Arena-DeRosa Receives Labor Union Endorsement In State Rep Race

HOLLISTON, MA - James Arena-DeRosa of Holliston, a candidate for the 8th Middlesex State House seat, announced Wednesday that he received the endorsement of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, which represents thousands of workers across Massachusetts from teachers to utility workers.

“Throughout his lifetime of public service – from the Holliston Finance Committee at the municipal level, to protecting voting rights in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, to helping families experiencing food insecurity at the USDA and Oxfam America – James Arena-DeRosa has consistently advocated for working families,” said Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steve Tolman. "As state representative, I know James will advocate for high-quality public education and transportation, work to end the scourge of wage theft in Massachusetts, and fight for economic justice for the people of the Commonwealth."

He added that the union federation represents nearly a half million of the state's workers and is the state's largest labor umbrella organization.

“The support of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO is incredible,” said Arena-DeRosa in a statement Wednesday. “Working families are the backbone of our Commonwealth’s economy. I am proud to have the endorsement of the organization that has continuously fought for those same families’ advancement. If elected as the 8th Middlesex’s State Representative, I hopeto work closely with the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and be a partner in that fight.”

Arena-DeRosa stressed that he is running for state representative to give MetroWest communities in the district "a seat at the table."

"Together, we will ensure that the political process in Boston does not overlook small towns in conversations about infrastructure, climate change, elder care, the retention of young talent, and education," he said, highlighting his decades of experience from his roles with Oxfam America, the Peace Corps, and the United States Department of Agriculture in the Obama Administration.

The 8th Middlesex district includes Holliston, Hopkinton, Sherborn, and precincts two and three in Millis. Arena-DeRosa is running against Hopkinton Town Clerk Connor Degan for the seat, which has no incumbent since Rep. Carolyn Dykema’s resignation in February.

Representative David Linsky’s 5th Middlesex District no longer includes Millis and Sherborn due to redistricting.

To learn more about DeRosa's candidacy, go to jamesforstaterep.com.