MassCOSH

MassCOSH
Name	MassCOSH
Formation	1977
Type	Nonprofit advocacy organization
Location	Boston, Massachusetts
Focus	Occupational safety and health, workers' rights, environmental justice

MassCOSH MassCOSH is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit advocacy organization focused on occupational safety, public health, labor rights, and environmental justice. Founded in the late 1970s, it works with unions, community groups, public agencies, and elected officials to promote workplace protections, hazard prevention, and regulatory enforcement. MassCOSH engages in organizing, training, research, and policy advocacy across the Boston metropolitan area and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

History

MassCOSH traces roots to labor and public-health activism in the 1970s and 1980s, influenced by movements led by figures and institutions such as Cesar Chavez, AFL–CIO, Public Citizen, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Early collaborations involved coalitions with organizations like United Auto Workers, Service Employees International Union, American Federation of Teachers, and community groups in neighborhoods served by Massachusetts Department of Public Health programs. The organization expanded its work during policy shifts under administrations including Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, often responding to changes in enforcement priorities at agencies such as Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. MassCOSH has intersected with campaigns around major events and crises involving stakeholders such as Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, and regional industrial incidents affecting cities like Boston, Worcester, Massachusetts, and Springfield, Massachusetts.

Mission and Activities

MassCOSH's mission centers on protecting workers' health and safety, advancing environmental justice, and strengthening labor standards in workplaces across sectors such as healthcare, construction, manufacturing, and service industries. Its activities include grassroots organizing with partners like Communities for Health, training programs modeled after curricula from Harvard School of Public Health and Tufts University, and technical assistance consistent with guidance from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The group engages in policy advocacy before bodies including the Massachusetts Legislature, Boston City Council, and state agencies such as the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. MassCOSH provides workplace inspections support, worker education tied to standards from Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and litigation support in collaboration with legal organizations like ACLU and National Employment Law Project.

Organization and Governance

MassCOSH operates as a nonprofit membership organization with a board of directors composed of labor leaders, public-health experts, and community advocates drawn from institutions like Harvard University, Boston University, Northeastern University, and unions including UNITE HERE and Service Employees International Union. Governance structures follow nonprofit practices found in organizations such as United Way, with oversight mechanisms similar to those of National Safety Council and reporting relationships with funders such as Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and local philanthropic entities like The Boston Foundation. Staff roles encompass executive leadership, organizing directors, policy analysts, and researchers who coordinate with municipal agencies including Boston Public Health Commission and state regulators.

Campaigns and Advocacy

MassCOSH has led and participated in campaigns addressing workplace hazards, wage theft, immigrant worker protections, and environmental health issues. Notable campaign partners have included Jobs with Justice, Make the Road, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Boston Workers Alliance, and coalitions that have pressured institutions like Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, General Electric, and regional manufacturers. The organization has advocated for legislation and regulations involving stakeholders such as Governor of Massachusetts, members of U.S. Congress from Massachusetts, and municipal leaders including the Mayor of Boston. Campaign tactics mirror those used in broader movements led by groups like Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and Clean Water Action while addressing local crises involving sites such as Charlestown Navy Yard and industrial corridors in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Research and Publications

MassCOSH produces reports, fact sheets, and training materials on topics like workplace exposures, injury prevention, and health disparities, drawing on data sources including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and academic research from MIT, Boston University School of Public Health, and Tufts Medical Center. Publications have examined sectors from construction to healthcare, using methodologies paralleling studies published in journals such as American Journal of Public Health, Environmental Health Perspectives, and Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The organization disseminates findings to audiences that include unions like United Steelworkers, elected officials such as members of the Massachusetts Senate, and community stakeholders involved with groups like Neighborhood Legal Services.

Partnerships and Impact

MassCOSH collaborates with a range of partners including labor unions (AFL–CIO, SEIU), environmental groups (Massachusetts Sierra Club), legal advocacy organizations (ACLU of Massachusetts), academic centers (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), and municipal agencies (Boston Public Health Commission). Its interventions have contributed to enforcement actions by Occupational Safety and Health Administration and influenced local ordinances in municipalities such as Cambridge, Massachusetts and Somerville, Massachusetts. Impact includes worker-led improvements in employers like healthcare systems and construction contractors, policy shifts at the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards, and strengthened community capacity reflected in partnerships with Boston Workers Alliance and regional initiatives funded by institutions like Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Category:Organizations based in Boston Category:Occupational safety and health organizations