Crockett, CA – On Monday, July 13, members and allies of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 6 turned out in force for a picket at the C&H Sugar Factory in Crockett. This is the fifth week of an all-hands strike in protest of bad-faith bargaining offered by C&H.

Chants of “Union power!” and “Contract now!” rang out across the factory gates as workers marched en masse to the entrance, undeterred by vans full of scabs and private security. In addition, picketers demanded justice for the “Negros Nineteen,” who were massacred on April 19 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Among those killed were labor organizers Lyle Prijoles and Kai Sorem, from the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington state, respectively.

ILWU Local 6 is fighting aggressive cuts to sick leave, retiree healthcare and seniority benefits proposed by C&H, as well as refusing to unload a cargo ship of “blood sugar” brought from the Philippines. Throughout its history since its foundation in 1934, Local 6 has engaged in multiple rounds of militant struggle including five strikes, and 2026 is no exception.

Coordinated actions by workers and allies have repeatedly prevented the delivery of sugar at two separate ports in Richmond and Crockett. Picketers have operated on land and sea to actively deny factory access to scab workers and prevent the ship from docking, including a “floating picket” conducted when bosses tried to sneak the ship to another port using tugboats in the dead of night. In more than a month, just 25% of the sugar has been unloaded at a non-union port in Richmond, where it sits in open storage exposed to motor oil, animal feces and other contaminants.

“The labor movement is the last best chance for most Americans,” said Harvey Schwartz, labor historian and 57-year veteran reporter for the ILWU Dispatcher. “I'm optimistic about union leadership, and we have a lot of very strong young workers.” Chanting intensified as black vans drove past the picket line, bringing scabs hired by C&H bosses to desperately maintain production. Meanwhile, workers organized a screen with their backs and signs to prevent scab security from filming the faces of picketers.

Addressing the crowd, ILWU International Vice President Brandon Wolff said, “This is what it means to be part of a real union, a real family, and a real community. What's important to me is these 75 and 80-year-old people at home right now, wondering if they're gonna be able to get their diabetic medicine, wondering if they're gonna be able to get their flu shots, because this fucking company canceled their health benefits!”

“Brothers and sisters of Local 6, we got you!” Wolff continued. “From the top to the bottom to everywhere in between, from Alaska, to San Diego, to Hawaii and Australia, we've got a lot of international support coming in, we got you! So Local 6 and their counsel, go give 'em hell!” The crowd roared out in response and formed ranks to march on the bosses.

Over 200 people representing a multitude of different working-class organizations stood together in solidarity, including allied labor unions, political parties, and other groups. They included other ILWU Locals 142 (Hawaii) and 29 (San Diego), United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), Gabriela, Bayan, Kapit-Bisig Unyonista LA, Bay Area Tenant and Neighborhood Councils (TANC), Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), International League of People's Struggles (ILPS), East Bay Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and many more.

ILWU Local 6's strike continues into its fifth week, with workers committed to doing whatever it takes to secure a decent contract.

#CrockettCA #CA #Labor #ILWU #Strike #ThePhillippines #ILPS #Bayan #Gabriela #Featured

Chicago, IL – On July 11 and 12, the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN) held its second national conference in Chicago. Reflecting AWAN’s growth of 11 more committees since its founding conference in 2025, over 250 participants gathered from more than 24 local anti-war groups from across the U.S.

As a grassroots, nationwide network, AWAN unites anti-war, pro-Palestine and student groups from across the country. The network’s growth follows a year of victorious campaigns led by AWAN affiliates and coordinated days of action responding to Trump’s aggression against Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.

Among these victories, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) led a successful campaign to kick Chevron out of the city’s French Quarter Fest, and Palantir’s corporate headquarters was forced out of Colorado after a sustained campaign by Denver Anti-War Action.

The two-day conference reflected the geographic scale of AWAN’s growth, with speakers and panelists from cities including Denver, Colorado; New Orleans, Louisiana; Dallas, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; San Jose, California, and Cleveland, Ohio.

Attendees benefited from the collective experience of AWAN through nine volunteer-run workshops on topics like “Lessons in Campaign Building,” “How to be in Coalitions and Build your Work,” “Design Matters: Using graphic design and zines to build the anti-war movement,” and “Media Relations 101: Strategies, tools, and tips for organizing.”

The conference’s opening panelists included Hatem Abudayyeh, the national chair of U.S. Palestine Community Network (USPCN); Steve Ellner, an advisory board member of the Science & Society journal and associate managing editor of Latin American Perspectives; Chrisley Carpio of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression; Sara Flounders, the coordinator of the International Action Center, and Meredith Aby, a key AWAN leader, director of Women Against Military Madness, and co-founder of the MN Anti-War Committee.

Speaking of the BDS movement against Israel, Abudayyeh said, “Divestment victories are happening everywhere, including the recent one in Michigan, and the one led by USPCN and AWC right here in Illinois, when the Illinois State Board of Investments divested more than $33 million from corporations profiting off war, genocide and ICE raids.”

In her opening remarks, Aby said “The Anti-War Action Network’s guiding objective as an organization is building a broad movement opposed to the greatest cause of injustice in the world today, which is the United States and its destructive wars, sanctions and interventions.”

Aby reported that AWAN remains on a trajectory of growth, boasting 28 member organizations and many other groups planning to affiliate after the conference.

The conference received greetings from BAYAN USA, a progressive, anti-imperialist alliance of grassroots Filipino organizations across the United States, and Nodutdol, an organization of Koreans organizing for social justice, Korea's reunification and an end to U.S. imperialism.

On the second day of the conference, AWAN elected an expanded steering committee to reflect its nationwide reach and passed 12 resolutions, both of which are available on its website.

