.

"We're all in here trying to curate the whole entire space because obviously, this is an undertaking. This building is not open to the public currently. I grew up in North Adams my whole entire life until we had the opportunity three years ago to come in here, and we were trying to find a space that was going to work for the haunted house. I'd never been in here, so I think that a lot of the allure is that this is a place that you're not expecting to be able to come into," she said.

DeLuca said planning begins around April, with organizers choosing a theme, confirming which groups will participate, collecting set ideas, and determining what materials are needed. Then setup begins around mid-August, as donated materials arrive and the team builds and adjusts the layout.

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