Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Labor

By Thomas Chaney

Inside a UPS facility.

Commerce City, CO – On November 14, Teamsters Local 455 released an email stating that “approximately half” of the Commerce City UPS facility will be closing and undergoing renovations starting on January 15, 2025.

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By staff

Teamsters in Atlanta put up picket line outside the ATL2 facility in Stone Mountain, Georgia.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Atlanta, GA – Today, December 19, Amazon workers in Atlanta joined the largest strike against the company in U.S. history. Called by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the strike calls for Amazon to recognize the workers’ union and agree to higher wages, safer conditions, respect and dignity on the job as part of a union contract.

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By staff

Flight attendants rally in Denver, CO

Denver, CO – On December 11, members of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) at Frontier Airlines held a rally outside of the Frontier headquarters in Denver. Flight attendants have been in mediation with the companies that refused to meet members' demands. American and Southwest Airlines flight attendants got their contracts, while Alaskan Airlines attendants voted down their proposed contract. Frontier and United have been in mediation with the AFA for more than six months.

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By Zane Smith

Striking Seattle Art Museum workers rally with supporters.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Seattle, WA – Seattle Art Museum security guards, also known as Visitor Service Officers (VSOs) went on strike on November 29, and, along with community supporters, held a large picket and rally on Thursday, December 5. Seattle Art Museum (SAM) workers have been fighting for a contract for more than two years, through the independent SAM VSO union. The museum has refused to meet workers’ needs on retirement, wages and healthcare, and has not even accepted closed shop language, which would protect the union.

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – On November 22, over 100 union educators attended an informational event about Palestine, “Being an Educator in a Time of War and Genocide.” They braved a cold Friday night to attend, as well as attacks from backward groups outside their union, including smears from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

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By Kobi Guillory

Crowd marches in street behing banners that read “Fund Our Schools” and “Chicago Teachers Union - rooted in a tration of protecting out members and educating Chicago’s Children” and “Support our schools - don’t close them”.

Chicago, IL – On the snowy Thursday evening of November 21, the chambers of the Chicago Temple were heated up by the fighting spirits of over 1500 school staff, students and community members. The rally was organized by the Chicago Teachers Union to demand the settlement of its contract with Chicago Public Schools, which is made more urgent by Trump's intentions to dismantle the federal Department of Education.

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By Simon Rowe

Tampa, FL – On October 2, 355 University of South Florida (USF) employees discovered they would no longer be working for the state of Florida. Instead, beginning on December 1, custodial, groundskeeping and maintenance workers have a choice to work for a private dining and facilities contractor, Compass Group, or else find another job.

In 2023, Senate Bill 256 passed in the state of Florida. SB 256 is among the most anti-union labor laws in the country and effectively decertifies any unionized bargaining unit in the public sector that does not meet a bar of at least 60% dues-paying membership. The bill also makes it harder for workers to pay their dues by banning voluntary automatic payroll reduction.

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By staff

Hundreds of picketers march with signs saying things like “Protect our patients” and “The community we serve deserves safe patient limits”.

Chicago, IL - On November 13, 1800 members of the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) went on strike against University of Illinois Health for continuing to refuse to negotiate a decent contract. Since June, the union has had 47 bargaining sessionswith UI Health, to no avail. In August, a week-long strike was held, but this did not stop management’s greed. The union wasleft with no choice but to go on an open-ended strike.

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – On November 4, around 730 longshoremen in British Columbia, Canada walked off the job and began a strike. The striking longshoremen are represented by the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union (ILWU), Local 514 which is the foremen’s local.

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By staff

Dancers from the Dallas Black Dance Theater on the picket line

Dallas, TX – Dancers from the Dallas Black Dance Theater (DBDT) held their latest picket, November 9, outside the Wylie Theater against their firing in August.

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