If your organization would like to learn more about AWAN or join and participate in national calls to action, go to antiwaractionnetwork.org.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #AWAN #Iran #Palestine #Featured

Indianapolis, IN – Drivers for uniform and workplace-supply company Vestis walked off the job at 2 a.m. Monday, July 13, launching an unfair labor practice strike organized by Teamsters Local 135.

The union says the strike is about accountability. Local 135 alleges Vestis threatened workers for engaging in protected concerted activity, a right guaranteed under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

Vestis, based in Roswell, Georgia, provides uniform rental, workwear, floor mats, linens and related workplace supplies to businesses across North America. The company was spun off from Aramark in 2023, separating Aramark's uniform services division into its own publicly-traded company. Vestis drivers deliver and service uniforms and supplies for businesses like UPS.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Local 135 said the union remains “ready, willing, and available” to meet with the company to bargain in good faith and called for Vestis to respect workers' rights and negotiate fairly to end the dispute.

The union is asking Teamsters members, families and labor supporters in the Indianapolis area to join the picket line, which will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 2050 Oliver Avenue.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #Strike #Vestis #IBT135 #NLRA #Featured

Santa Ana, CA – On July 8, over 50 Chicanos rallied outside a federal courthouse in support of Nadia Topete, a Chicana immigrant rights activist with Centro CSO who was inside with a grand jury. Just days before, on July 1, federal agents showed up to Nadia's home with another grand jury subpoena, threatening that, if she did not appear, she could be held in contempt.

Nadia Topete walked out the federal courthouse with her head up high and stated she had exercised her Fifth Amendment right. She was greeted by chants of “Hands off Nadia Topete,” “Chinga la migra” and “DOJ hands off Nadia!” that were loud enough to be heard inside the federal building.

“Protesting ICE is not a crime!” said Verita Topete, Nadia’s sister and fellow Chicana organizer. “Our communities are stronger than Trump and the DOJ’s ruling class interests. The targeting of Nadia is a pattern of political repression from the federal government.”

Jasia Topete, older sister of both Nadia and Verita, stated, “Today was a very moving gesture of unity and support for my baby sister, Nadia. Seeing the tremendous support she has gained on a national level through the calls to action online by different organizations was very heartening to see. Witnessing how many people took the time to come out and show her love was very heart warming and reassuring to our family. We know she did nothing wrong. Amplifying the voices of our people is not a crime. She will continue to hold her head high like the confident resilient that she is. Nadia, we love you, Thank you so much to everyone that is rooting for Nadia!”

Mick Kelly of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression told the crowd, “I would like to salute Nadia, a woman of uncommon courage who is standing up for all of us. This will certainly not end here. We will stand with Nadia every inch of the way.”

Emiliano Martin Del Campo, member of Centro CSO, stated, “I see this attack from the DOJ and the Trump administration as not only a direct attack on our sister Nadia but a direct blow to all of us fighting against this administration. An attack on one is an attack on all!”

Speakers from Centro CSO, CSO OC, CLUE, ILPS, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Legalization for All spoke in defense of Topete, condemning the political repression of Immigrant Rights activists.

It is unclear what is next, but if the DOJ witch hunt continues, Centro CSO and their allies will be ready to defend their own, Nadia Topete, a daughter of Aztlan.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #GrandJury #PoliticalRepression #ImmigrantRights #CentroCSO #NadiaTopete #CSFR #Featured

Dallas, TX – On July 8, in response to the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by ICE agents in Houston the day before, NAARPR-Dallas organized an emergency rally at the Dallas City Hall to demand justice and that his killers be held accountable,

Over 50 people crowded in front of Dallas City Hall to make their demands heard. They chanted “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!

Between chants members of DAWC, FRSO-Dallas, and PYM Dallas gave speeches.

Blake Van Wicklen of FRSO-Dallas told the crowd, “We will not allow fear to silence us. We will continue organizing in our workplaces, in our unions, in our neighborhoods and in the streets until every worker, regardless of immigration status, can live with dignity and without fear.”

Jo Hargis of DAWC stated, “It is clear to anyone who is looking that the violence we export to Palestine, to Iran, and around the world is inextricably linked with violence visited upon people here at home. We must hold accountable the forces who profit off of these murders, whether the murdered be a father on his way to work in Texas, or a school full of little girls in Minab, or the steadfast people of Palestine.”

Xavier Velasquez, the chair of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression – Dallas stated, “This is what we are up against: ICE had been targeting people thru large raids which resulted in the deaths of Renee Good, Alex Pretti and Keith Porter Jr.. What we've witnessed thru the course of the year is a de-emphasis on large raids and they've been doing smaller scale kidnappings and quieter raids. These new ICE tactics are no less deadly, as we saw yesterday. The spin they are giving this recent killing is the end goal of this racist system. They are now trying to say that this killing is OK because Lorenzo was a so called ‘illegal alien.’ Shame!”

An altar was set up in remembrance of Lorenzo Araujo where people paid their respects. NAARPR members encouraged people to attend a vigil on July 10 in Dallas for Lorenzo Araujo at Huitzitzilin cafe and promoted their “ICE out of the World Cup” protest that is set for July 14.

#DallasTX #TX #InJusticeSystem #ImmigrantRights #KillerCops #KillerICE #Featured

Santa Ana, CA – On the morning of July 8, immigrant rights activist Nadia Topete went before a grand jury at the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse. Topete was inside for a short time before reappearing out of the courthouse to state that she exercised her Fifth Amendment right to stay silent.

The crowd of over 50 supporters from Los Angeles and Orange County cheered her on, chanting, “DOJ: Hands off Nadia!” and “What do we want? Hands off Nadia! When do we want it? Now!”

