FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 14, 2009

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local l03 of Greater Boston
256 Freeport Street
Dorchester, MA 02122
Tel: (617) 436-3710
Website: www.ibew103.com

For Further Information, Contact:
Lou Antonellis, Business Representative IBEW Local 103,
617-797-1616 (cell), 617-436-3710 x 5 (office)
or Pat Clark, 718-852-2808

Unions to Picket Annual Meeting
of Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MBC)

Members of Local 103 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and other building trades unions will be protesting and picketing at street entrances leading into the Seaport World Trade Center from 10 am to 7 pm on Tuesday, April 14. They will be holding large placards, including: "MBC=Massachusetts Biggest Chiselers" highlighting Genzyme, AstraZeneca, Wyeth/Pfizer, EMD Serono and Biogen IDEC, which are all represented on the MBC board of directors.

Last Wednesday, union leaders including AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes, Massachusetts Building Trades Council President Frank Callahan and IBEW Local 103 Business Manager Mike Monahan participated in a press conference calling on Gov. Deval Patrick to rescind his appointment of Genzyme's CEO Henri Termeer from his Council of Economic Advisors because he represents the worst of an unfair economy.

Local 103 Business Manager Mike Monahan said: "We are fighting injustices committed by many of the companies represented by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council against workers, patients and health care consumers. These companies have been involved in raking in millions of dollars in corporate welfare while cities and towns in Massachusetts are having social services and public-sector jobs slashed."

"The biotech industry, led by Genzyme CEO and corporate welfare beneficiary Henri Termeer, decided to declare war on targeted building trades unions in Massachusetts," according to Corporate Campaign, Inc. director and labor strategist Ray Rogers.

"Genzyme's highest paid director Connie Mack best represents the anti-union animus so prevalent in much of the biotech industry," Rogers added. Mr. Mack's primary job is serving as Senior Policy Advisor in the Washington, DC office of law firm King & Spalding. King & Spalding's website describes its "Traditional Labor Practice" this way: "...We counsel non-union clients on how to remain union free...We have also advised clients with respect to decertifying incumbent labor unions, and have had a number of successful decertifications...We also actively work with clients facing work stoppages...advising clients on replacement of striking workers..."

The Stop Biotech Looting campaign seeks to protect work and safety standards on building projects in Massachusetts and to help bring reform to the biotech/pharmaceutical industry whose corrupt behavior contributes to skyrocketing drug and health care costs and imperils patients.

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