Grand Rapids, MI – On Saturday, March 1, 30 workers came to Fountain Street Church to learn about raising class struggle in the workplace and fighting back against Trump’s onslaught against unions. Tom Burke, President of IATSE Local 26, spoke on the necessity of union organization and revolutionary leadership. He also explained the FRSO united front strategy, and the strategic alliance between the multinational working class and the Black liberation and other oppressed nationality movements.

The teach-in was put on by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. It empowered workers in unions to strive to take on leadership and organize other workers on the job, especially in the face of recent attacks on unions by the current Trump administration.

Burke said, “Those of you looking for jobs can seek out already unionized workplaces and strengthen the union movement from within. The Teamsters and Association of Flight Attendants are good unions in industries that are hiring.”

Burke said, “Younger and newer trade unionists can benefit from studying the mass line at the FRSO.org website. Union organizing boils down to listening to other people, to then formulate demands and slogans that unite them to fight the bosses. Unions can lead the fight against Republican attacks on the entire working class.” Burke emphasized the importance of creating slogans that make sense to people.

Burke pointed out the potential for workers in the room to become the militant minority in their workplaces. That the goal of organizing within the union is to make rapid changes in the workplace and society.

“If you’re going to make a revolution, then you have to be in trade unions or strategically aligned with the workers’ movement,” stated Burke.

Burke continued, “You can see it with the way some unions operate already and have a lot of power at work. Then there are other countries, like Venezuela, where workers self-manage some of the factories themselves.”

The audience showed support for Burke’s messaging, including his stating the necessity for trade unions to stand against chauvinism, to stand for women’s liberation, trans and LGBTQ rights, and the duty for white workers specifically to oppose racism and discrimination in the union. He specified that unions must take on broader issues of the whole working class and unite to create change.

During discussion, many union members stood up and explained how they organize within their union and the struggles they waged and continue to fight for. Carsten Forester with the American Federation of Musicians, or AFM, expressed how important it is to organize as a musician, and how many musicians look towards their industry as an individual business and aren’t necessarily made aware they have an opportunity to be part of the union, which prompted another audience member to express their interest in joining the AFM and who was given the resources to do so.

Local activist Wren Burns brought up the issue of public library workers in Grand Rapids unionizing. A two-thirds majority of library pages, a specific job category, signed a petition to join the already existing union. They are asking the library board to recognize them. Burns said, “All of the library pages are hired as seasonal employees even though some have worked there for over ten years! Pages are only making $12 an hour.”

The discussion turned lively when it turned to Trump and the Republican attacks on unions and workers. The list of attacks includes putting many federal employees out of their jobs, laying off healthcare workers at veterans’ hospitals, shutting down of the U.S. National Labor Relations Board that makes rulings on union disputes with bosses. Republicans are bad mouthing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and threatening a national “Right to work” law that strips union power.

The American Federation of Government Employees held rallies a week after their members were put out of their jobs by Trump and Elon Musk. In local constituent meetings, union workers showed up at Republicans’ town hall meetings to challenge their U.S. Representatives and denounce the firings and layoffs. There are science rallies being organized across the U.S. on March 7. Motivated by professors, technicians, and other workers at universities and research institutes, one of the main backers is the United Auto Workers union.

The meeting ended with the formation of an International Workers Day committee to host a May Day rally for immigrant and workers’ rights in Grand Rapids. As part of the IWD committee, there is a plan for workers from different unions to organize a fundraiser for the emergency response to ICE raids and defend workers from Trump’s attacks.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Labor #IATSE #FRSO

Grand Rapids, MI – On December 7, 30 people gathered at Scorpion Hearts Club, a coffee shop near downtown Grand Rapids, to listen and sing along to folk and bluegrass performed by Carsten Forester and the Grand Industrial String Band.

Hosted by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and the Grand Rapids chapter of the Industrial Workers of The World (IWW), the event honored music from the labor movement.

