BOSTON/State House – There were 32 fatal on-the-job accidents in Massachusetts last year and an estimated 300 plus deaths due to occupational diseases - over 90 due to asbestos-related illness - according to a report released this week.

Launched on the steps of the State House Thursday, Dying for Work in Massachusetts: Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces is an annual joint effort by Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) and Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

BOSTON/State House - Demanding a more equitable transit system Wednesday, demonstrators targeted the State House where the Senate is expected to vote on a transportation bill next week. The bill proposed by the Senate gives more funding to infrastructure than the $500m called for by the House bill, but still falls short of Governor Deval Patrick’s requested $1.9 billion for transportation and education.

BOSTON/State House - Two dozen activists from the Mass. Alliance Against Predatory Lending and allied organizations held a press conference in support of a bill to "Prevent Unlawful and Unnecessary Foreclosures" at the State House on Tuesday. The bill, House 4096/Senate 2298, was intended to strengthen 2010 state legislation that provided banks with incentives to meet with threatened homeowners to prevent foreclosure. Since that time, activists say that banks have chosen to ignore those incentives and wait a while longer to foreclose on homes whose owners can no longer make their mortgage payments - often due to much-criticized predatory loan terms.

BOSTON/State House - Six disability rights activists blocked Beacon Street for nearly an hour Monday afternoon, to protest a proposed increase in the cost of using MBTA services that amounts to a doubling of the cost for many riders.

Chanting "if we can't ride, you can't drive" the wheelchair bound activists stopped traffic on Beacon Street in front of the General Hooker entrance of the State House. Other activists ran a long silver chain and padlocked five of the six chairs together.

BOSTON/State House – By many measures, Wednesday was not a good day for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Agency. A fire between Park Street and Downtown Crossing caused a long delay on the Red Line during the morning rush hour. In the afternoon, the Agency’s board voted 4 to 1 to raise fares on the “T” by an average of 23 percent and to cut services as a way of partially closing a budget gap this fiscal year of at least $160 Million.

BOSTON/State House - Over 75 immigrants and allies from religious, labor and community organizations held a vigil in front of the Massachusetts State House against Mass. Senate Bill 2061/House Bill 3913, "An Act to Enhance Community Safety", for several hours on Tuesday in hopes of pressuring legislators to kill it in committee. The event was organized by Centro Presente.

BOSTON/State House - Over 300 activists representing at least 65 community organizations and unions from around Massachusetts held a rally in front of the State House today in opposition to a proposed "Three Strikes" bill that they say will disproportionately affect low income communities of color and cause already overcrowded prisons to become even more overcrowded.

The bill, H.3818/S.2080, would mandate life imprisonment after a third offense from a proposed list of violent crimes. It passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly last fall - but its two versions are still being debated in Conference Committee before proceeding to the floor for a vote.

BOSTON - Almost 100 students from several Boston area colleges held a protest march around Boston as part of a National Day of Action for Education - called by students in the Occupy movement around the United States. The local action was organized by Students Occupy Boston - a working group of the Occupy Boston movement - and its core demand reflected the main theme of the national action: free public higher education for all.

BOSTON/State House - Physician and environmental activist Jill Stein of Lexington announced her candidacy for President of the United States on the Green Party ticket at a press conference outside the State House on Monday. Best known as the 2002 Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party gubernatorial candidate, Stein hopes to win her national party's nomination and be a progressive voice for working families in the 2012 election.

BOSTON/State House - Dozens of labor and community activists showed up in support of a green jobs bill at a hearing of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Energy and Natural Resources at the Massachusetts State House on Thursday. The bill, H. 1774, An Act Regarding Community Access to Energy Efficiency Programs and Green Jobs would require that all utility companies operating in the Commonwealth provide data showing what populations their energy efficiency programs are reaching, and expand access to energy efficiency services by establishing new weatherization goals.