Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Gage Lacharite

By Gage Lacharite

Students protest university funding of Israeli apartheid. | Fight Back! News/staff

Tampa, FL – Students at the University of South Florida demonstrated their opposition to the ongoing bombing of Gaza on Thursday, October 26. 75 students representing a slew of organizations marched across campus from a busy intersection across from the administrative building, over to a plaza near the student center, chanting “Free Palestine” and “Hey USF you can’t hide! You are funding genocide!”

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By Gage Lacharite

Florida protest against ban on Students for Justice in Palestine. | Fight Back! News/staff

Tampa, FL – Tampa protesters rallied in a big way on Wednesday, October 25, one day after Ron DeSantis announced his ban on Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters at Florida universities. Over 200 students and community members rallied at the corner of 56th Street and Fowler Avenue, before marching over a mile to the entrance of the University of South Florida. USF is one of the universities in Florida with an SJP chapter.

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By Gage Lacharite

October 8 Tampa demonstration supports struggle in Palestine.  | Fight Back! News/Dave Decker

Tampa, FL – On October 8, 300 pro-Palestine protesters lined the intersection of Fowler Avenue and 56th Street in the Tampa area in solidarity with the ongoing fight in Palestine against the Israeli occupation. The crowd was energetic, denouncing the terroristic Israeli government and the massive monetary support from the United States, chanting “Hey Joe Biden can’t you see? Gaza will be free!”

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By Gage Lacharite

CWA strikers in Tampa, FL

Tampa, FL – Early in the morning June 5, over 40 Maximus employees, Communications Workers of America (CWA) members, and other supporters rallied in front of Maximus, a federally contracted call center, in Riverview, Florida. The rally was part of a nationwide one-day strike put on by the CWA in response to hundreds of layoffs nationwide and to demand a living wage.

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By Gage Lacharite

Teamsters sign Unity Pledge.

Tampa, FL – On Monday, February 20, thousands of Teamsters gathered outside of UPS facilities across the country to sign cards pledging unity ahead of contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS. The Contract Unity Pledge Drive is being rolled out in order to rally UPS employees to demands in the negotiations such as ending the second-tier 22.4 driver classification and higher wages for part-timers.

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By Gage Lacharite

Tampa Freedom Road Socialist Organization Black History Month event.

Tampa, FL – On February 6, Tampa community members packed the North Tampa branch library for a Black History Month panel hosted by the Tampa district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). The panel discussed the demands of African Americans, in Tampa and across the country, in the struggle against racism, imperialism and national oppression, especially talking about the struggles against police brutality and for community control of the police.

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By Gage Lacharite

Tampa, FL – In response to the ongoing Israeli assault on Palestine, a 500-person demonstration mobilized at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa on May 16. The protest was composed overwhelmingly of Palestinian community members young and old, with a contingent of supporters from the area. Protesters took to the streets marching throughout the downtown area and over a bridge leading to other areas of town chanting “Free, free Palestine!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

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By Gage Lacharite

Tampa, FL – El United Parcel Service (UPS) sacó a la luz sus ganancias del cuarto trimestre el mes pasado, sobrepasando las expectativas de Wall Street con casi $5 mil millones en ganancias en el 2018. Con una combinación de abrir nuevas instalaciones de clasificación automatizadas, la compra de nuevos aviones de carga, y la explotación de los empleados por medio de salarios bajos y largas jornadas de trabajo, UPS tuvo una temporada navidena muy lucrativa. La compañía es optimista sobre el tema de sus ganancias en el 2019 y en el futuro. Para los trabajadores, sin embargo, el futuro no se ve tan luminoso.

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By Gage Lacharite

Tampa, FL – On March 7, Dennis Taylor, chief negotiator for Teamster contract negotiations with UPS, announced that local supplements for Detroit Local 243 and Western Pennsylvania would be forced through. This spits in the face of a resounding no vote from UPS Teamsters. Just days earlier, votes came in showing that UPS Teamsters in Detroit and Western Pennsylvania had rejected their local supplements by a staggering 88.3% and 96.4% respectively.

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By Gage Lacharite

Pasco teachers and staff demand decent contract.

Tampa, FL – Over 30 teachers, staff, parents and community members rallied outside the Pasco County School District Office, March 5, to build support for United School Employees of Pasco (USEP) and challenge dismal salaries for school district employees, along with the lack of funding for public education. The rally occurred only minutes before a Pasco County school board meeting inside.

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