Tampa, FL – Part-time Teamsters working for United Parcel Service (UPS) are angry because the starting pay has not changed in over 15 years. It is back breaking work, yet the starting wage rate is only $8.50 per hour. Part-time Teamsters are demanding their union fight for a substantial wage increase in its current contract negotiations with UPS. T-shirts reading, “End part time poverty” are springing up in UPS hubs around the country.

St. Paul, MN – With the wind chill at 15 degrees below zero, about 30 peace and justice activists gathered here, Jan. 23. Their slogan, “No U.S. Drones in Mali, No U.S. intervention in Mali” was the week’s theme of the Peace Vigil that happens every Wednesday on the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge across the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

MN welfare grants will be essentially unchanged after 27 years without an increase

St. Paul, MN – The Twin Cites-based Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) issued a statement today, Jan. 22, responding to Governor Dayton’s 2014-2015 budget proposal. It read, “A shameful part of the budget proposal is how it fails the poorest families in Minnesota, by not calling for a substantial increase in Minnesota’s welfare cash grants.”

The United National Antiwar Coalition recently issued an important statement on the rapidly increasing U.S. military intervention in Africa.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 100 people braved below-zero weather to join a Martin Luther King Day march here, Jan 21, for “Jobs, Justice, and Housing.” The event was organized by Occupy the Hood and Minnesota Neighborhoods Organizing for Change.

Chicago, IL – More than a dozen activists protested outside the Hyatt Regency hotel here, Jan. 20, while inside former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald received an honorary degree from the John Marshall Law School.

The Lebanese media outlet Al Manar reports that hundreds of protesters gathered by the French embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 18, to demand that French authorities release the long-held political prisoner George Ibrahim Abdullah. Protesters threw eggs and tomatoes at the embassy building.

Chicago, IL – More than 60 people gathered at the Greek Consulate here, Jan. 19, in protest of the Greek anti-immigrant group, Golden Dawn. Golden Dawn has carried out violent attacks on immigrants and spouts fascist rhetoric. There were protests in Athens and in other cities around the world as part of a day of solidarity with recent victims of racist attacks in Greece. In Chicago, protesters included immigrant rights activists, Greek Americans and gay activists.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemned the US military for its incursion into the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the Sulu Sea causing damage to the corals after the marooning of its naval warship within the wildlife protected area.

Tallahassee, FL – On Thursday, February 17, the Florida Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that a bill cutting public workers' wages by 3% was constitutional. The so-called pension reform bill requires Florida's public workers to pay 3% of their wage into the Florida Retirement System (FRS). The bill was passed by the Republican-dominated Florida state legislature and signed into law by Governor Rick Scott in 2011 as a part of their larger assault on the rights of public workers and the right to collectively bargain.

Chicago, IL – Anti-war and international solidarity activists, who have been the target of a massive and continuing two year Department of Justice investigation into their First Amendment protected activities, are calling on John Marshall Law School not to honor former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald will be the commencement speaker at the law school's graduation Sunday, Jan. 20, and will receive an honorary degree.

Minneapolis, MN – As the struggle over immigration reform looms in Washington D.C., immigrant rights activists in Minnesota are pressing their senators and representatives to support genuine, progressive immigration reform. Activists are telling lawmakers to not compromise with anti-immigrant politicians, who will try to include repressive measures in immigration reform legislation. On Jan. 16, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) organized a call-in day targeting Senator Al Franken and Representative Keith Ellison. In addition to calling, people also sent messages to the politicians on their websites and tweeted a common message to them.

Washington, DC – State Department head Hillary Clinton announced Jan. 17 that the U.S. was extending formal recognition to the government of Somalia. The announcement took place during a visit of the Western-backed Somali president, Hassan Sheikh, to Washington D.C.

St. Paul, MN – Members of the Welfare Rights Committee were at the governor’s mansion, Jan. 15, to deliver hundreds of postcards urging Governor Dayton to raise Minnesota’s welfare grants. Dayton is staying at the mansion while he recovers from back surgery.

Chicago, IL – Joe Iosbaker, the anti-war organizer who helped lead the massive protest at the NATO summit last year, condemns the French/U.S war on the people of Mali. Numerous press sources indicate the use of U.S. drones in Mali.

Minneapolis, MN – On Jan. 12, immigrant rights activists protested outside the Hennepin County jail, demanding that Sheriff Stanek stop using the jail as a deportation machine. More people are deported from the Hennepin County jail than from any other jail in the state.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech given by Cherrene Horazuk, president of AFSCME Local 3800, in support of raising Minnesota’s welfare grants. Horazuk delivered this speech at the Jan. 8 protest organized by the Welfare Rights Committee. Tax the rich! Defend public services and the people who provide them

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech given by Cherrene Horazuk, president of AFSCME Local 3800, in support of raising Minnesota’s welfare grants. Horazuk delivered this speech at the Jan. 8 protest organized by the Welfare Rights Committee. Tax the rich! Defend public services and the people who provide them

Protest to ‘raise welfare grants’ and Idle No More at State Capitol

St. Paul, MN – Hundreds of people filled the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda here, Jan. 8, the opening day of the state legislature, joining protests to demand justice. The Welfare Rights Committee put forward the demands: “Tax the rich; no more cuts; raise the welfare grants.” Idle No More, which brought together Native Americans and others, drummed and danced in the rotunda under the slogan: “Honor the women, water and land.” Then the North Star Energy Coalition rallied to say no to the planned tar sands oil pipeline.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) stated Jan. 8 that the retrieval of a crashed U.S. military drone off the coast of Masbate island “brings to the fore the persistent and gross violations of Philippine airspace by the U.S. military. The Aquino regime no less, has flouted the country's sovereignty in allowing the U.S. to fly its jetfighters and surveillance drones at will within Philippine territory.”