News and Views from the People's Struggle
San José, CA – On MLK Day, upwards of 600 San José residents came out to protest Trump's inauguration and fight back against his anti-immigrant agenda.
The protest mobilized a broad array of progressive organizations in the South Bay, all united against Trump. The Silicon Valley Immigration Committee and Papeles Para Todos coordinated the rally and march.
Just days into 2025, the Los Angeles area has been engulfed by record-breaking wildfires. Amidst widespread drought and hurricane-force winds, some areas which have never once needed to evacuate due to fires have been completely destroyed, with over a 100,000 people ordered to evacuate the area so far.
2024 was, yet again, the hottest year in history. Global average temperatures crossed an important threshold in 2024: 1.5° C (2.7° F) warmer than pre-industrial levels. This was the maximum temperature set as goal by the Paris Climate Accords, the threshold after which dangerous effects of climate change are expected to become commonplace.
Los Angeles, CA – As the holiday peak season wraps up, after workers around the country toiled away for a surge in parcel deliveries, the United Parcel Service (UPS) plans again to shutter large facilities due to automation.
On January 15, the UPS facility in Vernon, California, also known as the Grande Vista hub, will be shutting its doors for a year-long closure. The purpose of the closure is for building renovations and the automation of various classifications, part of UPS’s larger “Network of the Future” project, which aims to automate union jobs to reduce labor costs.
Anaheim, CA – El 22 de diciembre, alrededor de las 4 de la mañana, cerca de 40 trabajadores de Amazon, algunos de los cuales también son miembros de la Hermandad Internacional de Camioneros (Teamsters) del Local 396, formaron una línea de piquetes frente a un almacén de Amazon en Anaheim. Llevaban carteles de protesta que decían “Huelga por prácticas laborales injustas de Amazon” y marcharon frente a la entrada del almacén. Los gerentes vigilaron de cerca la línea de piquetes, desalentando a los conductores que salían de hablar con los piqueteros
Esta línea de piquetes es parte de la huelga más grande contra Amazon en la historia de los Estados Unidos y está ocurriendo en un momento crucial del período de mayor actividad comercial del año.
Rubie Mosqueda, conductora de reparto de Amazon de la Ciudad de Industry, explicó: “ Hay una huelga nacional en marcha porque varios almacenes han alcanzado la mayoría para sindicarse y Amazon sigue negándose a sentarse a la mesa. Queremos discutir mejores salarios, seguridad laboral y la negociación del contrato. ¡Estamos en huelga para mostrarle a Amazon que estamos unidos como sindicato!”.
El sindicato Amazon Labor Union, afiliado a los Teamsters, quiere expandirse y llevarlo a nuevos almacenes como el de Amazon en Anaheim. Mientras los piqueteros hablaban con los conductores sobre las condiciones de trabajo y la lucha por un contrato, Mosqueda dijo: “Hemos extendido la línea de piquetes para venir a apoyar a otros locales. Queremos ver cómo se sienten los conductores acerca de traer el sindicato aquí. Primero plantamos las semillas, luego hacemos el piquete, conseguimos contactos, ¡y después nos comunicamos y organizamos!”
Los cánticos llenaron la calle mientras los piqueteros gritaban: “¿Qué queremos? ¡Un contrato! ¿Cuándo lo queremos? ¡Ahora!”. Los vehículos que pasaban tocaban el claxon en apoyo de la huelga.
La gerencia de Amazon llamó al Departamento de Policía de Anaheim, y dos patrullas se detuvieron, amenazando con multar a la gente por caminar mientras el semáforo estaba en rojo. Los piqueteros respondieron a la gerencia con el canto: “¡Romper sindicatos es repugnante!”
Los piqueteros planearon regresar a la Ciudad de Industry el 23 de diciembre y mantener la huelga con fuerza.
#AnaheimCA #CA #Labor #Teamsters #ALU #Amazon #Strike #Huelga
Anaheim, CA – On Friday, December 27, Anaheim Police Department (APD) killed a 30-year-old man near the intersection of S East Street and E South Street. Four officers from APD were responding to a possible robbery and a replica firearm was recovered at the scene, however it is unclear based on current reports what the victim’s involvement in the robbery was and whether he was holding the replica firearm at the time of the shooting. The name of the victim, the names of the officers, and more details about the shooting have not been released to the public. Several agencies, including the California Department of Justice and APD Major Incident Review Team, are investigating the shooting, but the timeline for the investigation remains unclear.
Anaheim, CA – On December 22, at around 4 a.m., nearly 40 Amazon workers, some of whom are also members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from Local 396, picketed in front of an Amazon warehouse in Anaheim. They carried signs stating, “Amazon unfair labor practices strike” and marched in front of the warehouse entrance. Managers watched the picket line closely, discouraging outgoing drivers from speaking to picketers.
San Jose, CA – On December 24, Starbucks workers took to the picket line at Capitol Square Mall, one of the busiest locations in San Jose. They joined more than 5000-plus workers across the country as part of a five-day Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) strike.
The strike comes after more than nine months of bargaining between Starbucks Workers United, the union representing the interests and will of the baristas and shift leads at unionized locations, and Starbucks Corporation.
San José, CA – With just one day to go before the federal government runs out of funding, President-elect Donald Trump, with the help of billionaire Elon Musk, derailed a bipartisan agreement to keep the government running through March. This plan would have also added billions of dollars in disaster relief aid to help pay for the damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton earlier this year.
San José, CA – Alrededor de 20 miembros de la comunidad se reunieron en el Centro de Paz y Justicia de San José, el 10 de diciembre, Día Internacional de los Derechos Humanos, para honrar a Leonard Peltier, líder del Movimiento Indio Americano y prisionero político por casi 50 años.
San Jose, CA – On Wednesday, November 20, around 40 students gathered at San Jose State University to protest the incoming second Trump presidency and the university’s ties to Lockheed Martin.