Nadia Topete is a 21-year-old who twice had FBI agents show up at her door. Topete is a proud Chicana and immigrant rights activist. She has done nothing wrong and continues mobilizing to beat the attacks the Trump administration is enacting on immigrants.

Among those gathered outside were members of Centro CSO in Los Angeles and CSO Orange County. Others present were also with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Gabriela – LA, ILPS, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), and others.

“We applaud the tremendous strength of my sister Nadia Topete and will be ready to fight back for her if she is summoned once again,” said Verita Topete, a member of Centro CSO and chair of the CSO immigration committee.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #LosAngelesCA #ImmigrantRights #NadiaTopete #PoliticalRepression #GrandJury #CentroCSO #Featured

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, alderwoman, 33rd Ward, Chicago City Council.

Last year, Donald Trump sent his ICE troops into immigrant and Latino communities across the country. I was physically assaulted by ICE in June when I advocated for my neighbors at an immigration facility.

Protesting ICE is not a crime. That’s my response to news that Nadia Topete of Centro CSO in Los Angeles has been subpoenaed to a federal grand jury for a second time.

Nadia did nothing wrong. All she did was exercise her right to speak out against the violence being perpetrated against her Chicano and Latino immigrant community.

I am from Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rican movement has been subjected again and again to grand juries. We know that grand juries are a prosecutorial tool to produce indictments instead of justice.

I understand this also could be an attempt to re-examine the case of Alejandro Orellana, another immigrant’s rights activist in LA who participated in the anti-ICE protests last year. Alejandro was charged with conspiracy to commit civil unrest. The false charges were later dropped.

When I confronted ICE last year, I said, “We would do whatever we can to help anyone in need.” I took that stand a year ago; I take that stand today.

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #NadiaTopete #PoliticalRepression #CentroCSO #Featured

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Byron Sigcho-Lopez, the Chicago City Council member representing the 25th Ward.

The Trump administration is again intensifying the repression against immigrant, Latino and Chicano communities across the country. I add my voice to those speaking up to defend Nadia Topete in Los Angeles.

Nadia is an immigrant rights activist with the organization Centro Community Service Organization (CSO). Like many thousands of young people, she rose up to defend her community when ICE terrorized the LA barrios in 2025.

She is being subpoenaed for a second time to appear in front of a federal grand jury. Our movement is well aware that grand juries are unconstitutional tools of political repression.

Nadia acted heroically when she went out to protest ICE last year, and she is again showing real courage. We know Nadia has not committed any crime: it’s the Trump administration and ICE that are guilty of violating the rights of our communities, brutalizing us, breaking up families, and murdering members of the immigrant community, such as Silverio Villegas Gonzalez in a Chicago suburb.

This is a very serious attack on our movement. Nadia Topete is a courageous immigrant rights activist who deserves our support.

Hands off Nadia Topete!

#ChicagoIL #IL #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #NadiaTopete #ImmigrantRights #CentroCSO #Featured

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

On July 1, law enforcement came to the home of Chicana immigrants’ rights activist and Centro CSO member, Nadia Topete, to deliver a second subpoena ordering her to speak in front of a grand jury on July 8. Topete had been first subpoenaed to testify in June. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression condemns this second subpoena of Topete and will fight against any attempt to jail her.

We now know that this grand jury is related to the anti-ICE activism in Los Angeles that took place last summer. We also have every reason to believe that this is an attempt to re-examine the case of Alejandro Orellana, another immigrant’s rights activist who participated in the anti-ICE protests last year. Orellana was charged with conspiracy to commit civil unrest. The bogus charges were later dropped.

Nothing good comes of speaking in front of a grand jury. Grand juries, nine times out of ten, result in indictments, and they are frequently used against activists. Not testifying against one’s fellow activists can mean jail time. Those who refuse to testify in front of grand juries are heroes. We should learn from their example and exercise that kind of courage in order to protect our movements from harm.

Neither Topete nor Orellana did anything wrong by protesting against the ICE occupation of Los Angeles. Nor did Topete do anything wrong by not speaking about her activism in front of the grand jury. We ask all fair-minded people to stand with Nadia Topete. She has only ever done the right thing, which is to stand by the Chicano people and the people of Aztlán. We call upon our supporters to dial into the office of Assistant US Attorney Michael Wheat and demand, Hands Off Nadia Topete!

When: July 6, Monday, from 9am to 5pm PDT

Who: call both

1. Bilal Essayli, US Attorney Central District Office Line @ (714) 338-3500, press 0

2. Assistant US Attorney Michael Wheat @ (619) 557-5610

Script:

“I am [NAME] calling from [STATE] and I am outraged that Nadia Topete could be jailed for refusing to testify in front of a grand jury. I demand the grand jury investigation of immigrant rights activists be shut down. She did nothing wrong. Hands Off Nadia Topete!”

#InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #NadiaTopete #CSFR #CentroCSO #ImmigrantRights #Featured

Minneapolis, MN – On July 1, over 200 people rallied in support of the MN 15, a group of Minneapolis community members that were indicted on bogus conspiracy charges relating to ICE resistance in the Twin Cities. 14 of the 15 were due in court to enter not guilty pleas to federal charges.

Rally speakers noted that most of the people indicted were union members, and many union officials spoke of the need to stand up to defend our union siblings, reminding attendees of the longstanding union motto, “An injury to one is an injury to all!”

Speakers included representatives from GLU-UE 1105, Macalester AAUP, MN Nurses Association (MNA), SEIU Local 26, IBEW Local 292 and the MN AFL-CIO, as well as one MFE 59 member facing indictment in this case, and a Black Lives Matter-MN organizer, who was indicted for a January protest calling out David Easterwood, a Cities Church pastor and director of the local ICE field office.

