_Unions representing over 1 million workers take a stand _
Chicago, IL – In the fall of 2010, 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists across the Midwest were subpoenaed by the FBI to appear before a federal grand jury in Chicago. Ten of us are trade unionists, and most of us had our homes raided by the FBI. Almost all of us had been leaders in the anti-war protest at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in September, 2008 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The raids were investigating an alleged conspiracy to provide “material support” to foreign terrorist organizations in Palestine and Colombia.
Chicago, IL – 125 people gathered on Dec. 3 here for the People’s Thanksgiving. Sarah Smith was one of them. “There are two anniversaries to make note of today,” Smith told the crowd. “One year ago, the FBI contacted me to tell me I was being subpoenaed to a grand jury.” Smith is one of the 24 anti-war and international solidarity activists targeted by the FBI.
One caller after another asked for the Duty Clerk at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago, Dec. 9. The paralegal politely told a woman caller, “We’re getting all of these comments to Patrick Fitzgerald so that he knows where the people stand on this issue.”
Chicago, IL – For over a year, the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) has been the scene of intense struggle between the 2700 workers represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 and their employer. In the latest development, UIC’s Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares announced Oct. 10 that the director of Human Resources, John Loya, would step aside. He is being replaced by an assistant vice president from central administration in Urbana, Illinois.
Chicago, IL – 2700 workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago were poised to strike Aug. 23. Last minute meetings between the officers of the union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 and the university president resulted in an agreement to call off the strike.
Chicago, IL – En Chicago, julio 19 la voz de Emma Lozano se quebrantaba cuando hablaba a miles de marchantes para los derechos de los inmigrantes en Grant Park. “Estoy aquí para tocar la campana para un moratorio inmediato a las deportaciones y a las autorizaciones de las redadas en empleadores.” El fundador de Pueblo Sin Fronteras terminaba de ayudar a conducir en una marcha de tres millas y media a más de 20,000 personas en una temperatura de 90 grados de calor. El evento era una continuación de movilizaciones para los derechos de los inmigrantes que comenzó esta primavera por el movimiento de Chicago en marzo 10.
Chicago, IL – As part of strike preparations at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), a leadership group from all three committees met at the famed DuSable Museum of African American history on July 23. Nine out of ten SEIU members at UIC are Black or Latino, and Local 73 had waged a decade long struggle in the 1990s to win pay equity with the employees at the University’s campus in Urbana, where the workforce is mostly white. UIC was compelled to raise workers’ salaries because of the fight that Local 73 waged, and because of a broad coalition that was built with Black and Latino forces on campus and in the community.
Chicago, IL – Between July 30 and August 2, 800 service and maintenance workers and 400 technical workers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) will take strike votes. Bargaining for the two contracts has gone on since February and ground to a stop in the past several weeks.
Chicago, IL – Voting was completed for the 1500 clerical workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, April 16. The committee of co-workers elected last summer to negotiate a new contract had called for the vote. On the ballot was one thing: Should the committee be authorized to call a strike if a new contract could not be gained at the bargaining table?
