Amendments to the state budget, offered during the State Senate debate, that would have impacted health care collective bargaining rights and stripped taxpayers of protections against privatization schemes were defeated on voice votes in late May.

An attempt to increase the threshold to allow the public services to be privatized lost on a voice vote with riders, community members and unions opposing the increase.

An attempt to rollback the recent law that allows MBTA Unions to bargain over conditions within the GIC was also defeated with Local 589 Officers and members contacting State Senators to lobby on behalf of collective bargaining rights.

Local 589 worked closely with Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steve Tolman to defeat these amendments.