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Community leaders, union officials warn Fall River Social Security office could close amid federal property sales
Summary
Local elected officials, union representatives and community organizers gathered in Fall River to oppose potential closure or sale of the city's Social Security field office and to warn that reduced access could effectively cut benefits for residents who rely on in-person services.
Community leaders, union officials and advocates gathered in Fall River to warn that the city’s Social Security field office is at risk of closure and that reductions in local services would harm residents who rely on in-person help.
The U.S. representative for Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District said the administration’s plan would first “degrade the services,” then allege waste, fraud and abuse, and finally use that rationale to push privatization. He called access to local offices a component of Americans’ “financial freedom.”
The warning centered on two linked developments: a General Services Administration inventory of federal properties that placed many leased federal offices on a “noncore” list, and a Social Security Administration draft strategic plan, which union leaders and elected officials said signals future closures. Rich Couture, a representative of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) who spoke at the event, said that after public outcry an earlier GSA list was pulled but that “that list is on the GSA website now and it is growing,” and that closures could start in 2026. Couture said, “If that access is restricted or cut off because they don't have the transportation, they can't go hundreds of miles to the next nearest office, that's a benefit cut.”
Mayor Paul Coogan said the Fall River field office is “extremely busy” and centrally located, with lines most mornings. He told the gathering that losing the office would leave constituents to navigate phone trees and long waits for help, and he thanked the regional lawmakers and union allies who attended. Representative Carol Faiola, a member of the state legislature, described the office as essential for residents without transportation or computers and said the site has provided regional services for generations.
Union leaders at the event provided agency statistics and operational context. Camille Pinero, who identified herself as president of an AFGE local representing Social Security employees in New England, said the agency “has never missed a payment in 90 years,” noted a fraud rate she described as “less than 1 percent,” and said overhead costs are “about .05%.” She warned that workforce reductions, phone-service cuts or office closures would functionally reduce access to earned benefits. Several speakers also tied the threat to broader political proposals, saying public-service degradation and claims of waste can be used to justify privatization proposals now being discussed by some national figures.
Advocates described concrete, local impacts. Tracy Albernaz, Fall River community organizer with United Interfaith Action of Southeastern Massachusetts, recounted waiting-room experiences and a constituent who spent more than an hour on hold by phone before getting in-person help the next day. Marilyn Flowers Marion, president of the Massachusetts Alliance for Retired Americans and chairwoman of the Retired Teachers Chapter of the Boston Teachers Union, urged that higher earners’ payroll-tax contributions be considered to shore up the Social Security trust fund rather than reducing access to services.
Speakers emphasized that in-person services are especially important for people who lack reliable transportation or internet access and for those seeking help with disability claims, replacements of Social Security cards or other time-sensitive matters. No formal vote or decision by local officials occurred at the event; speakers urged continued advocacy to keep the Fall River office open and to preserve local access to Social Security services.
Organizers asked for vigilance as agencies develop property plans and strategic documents. Rich Couture said the public and congressional outcry had previously prompted the GSA to remove a set of properties from sale lists, but he warned the office is “by no means safe.” The U.S. representative for Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District closed the event by saying protecting earned benefits is not a partisan issue and thanking attendees for their solidarity.