The five-piece band which includes Carsten Forester on mandolin, Ben Kolk on guitar, Keala Venema on fiddle, Kyle Pitcher on upright bass, and Hannah Meixner on banjo played songs such as Dirty Old Town by Ewan MacColl, Union Man by Blue Highway, and the traditional fiddle tune Squirrel Hunters.

“My goal with The Grand Industrial String Band is to bring together various types of working-class music in a way that moves people towards a greater sense of solidarity,” Carsten Forester replied when asked what his goals are for the group moving forward. “I would say my biggest inspiration in that regard is Hazel Dickens, who is well regarded both as a bluegrass trailblazer and a working-class feminist icon.”

Earlier in the day, the anti-war group Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids protested outside the entrance of General Dynamics Land Systems, a war profiteer directly complicit in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Afterwards, folks from Palestine Solidary Grand Rapids, FRSO, IWW, the Grand Rapids Tenants Union, and the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist Political Repression all converged at the show to unwind. Trade unionists from IATSE Local 26, the Grand Rapids Educators Association, and American Federation of Musicians Local 56 were also in attendance.

Rather than having a standard merch table, FRSO sold copies of the Communist Manifesto, as well J. Sykes’ The Revolutionary Science of Marxism Leninism, alongside the Political Program of FRSO to interested showgoers.

Tom Burke, the president of IATSE 26, sees a lot of shows at his job, and he and ranked the performance among the top three he’d seen that year, listing it alongside Hozier and Billy Strings. “What’s not to like about a room full of movement builders and revolutionaries singing along to an American string band?” adding it was “a real hootenanny!”

The quintet played for just under two hours. Towards the end of the performance, the crowd stood up and sang along to Solidarity Forever, originally written by Ralph Chaplin. Afterwards, the band played They’ll Never Keep Us Down by Hazel Dickens. “We always finish our sets with [that] anthem of working class resistance,” Carsten Forester stated. “I have always found that song to be particularly powerful when you have just been singing about how bad the conditions people have faced and continue to face. We are committed to making music that brings joy, hope and solidarity, while also fearlessly facing the reality that we live in and the history we have inherited.”

In January, Carsten Forester begins his elected term to the executive board of American Federation of Musicians Local 56; a big win for working musicians in West Michigan.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Culture #Music #Labor #AFM #IATSE

New Orleans, LA – On May 1, immigrants and workers celebrated International Workers Day with a fiery march on New Orleans City Hall. They were led by the banners of Unión Migrante, an immigrant rights organization that hosts the annual May Day march to uplift the struggle of undocumented workers. They waved signs and beat drums while marching during busy downtown rush-hour traffic, loudly chanting in support of worker power.

Unión Migrante hosted a diverse coalition of unions and community organizations which represented essential industries that the working class upholds. These included United Teachers of New Orleans, IATSE Local 478, UNITE HERE Local 23, Starbucks Workers United and more.

Speakers highlighted that after every natural disaster that harms the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, it is immigrant workers who sweat to rebuild while our government neglects the needs of the people.

The march was also attended by members of New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports (NOSHIP) including Palestinian community members and supporters. Speakers highlighted the hypocrisy of our government, which they say neglects the advancement of workers’ rights while pouring our tax money into the genocide in Gaza.

One speaker from Freedom Road Socialist Organization drew out this connection. “The United States creates a refugee crisis in so many countries by spreading war and exploitation all over the globe. The media ignores the fact that it is imperialism that forces people to leave their home country and work here for low wages,” she said.

The marchers alternated between English and Spanish language chants to emphasize their unity. Immigrant and non-immigrants workers chanted together “No papers, no fear” and “The people united, will never be defeated!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #SBWU #IATSE #UTNO #UNITEHERE

Fort Worth, TX – On March 17, 600 union members from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, American Postal Workers Union, National Rural Letter Carriers Association and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, along with others rallied in support of the Molson Coors Teamsters of Local 997, who are fighting for a decent.

