Cinco de Mayo battle repeated in East LA

Los Angeles, CA – The Community Service Organization (CSO) and supporters held a protest Friday night, May 2, at a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) license/sobriety checkpoint located at a major intersection in the immigrant Mexican-American community of El Sereno.

Joined by letter carriers, mail handlers, and UPS Teamsters

Jacksonville, FL – Dozens of union workers rallied outside of the Staples store on Beach Boulevard here to oppose the proposed privatization of key United States Postal Service (USPS) jobs.

Vow to 'Fight for our future' and rebuild a fighting labor movement

Jacksonville, FL – Around 40 workers from Jacksonville attended a backyard May Day cookout to celebrate International Workers Day. The event, hosted by the newly-formed Young Workers of Jacksonville (YWJ), drew workers from across many industries and unions. A giant black-and-white banner welcomed them, “The future is ours, Young Workers fight back.”

Washington, DC – On May 1, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Dean Heller (R-NV), the authors of the Senate bill to extend unemployment benefits to the to the long-term jobless, told the House leadership to allow a vote on proposed extension.

Tampa, FL – On May 3, protesters demanded “not one more” deportation for the millions of undocumented in the U.S. This was Tampa's second May Day protest against ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and Obama's record 2 million deportations. Joining together at Centennial Park in Ybor City, they rallied under a banner that read, “Shut down ICE.” Ybor City is known as a home for immigrants and has been a destination for the migration of different peoples for over 100 years.

Milwaukee, WI – In the drizzling rain and chilly temperatures, several thousand immigrants, workers and family members marched from Milwaukee’s South Side to the County Courthouse downtown, demanding an end to ICE raids in the courts and legalization for all.

Los Angeles, CA – On the afternoon of May 1, a powerful May Day march, organized by the Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC), took place in the heart of downtown as many garment workers were leaving work. The highly spirited 1000-plus crowd was made up mainly of working class Latinos, union members from Roofers Union Local 36 and United Teachers L.A., street vendors, daily laborers, families and high school students. Also joining the march and helping to carry the lead banner were the women and men of the homeless shelter Projecto Pastoral in Boyle Heights.

Saint Paul, MN – On May 1, International Workers Day, around 2000 people marched two and a half miles from the Governor’s Mansion to the State Capitol. The march raised four demands: drivers licenses for all, workers rights, just immigration reform, and no more deportations.

Miami, FL- About 50 people waving flags and banners gathered at the Torch of Friendship, May 1, to celebrate International Workers Day. Members of various South Florida progressive, socialist and anarchist organizations joined together for this event, which included speeches and a brief march down busy Biscayne Boulevard.

Tampa, FL – Activists gathered front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, May 1, to demand not one more deportation.

St Paul, MN – On April 30, members of the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) gathered outside the House Chambers of the Minnesota state capitol to protest Governor Mark Dayton’s State of the State address. “It’s been 28 years without a grant increase and Governor Dayton refuses to help children and their families,” said the WRC’s Darnella Wade.

Tallahassee, FL – Students prevented the proposed split of the Florida A&M University-Florida State University (FAMU-FSU) College of Engineering this 2014 legislative session. Student activists organized and protested at the Florida legislature to force Republican politicians to back off. FAMU is an historically Black university and African-American students view the proposed split as a racist attempt to create separate and unequal colleges.

Jacksonville, FL – 150 people attended the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's (SCLC) annual “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner” on April 26. Hosted at the Sheraton in Deerwood, the dinner drew clergy, politicians and activists from across the Jacksonville community.

Fight for full-time jobs, $15 minimum wage and child care for working mothers

Jacksonville, FL – After joining a successful statewide event for young workers at the Florida capitol, the Young Workers of Jacksonville (YWJ) are preparing for International Workers Day on May 1. The newly formed group will host a labor-themed cookout for young workers in the city to talk about the major issues affecting them as a class.

Washington, D.C. – House Republican leadership is still blocking legislation to restore Extended Unemployment Compensation (EUC).

Interview with Kait McIntyre

Fight Back!: You’re running for the Board of Directors of the Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) on an anti-war platform. Your main goal is to stop them from building a new combat drone for the Pentagon. What’s that about?

Atlanta, GA – On April 23, the leadership of the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters (IBT) announced that the concessionary national UPS contract will go into effect this Friday, April 25. The contract – the single largest collective bargaining agreement in the country – was overwhelmingly opposed by Teamster members in Philadelphia, Western Pennsylvania and Louisville, Kentucky, who voted down their local supplements and riders twice. According to the terms of the national UPS master agreement, the contract cannot go into effect until all supplements have been ratified by the members.

Los Angeles, CA – An important mobilization for immigrant rights is happening here, as activists build for a rally and march on May 1. Organized by the South California Immigration Coalition, the protest will demand “Stop the Deportations Now” and “Legalization for All.” The demonstration will start at Olympic and Broadway, at 4 p.m.

Washington, DC – Legislation to restore unemployment benefits to the long-term unemployed is being blocked by House Republicans. The Senate passed a bill to reinstate jobless benefits April 7, but passage in the House is required to bring back extended unemployment insurance.

Minneapolis, MN – About 300 University of Minnesota students and others came together in front of Northrop Auditorium, April 17, to protest a speaking appearance by Condoleezza Rice. The demonstration was organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Rice, who was Secretary of State under President George Bush, was one of the main architects of the war on Iraq.