The crowd chanted “We got your back!” while those indicted and family members went to their court appearance. Monique Cullars-Doty, BLM-MN founder and indicted Cities Church protester, told the crowd, “I encourage everyone to stand up for [the Minnesota 15]. Reach out and remind them that they are not alone, to remind them that we stand with them in this fight.”

After the rally, a long line formed out the door, across the large plaza and down the sidewalk, with supporters who wanted to attend today’s court hearing. Most were turned away, despite an overflow courtroom with capacity for 80. After court, defendants came out of the building with their fists in the air, greeted by cheering crowds of supporters.

Montana Hirsh from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee stated, “We stand in solidarity with the MN 15 because federal agents don’t get to come into our streets and kidnap our neighbors, brutalize our communities and separate families without a militant fight back from the people. Protesting ICE and defending our communities is the right thing to do. We will continue to fight in the streets until all the charges are dropped on anti -ICE protesters. From Minneapolis to LA, protesting is not a crime!”

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #PoliticalRepresssion #PeoplesStruggles #Labor #Featured

The 39th Constitutional Convention was held at an important time in the labor movement. Recent times have seen attacks on public sector workers from the Trump administration, heavy investment in AI threatening jobs, and at the same time, auto workers in the South have struggled to win union recognition. All of these things directly impact the UAW and its members. At the convention, UAW members reflected on the past four years of developments.

At the 38th convention in 2022, members passed a resolution creating the “one member, one vote” system for the first time, creating a direct democratic election of leadership. The passage of that resolution is seen as having played a significant role in the election of UAW President Shawn Fain’s victory. The convention held this month saw members come out and organize for measures to protect their democratic gains and make advances toward a more bold and powerful international union.

Significant changes were made regarding strike pay. The Constitution Committee recommended a strike package that included an increase of minimum weekly strike pay from $400 to $550, an increase to the maximum strike fund withdrawals for organizing drives from 60 million to 100 million, and an increase to the Strike & Defense Fund thresholds. This allows the strike fund to grow to approximately $1 billion. The recommended package was debated on the convention floor and passed after delegates argued that the package would enable the union to prepare for a major upcoming battle they expect to see with the Big Three automakers when contracts expire in May 2028. The big three refers to General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Stellantis (formerly known as Fiat Chrysler).

Newly-organized UAW Local 42 members won their first contract at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee this year, and were honored with the UAW Social Justice Award. Their victory is a breakthrough in the UAW’s strategy to unionize auto production in the South.

“They [Local 42] sent a message across Tennessee, across Region 8 and across America: the South is not for sale,” declared Tim Smith, the director of UAW Region 8, “Workers cannot be bought, and when workers stand together, corporate greed can be defeated!”

Alongside the resolutions that passed to build a more powerful and militant UAW, there is still an ongoing struggle to maintain and strengthen democratic reforms that the membership won in 2022. An amendment was raised on the convention floor, proposing that any changes to the current policy of direct democratic election of the International executive board, known as the “one member, one vote” system, only be permitted by a referendum of the entire union membership. The “one member, one vote” system that was won in 2022 replaced a previous delegate system that had been used to elect the International executive board.

This amendment’s intention was to protect democratic gains and practically enshrine direct democracy in the membership. To the confusion and frustration of membership on the convention floor, UAW General Counsel Bill Karges recommended to Convention Chair Laura Dickerson that the amendment be struck down as unconstitutional, and, as such, the membership was denied the opportunity to vote on it. The same day, a separate amendment, also deemed unconstitutional by Karges, was allowed to be debated and voted on. In the past four years, Karges has reportedly opposed President Fain’s efforts to create a more aggressive legal counsel in bargaining. Continued behaviors, such as opposing the “one member, one vote” amendment this year, are in alignment with the positions taken by the old guard leadership that opposed the democratic reforms that were passed.

“We feel that the UAW counsel made an improper interpretation of the amendment for one member one vote. We feel that this interpretation is not consistent with other earlier decisions at the Constitutional Convention,” said Gary Chynowrth, vice chair of the UAW Member Action caucus and Local 160 member, “Member Action is going to do everything in our power to help members keep their right to vote, as that is the cornerstone right to prevent the fraud perpetrated by the Administration Caucus leaders.”

A resolution was also passed that around international solidarity. UAW members won an estimated $400,000 divestment of their union from bonds in the state of Israel, after an over 50-year campaign, which began when Arab American members led strikes across Detroit and Dearborn in 1973 to demand divestment.

In an interview posted by UAW4Democracy, UAW Local 2325 member Olga Karounus stated, “This is a moment that is going to resonate far beyond just this room. I know we just answered the call of the Palestinian trade workers, who have been calling for this for over 50 years.”

The UAW is set to convene again for the 40th Constitutional Convention in 2030. In the next four years, rank-and-file members who worked to win the recent reforms say they will continue to chart the path ahead for a more militant, powerful and democratic international union.

“We’ve got to build a global movement of workers everywhere,” said UAW President Shawn Fain, “not pitted against each other across borders, but united in a common cause for a society that works for the working class.”

#DetroitMI #MI #Labor #UAW #Featured

Michigan City, IN – Slot attendants at Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa marched on management Tuesday, June 23, to demand voluntary recognition of their union with Teamsters Local 135.

Joined by Teamsters from Locals 135, 364 and 142, approximately 15 slot attendants and supporters marched through the casino before presenting a union recognition letter to General Manager JC Rieger on the gaming floor. The letter was read aloud before being handed to Rieger, who accepted the demand letter but offered no response.

The letter warned Blue Chip management to refrain from union-busting, stating “that should you or any other Company Representative make any unilateral changes to the employees’ terms and conditions of employment or take any type of retaliatory action against employees” the local union would “enforce these employees’ rights to the fullest extent of the law.”

