BUSINESS BRIEFS: Criminal Expungement, Unemployment, Junk Fees, 401 (k)s etc

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The chamber serves the communities of Bellingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Medway, Milford, Mendon, Millis, and Upton. More information is available at https://www.tricountychamberma.org

More Expungement of Criminal Records May be in Offing

The Joint Committee on the Judiciary heard testimony on the Rep. Mary Keefe and Sen. Cindy Friedman bill (H 1583 / S 979) on Tuesday, which the sponsors say would provide easier and greater access to record sealing. "We are not defined by our record. We are not defined by our past. We are defined by the people we are today," Debbie Gleason (above) said. She shared her story with the few dozen people gathered on the State House steps before they went in to testify before the committee. Gleason was one of several people who shared stories of their criminal records serving as barriers to jobs and housing.

Unemployment Steady

The state’s November total unemployment rate was 2.9 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from the revised October estimate of 2.8 percent, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Friday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts gained 3,200 jobs in November. This follows October’s revised loss of 500 jobs. The largest over-the-month private sector job gains were in Leisure and Hospitality, Financial Activities, and Government. Employment now stands at 3,786,200. Massachusetts gained 724,600 jobs since the employment low in April 2020. From November 2022 to November 2023, BLS estimates Massachusetts gained 66,100 jobs. The largest over-the-year gains occurred in Education and Health Services, Construction, and Leisure and Hospitality. The state’s November unemployment rate of 2.9 percent was 0.8 percentage points lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent reported by BLS.

Junk Fees Challenged

MASSPIRG's Legislative Director, Deirdre Cummings testified today before the office of the Attorney General in support of AG Campbell's recently proposedregulations cracking down on hidden "junk fees". MASSPIRG supports the efforts of Attorney General Andrea Campbell to crack down on deceptive and misleading advertising by reining in "junk fees".“Comparable, complete, and timely price information allows consumers to make the right personal choices for their pocket books while also leading to a more competitive marketplace,” said Cummings. The proposed rules seek to require upfront total pricing, require disclosure about the nature and purpose of fees and taxes, and make it easier for consumers to cancel trial offers and renewal fees. “For too long, we have watched as businesses have gradually stopped disclosing true prices in a practical or meaningful way. We have all experienced purchasing tickets, services, hotel rooms, subscriptions advertised at one price only to find the actual or final price is significantly more by the time we have to pay. This not only hurts our wallets but also harms businesses that truly are transparent and are disclosing total costs upfront, even though their prices look higher compared to the deceptive incomplete lower prices,” testified Cummings.

Waters Corp to Present at J.P. Morgan Event

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) announced that Udit Batra Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on Monday, January 8, 2024 at 7:30PM Eastern Time (4:30PM Pacific Standard Time (PST)). A live webcast of the event will be available on the 'Events & Presentations' section of Waters' Investor Relations website at https://ir.waters.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days.

Multiple Employer Aggregation Program (MEAP): A 401(K) Opportunity for Chamber Members

Our mission at the Chamber is to do everything we can to help members succeed by providing valuable services and programming. To that end, we’re excited to announce a powerful new retirement planning solution that is now available exclusively for members of Tri-County Regional Chamber. Tri-County Regional Chamber has partnered with Lincoln Financial, a nationally recognized leader in retirement planning services to develop this unique program that leverages the strengths of group participation to provide a cost-effective and easy way for you to implement a turnkey 401(K) employee program. More information is available here.