As the delegation concluded, workers filled the casino with chants of “Who are we? Teamsters!”

Later that day, Teamsters Local 135 filed a representation petition with the National Labor Relations Board. A pre-election hearing has been scheduled for July 2.

The bargaining unit includes slot attendants and dual-rate slot attendants, a majority of whom have signed authorization cards for representation with the Teamsters. Workers say they are organizing in response to declining wages, chronic understaffing, unjust discipline, a punitive attendance policy, and a paid time off system that often leaves employees waiting without timely approval or denial of their requests.

Workers also point to the consolidation of the guest service representative position into the slot attendant classification without any corresponding increase in pay, leaving attendants responsible for additional duties while earning the same wages.

One of the central issues in the campaign is the decline in tip income for slot attendants. Although attendants receive an hourly wage, the most significant portion of their earnings comes from pooled tips, or tokes, left by players receiving hand-paid jackpots. Recent changes to the federal W-2G reporting threshold increased the amount that triggers a mandatory hand-pay from $1200 to $2000, and many casinos have adjusted their slot machines accordingly. Workers say fewer hand-pays means fewer opportunities to earn tips, resulting in a sharp decline in take-home pay even as their workload has increased.

Teamsters Local 135 is also seeking contractual protection for tipped casino employees elsewhere in Indiana, including guaranteed toke rates for slot attendants and table games dealers during ongoing contract negotiations at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

The recognition campaign at Blue Chip marks the latest casino organizing effort by Teamsters Local 135, as gaming workers across Indiana continue pushing for a greater voice on the job and contracts that address wages, staffing, and working conditions.

#MichiganCityIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #Casino #IBT135 #Featured

Colorado Springs, CO – On June 24, the family of Alex Martinez-Sarmiento filed a lawsuit against the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) for the murder of their loved one . They held a press conference, along with lawyers Mari Newman and Andy McNulty, at CSPD’s downtown headquarters to announce the lawsuit and demand justice. Alex Martinez-Sarmiento was a 26-year-old “father, son, brother and friend,” said the attorneys in a statement.

Members of the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (COSAARPR) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) were in attendance to support the family. Over a dozen family members and activists stood in front of the press cameras holding banners and signs that read “Justice for Alex Martinez” and “CSPD stop killing La Raza.”

On July 5, 2025, CSPD officer Connor Jacob Wallick shot Martinez-Sarmiento in the back three times, killing him. Since then, members of his family, as well as COSAARPR, have been leading protests demanding that Wallick be fired and charged for murder. Members of COSAARPR view the lawsuit as one step in a protracted struggle.

At the press conference, Alex’s sister Saray Rocha spoke to the lack of accountability CSPD faces, “If an ordinary citizen cannot shoot someone in the back and walk away without consequences, then why should Connor Jacob Wallick? Why should he get to continue to wear a badge if he cannot follow the standards and responsibilities that come with it?”

McNulty’s stated, “We see violence from the police over and over and over again here in Colorado Springs. What we don’t see is accountability. What we don’t see is justice for these families. And today we file a federal lawsuit seeking accountability and justice not just for the Martinez family, but for all the families who have had their loved ones taken by the Colorado Springs Police Department.”

COSAARPR and the family are determined to keep fighting for Alex and accountability for violent police officers.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #COSAARPR #NAARPR #FRSO #Featured

Dublin, CA – On June 8, at around 5 p.m., over 100 participants of the three-day “Caminata for Immigrant Rights” arrived at the corner of Arnold Road and Gleason Drive, next to FCI Dublin, a closed federal women’s prison that ICE plans to reopen as an immigrant detention center.

“This action shows just how united the Bay Area is against ICE. Across all three days, covering dozens of miles, we received only honks of support and cheers from folks. No one wants Trump’s ICE thugs here. Those who joined us, including families with young children, grandmothers, immigrants and allies from Santa Rosa to Napa to San Francisco and beyond, demonstrate how far people are willing to go to oppose new detention centers in the Bay,” said Danny Celaya from CSO Oakland.

Over three days, from Saturday, June 6, at Napa High School to Monday, June 8, in Dublin, marchers covered nearly 70 miles.

“As a member of the vehicle support team, this action was inspiring. People are committed to stopping Trump’s agenda and fighting ICE. Everyday working-class people organized this massive action, that quite literally united forces from every corner of the Bay to collectively say ‘Hell no!’ to the proposed detention centers. This demonstrates what we can achieve through organizing, so let’s be clear, we are going to win! Down with immigrant detention centers! Power to the people’s movements!” said Brandon Cavins from the Oakland chapter of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The march made a powerful impact, garnering press coverage and over 15 news articles in both Spanish and English. It made the front page of both the East Bay Times and Mercury News, the largest newspapers in both East Bay and South Bay, respectively.

The four key demands were legalization for all; ICE out of the Bay; no to immigrant detention centers in Dublin, Alcatraz and Gilroy, and stop deportations and repression.

Peyton Leone, representing Centro del Pueblo in Humboldt County, said, “We hear stories of people being sent to very faraway places when they are detained, and to hear that a new detention center could be opened closer to where I live; that’s something that I would show up every day, any time to protest. That’s why I’m here joining the caminata for all three days.”

Through the organizers’ efforts, families and participants of all ages were able to join as organizers secured lodging, three meals a day, and portable restrooms transported via a truck bed along every mile of the route. Additionally, a team of over 20 medics tended to the walkers, and more than 40 safety volunteers kept people safe across the four counties the march traversed: Napa, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Alameda.

Over 40 organizations took part in this three-day action including Raizes Collective, Almas Libres, Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition, CSO North Bay, CSO Oakland, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, Human Agenda, National TPS Alliance, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, American Indian Movement, CodePink Sonoma County, North Bay Jobs with Justice, North Bay Organizing Project, Bay Resistance, Tsuru for Solidarity, Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN), the ICE out of Dublin Coalition, and dozens more.

#DublinCA #CA #OaklandCA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #DetentionCenter #CSONorthBay #CSOOakland #Featured

Gulfport, MS – On June 21, a crowd of about 15 people gathered for a rally and vigil against the murder of one-year-old Kohen Wiley at a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi.

The action was put on by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Mutual Aid Collective, drawing people from organizations including Indivisible, the Gulf Coast Humanists and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

Speaking to Fight Back! at the rally, Ash Dawn of Gulf Coast Humanists said, “Our message is to amplify the demands of the people of Senatobia, which is to release the tape. Release everything and get full transparency for everything relating to Kohen Wiley’s murder.”

While addressing the crowd, Dawn also stated, “The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation relentlessly withholds information from Mississippians,” and spoke on the extreme lack of trust between the corrupt police departments and the local community.

Miu Sims of FRSO addressed the crowd saying, “We are absolutely outraged that a one-year-old child could be a victim to police brutality.” Sims drove with fellow activists from New Orleans to attend the rally, taking the trip to show support and solidarity. “These racist institutions do not care about your age. They don’t care if you’re a baby sitting in your mother’s lap while she is trying to take care of you. They will murder whoever they want!”

Sims also spoke on the particular violence that Black people face, saying that the police “see the color of our skin, and they automatically assume that a mother who is trying to take care of her child is a ‘looter’ or someone who is stealing.” Sims spoke passionately on how quickly racist, killer cops choose to “pull the trigger” and senselessly murder rather than protect Black lives.

The rally united protesters on the need for justice, Black liberation, and resistance to crooked intuitions of policing. Ash Dawn said to the crowd, “The people of Mississippi are damn tired!”

The crowd chanted, “When Black lives are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

#GulfportMS #MS #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #KohenWiley #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #Featured

Lisbon, Portugal – On Thursday, June 18, thousands of workers marched outside the Assembly of the Republic demanding that the right-wing government kill the anti-worker “labor package” they were poised to vote on. The next day, in a vote that shocked most pundits, the labor package was voted down by the legislators even though there is a right-wing majority in the assembly.

How did this happen? Over nearly a year, the governing right-wing parties tried to push the proposal through, presenting it as absolutely necessary and its passage as inevitable.

But Portugal’s militant union federation, the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), had different ideas. They sprung into motion, and over 11 months they carried out several mass marches and two general strikes – one on December 11, 2025, and another earlier this month, on June 3.

While Prime Minister Montenegro publicly claimed that not many workers participated in the general strikes, he and the right-wing parties knew that the reality on the ground was different. The general strike brought transportation systems, education and health care in the country to a near halt, and many private corporations, large and small, had significant numbers of workers go on strike, stopping production in important industries and sectors of the Portuguese economy. The working class spoke in a loud and united voice, saying that the labor package has to fall.

Even up to the day before the vote, the governing right-wing coalition thought they had the votes to pass it. But their negotiations to assure the votes of Chega, the farthest right-wing party, continued until a half hour before the vote. Chega is a far-right populist party not dissimilar from Trump’s MAGA movement. Ultimately, Chega likely feared losing the working-class voters in their base to the left if they voted in favor of the bosses’ labor package. So, Chega voted with the left-wing and centrist parties, sending the package to defeat.

The constant militant mobilizations by the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP) turned the labor package into a social question that drew sharp class lines. This made it impossible for the right-wing parties to simply craft labor policy behind closed doors at the behest of the rich. The working class took the stage and made this vote into a “which side are you on” question. The capitalists’ dream – of passing new labor laws that would increase profits for the rich by driving down workers’ living standards and peeling back union rights – turned into their nightmare of awakening the unity and militant action of the working class.

After the vote in the assembly, the leader of the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), Tiago Oliveira, said, “It was 11 months of struggle that translated into 11 months of workers mobilizing constantly, building two huge general strikes, building a set of initiatives that translated today into the defeat of the labor package. So today I give a huge recognition to the determining role of the workers’ struggle that developed over these long 11 months. It was the workers who were essential in all of these developments. The workers were the key that determined the position of all the political parties that today voted against this labor package. In the name of the CGTP, a word of solidarity and gratitude to the workers, because they are the true creators of everything good in our lives. Today it’s proven that it’s the workers’ struggle that determines whatever outcome.”

#LisbonPortugal #International #Portugal #Labor #Featured

Santa Ana, CA – On Monday, June 15, Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) served a demand letter to the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) and the city of Santa Ana threatening to sue if they do not immediately start producing records of the in-custody death of Freddie DeAngelo Washington.

Despite multiple public records act requests, SAPD has only produced a tiny handful of records, and none in over a year. This is far fewer records than SAPD has released in other cases. These delays give the impression that SAPD is hiding something, because what the public already knows about the brutality of the case is shocking.

Back on January 15, 2025, six SAPD officers broke into Washington’s hotel room and arrested him. As two officers pinned him to bed, one officer punched Washington in the back of the head twice. Police wrestled him to the ground, threatened to tase him, and tied down his arms and legs using a restraint device called “the wrap.” According to the police report, later that night Washington was put in a restraint chair and placed in a cell at Santa Ana Jail.

At least one officer with a prior history of violence can be identified in the arrest footage: Isaac Ibarra, who helped with the arrest and helped prepare the restraint device for Freddie Washington. Ibarra was one of the officers who killed unarmed 31-year-old Noe Rodriguez in 2024, shooting him 11 times and lying about what Rodriguez was doing before the shooting.

In Santa Ana Jail the day after Freddie Washington’s arrest, he fainted and officers placed him on his side. When Washington woke and flailed his legs, police violently pinned him to the tile floor with their knees for almost four minutes. Washington was tied down to a restraint chair, hooded with a spit mask and put back in a cell. Public Information Officer Natalie Garcia said that “at some point, jail staff determined the suspect did not appear to be breathing.” He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

As of Tuesday June 16, SAPD Records Division deleted public messages from the website, but CSO OC members preserved these records beforehand.

Meanwhile, the family of Freddie Washington has been left in the dark. Washington’s sister, Moesha Hightower, described him as “a country boy from Aitken, South Carolina who loved to cook, to travel, and to take care of his daughter.” In fact, SAPD incorrectly stated Washington was from Ventura County when he was in California to fight for custody of his daughter.

Washington’s mother, Beatrice Hightower, said he was “a family man and an honest child who helped Beatrice and his sisters.” She misses him bitterly and said she had to bury Washington on his birthday. Washington’s family demands justice for his death and for the officers involved to be held accountable.

Six years since the racist killing of George Floyd by killer cop Derek Chauvin, the brutality of Washington’s arrest and death by SAPD speaks for itself. This was another racist killing, and SAPD cannot be trusted to carry out investigations into their own officers.

This is why CSO OC fights for community control of the police. The public has a basic right to decide on police matters where they live, including how in-custody deaths are investigated and how police are held accountable for acts of brutality.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #FreddieWashington #InjusticeSystem #PoliceAccountability #CSO #CSOOC #Featured

Chicago, IL – The struggle for justice for survivors of police torture continues in Chicago. June 18 saw another defeat for Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen Burke, who is notoriously known for working hand-in-glove with the Chicago Police Department.

In 1991, Johnny Plummer was just 15 years old when he was beaten into a confession for a murder he didn’t commit. His torturers were Detectives Kenneth Boudreau and Michael Kill. Boudreau has 70 convictions to his name where survivors have accused him of torture; 28 of those men have since been exonerated for successfully proving they had been forced into confessions.

Plummer’s defense has always been that he was beaten into signing a confession by Kill and Boudreau, beaten in the abdomen with fists and a flashlight. He has declared this since the first moment his family came to the Area 3 police station after his two days in police custody. When Plummer saw a doctor at the Audy Juvenile Home, he told the doctor he had been beaten into signing the false confession. The medical examiner recorded Johnny’s account in his notes and, for 35 years, Plummer has been saying that he reported his torture to the doctor.

At his multiple trials since he was wrongfully convicted, that medical report did not surface.

Attorney Karl Leonard with the Exoneration Project explained to the presiding judge for Plummer’s case, Judge Tyria B. Walton, that a special prosecutor took this case in 2022 and requested all medical records from the state’s attorney’s office. “This year (2026) we received those files and finally saw the medical report from August 22, 1991,” Leonard stated.

Judge Walton’s opening question for counsel was to identify the issue at hand before the court. In his opening statement, Assistant State’s Attorney Miles O’Rourke claimed there was no Brady violation in 1991 and spent time showing that in the early years of trials and appeals, Plummer and his attorneys said nothing in court about not receiving medical records.

A Brady violation is when prosecutors fail to disclose impeaching evidence to the defense.

Judge Walton had previously been giving more support to the prosecutors, but as the defense brought out more information, Judge Walton reminded the court of the three things that are needed to establish a Brady claim: One, the evidence must be favorable to the accused because it is exculpatory (tends to prove innocence). Two, the prosecution suppressed or failed to turn over the evidence, even if the suppression was unintentional. And three, the evidence was “material,” meaning there is reason to think that the outcome of the trial would have been different.

State’s Attorney O’Rourke argued a number of times that there was no Brady violation and claimed that the defense had all the medical records. In the dramatic high point of the proceeding, Judge Walton identified that there was a first subpoena filed in 1991 and a second subpoena filed in 2022, and stated that the court was advised by the petitioner that they didn’t have the medical records.

O’Rourke interjected, “We didn’t have it either.”

Judge Walton continued, “Then in 2026, the records surfaced in a file review.”

Addressing O’Rourke’s outburst, Walton explained that the Brady language is unyielding: whether the withholding was intentional or not, there was definite cause for a Brady violation.

She went on to say that with the surfacing of the medical records earlier this year, she concluded the state’s attorney’s office had already been in possession of those records, though it may not have been in the possession of this particular counsel present at court.

After this, the state stopped arguing there was no basis for a Brady finding.

In response to the developments in court, Frank Chapman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression stated, “When do facts matter? How can it be that something that happened 35 years ago is just now getting in front of a judge?”

Chapman recalled the words of Johnny’s mother, Jeanette Plummer, who died in May never seeing her son on this side of freedom. She had spoken out against injustice ever since he was wrongfully convicted. In 2012, at a forum on police crimes organized by the Chicago Alliance, she challenged the system of racist policing.

“How could they torture a 15-year-old child?” Chapman said, “Clearly we can’t trust the court system to bring justice. We must trust the movement to do this. Without the movement, we wouldn’t even be getting a hearing and keeping up his hopes for freedom.”

The next hearing for Johnny Plummer will be on Tuesday, June 23 at 1 p.m. at the George Leighton Courthouse (2650 S California Avenue) in room 304.

#ChicagoIL #IL #JohnnyPlummer #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #Featured #NAARPR #CAARPR

Fort Morgan, CO – On the morning of May 20, an hour and a half drive northeast of Denver, Cargill Meat Solutions locked out 1700 workers represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. This lockout comes after months of negotiations for a new contract, during which Cargill, the largest privately-owned company in the United States, repeatedly refused to give necessary wage increases and health benefits to its workers.

The collective bargaining agreement between Cargill and the Teamsters expired in late February, with Cargill initially offering raises totaling 70 cents over the next five years. Over the course of several weeks of negotiations, representatives of Teamsters Local 455 were able to raise the employer’s offer to include pay increases of $2.15, along with a $1250 ratification bonus. On April 23, Cargill stopped production and demanded a vote on their most recent proposal.

“We continued to negotiate throughout the day,” said Servando Payan, a Teamsters Business Agent who took part in the negotiations, “They asked for a vote but it wasn’t a last best, and final offer.”

In union negotiations sometimes a boss will name an offer as their “last best and final” meaning that they will not move further and signaling that workers should vote on that deal, either to accept it, or to refuse it, which often signals a strike coming soon.

Cargill halted production, paying their workers to stay home until May 19, when they removed the $1250 ratification bonus from their latest proposal and refused to raise wages. Throughout this, the Cargill workers maintained their demand for $1 per year in raises, for a total of $5 over a five-year contract, or, preferably, $3 over a three-year contract.

A vote was held and of the over 1500 workers that cast a ballot, over 85% voted down the company’s newest proposal. The company then initiated a lockout the following day. As a response, workers started a picket line in. On June 1, workers continued to picket outside the Cargill meatpacking plant, calling for better wages and working conditions even after weeks of being locked out.

Concrete barricades were set up by Cargill and next to them workers shouted “¡Sí, se puede!” as neighbors and community members drove by honking in support. Local food vendors prepared food for the workers while volunteers passed out water. Rank-and-file Teamsters from UPS in Commerce City, several of whom were members of the Denver District of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), visited Fort Morgan to stand in solidarity with the workers.

On the picket line, Imam Kasim, a religious leader among the largely Muslim workforce, spoke about the daily religious discrimination workers face. He spoke about how Cargill regularly denies workers the ability to take prayer breaks. He also spoke of harassment from supervisors and cases of workers being prevented from leaving the disassembly line to use the bathroom. “They made him wait 30 minutes,” said Kasim while describing one such example. “The other guy wasn’t allowed to use [the] bathroom and pissed himself.”

On June 12, several members of FRSO again traveled to Fort Morgan to stand in solidarity with the locked-out Cargill workers. Many workers had gathered in a nearby park. FRSO members passed out cold water and fruit while talking to workers and Teamsters representatives. In expressing gratitude for the food and water, workers spoke the language they were comfortable in, whether Spanish, French, Somali or Haitian Creole. One Cargill maintenance worker spoke about how he was unhappy with how long the lockout had lasted but said he was glad that the union is taking care of everyone.

Union representatives spoke about the past few months of negotiations with Cargill, as well as what they described as collusion between the “Big Four” beef processing companies, which are Cargill, JBS, Tyson Foods, and National Beef, which together control around 85% of all cattle processing in the United States.

Teamsters officials said Cargill’s initial contract proposal offered raises and bonuses very similar to those rejected earlier this year by 3800 JBS workers in Greeley. Those workers went on a three-week strike in March to demand a better deal. Teamster officials said similar contract proposals are being offered at meatpacking plants across the country.

“These other deals are based on different costs of living, from Nebraska to Alaska,” said Teamsters Business Agent Servando Payan, “Those wages don’t make sense here.”

The Teamsters Food Processing Division is also looking into possible antitrust issues tied to the company’s conduct. Cargill and Tyson Foods were recently forced to pay a combined $87.5 million in antitrust settlements after claims that they conspired to keep beef prices high led to a class-action lawsuit. The Department of Justice has also announced the start of an antitrust investigation into major beef producers, including Cargill and JBS.

Payan spoke about the immense solidarity the Cargill workers have shown in their fight against the multi-billion dollar meatpacking company stating, “We have 27 different languages out here,” said Payan. “With so much diversity in race and culture, they came together collectively to vote down this contract.”

At the end of the day, Salem Chadwick, one of the FRSO members that came to stand in solidarity, said, “These workers have a tough battle ahead of them, but their fight is necessary. Together they can overcome any obstacle.”

A few days earlier, on June 10, Teamsters Local 455 filed unfair labor practice charges against the company, saying Cargill unlawfully cut off workers’ access to pay and benefits.

#FortMorganCO #CO #Labor #Teamsters #Featured

Los Angeles, CA – On June 3, Centro CSO held a press conference at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights demanding that the state keep its hands off Nadia Topete. On May 20, Topete, a Chicana immigrant rights activist with Centro CSO, was served a subpoena by the FBI demanding that she testifies in front of a grand jury. She did not appear at the grand jury proceedings, which were set for the same day.

Press conference organizers state, “Nadia bravely refused to rat on her fellow activists who did nothing wrong, risking serious jail time. Cases of blatant political repression like this one have continued to intensify in the wake of Trump’s racist, reactionary agenda. Nadia Topete’s determination is a strong example of the people’s refusal to back down.”

At the press conference, Centro CSO member Verita Topete, Nadia’s sister and herself a victim of FBI repression, led attendees in chants of “When we fight, we win!”

“Our enemies are trying to find ways to attack us, but we won’t stand down. This is a fight we are willing to take. We will win,” said Henry Cornejo, a Teamster at UPS and member of Centro CSO.

Carlos Montes, a longtime Chicano activist and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization who has experienced political repression over the decades, said, “Federal grand juries have been used by the Trump administration to go after immigrant rights activists. We are united to denounce the use of the grand jury and the FBI by the Trump administration and the U.S. Attorney’s office to harass and intimidate activists who oppose Trump’s attacks on our immigrant community.”

In order to support Topete, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression is requesting donations: tinyurl.com/csfrdonate.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #CSFR #CentroCSO #NadiaTopete #Featured