General President of the Teamsters Sean O’Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman attended the rally.

O’Brien stated, “Today we have a great opportunity to take on corporate America, and thankfully we have the support of rank-and-file members nationwide to make certain that we hold this white collar crime syndicate – Molson Coors – accountable and make certain that they picked fight with the wrong union”

The Molson Coors Teamsters are demanding better cost of living adjustments to counteract inflation, an end to the two tier system that allows varying wages for workers, and to remove forced 12-hour shifts. The company met with the workers but did not negotiate in good faith and even tried to remove health care benefits. The company has not yet come back to the table to negotiate a new contract, which has forced the union members to go to the picket line.

Local 997 member Jeff Pruitt said, “We are out here for every plant out here, and we're out here for the American worker as everyone is struggling to pay their bills.”

The rally ended with chants such as “What do we want? Contract! If we don't get it? Shut it down!”

#FortWorthTX #TX #Labor #Teamsters #Coors #Contract #Teamsters997 #APWU #NRLCA #IATSE

Grand Rapids, MI – On Thursday, September 28, the IASTE Local 26 West Michigan Stagehands Union hosted a speaking event featuring two Tampa 5 protestors in a show of solidarity. The speakers, Lauren Pineiro and Chrisley Carpio, are in the midst of a countrywide tour, spreading the word about their struggle against political repression by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' administration. IATSE Local 26 hosted the event to help mobilize labor activists to rally support for dropping the charges against the Tampa 5.

The Tampa 5 is a moniker for five protesters who, on March 6, were brutalized by University of South Florida (USF) campus police and then falsely arrested in retaliation of their protest. The students, workers, and community members were dissenting DeSantis' “attack from every front” on higher education, including diversity programs, ethnic studies, and women's and gender studies. Specifically, they were demonstrating against HB 999/SB 266, which would ban funding for these programs and studies at Florida colleges.

Since the March 6 arrests, state authorities and USF President Rhea Law have ramped up the repression against the Tampa 5 in an effort to silence their continued resistance to DeSantis' bigoted attacks. The protesters recognize the administration's attempt to thwart dissent. “We were not a violent threat, but a political one,” said Pineiro, who was not arrested until a month following the incident.

The speaking tour seeks to gain nationwide support for the Tampa 5, but it also aims to bring attention to the concerning trend of state repression of protesters. DeSantis is currently running for the Republican ticket for the U.S. presidency and could likely institute his racist, anti-worker policies nationally. Even if he is unsuccessful, arresting protesters for exercising a first amendment right sets a precedent for other states.

Thursday's event bridged the struggle of workers and students. Members from IATSE Local 26 and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's UAW spoke at the event to inform attendees of actions on the picket line and beyond. Recently, the IATSE Local 26 executive board signed a resolution in solidarity with the Tampa 5, calling for “the Hillsborough County 13th Judicial District Attorney Susan Lopez and Prosecutor Justin Diaz drop the charges, including multiple felony charges, against the Tampa 5.”

Pineiro and Carprio will continue their speaking tour through October 28. Supporters can take action by donating to The Emergency Committee to Defend the Tampa 5, signing their petition, passing a resolution through their organization, and attending local protests on December 12.

#GrandRapidsMI #Tampa5 #IATSE #IATSELocal26

Grand Rapids, MI – West Michigan labor unions, politicians and socialist groups rallied and marched for International Workers Day on May 1 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. More than 70 union members and Asian-American, Chicano/Mexicano, and Black community activists and politicians gathered. The local unions also expressed solidarity for immigrant rights and justice for Patrick Lyoya, the young African man executed by Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr.

“Solidarity and the need to organize and win power for workers has to be the focus of unions in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. Work is being redefined now as many workers realize they hold a lot of power if they are organized and act together,” said Tom Burke, recording secretary of IATSE Local 26.

“This year’s May 1 rally uplifts recent strikes. We had victories for Kellogg’s workers in Battle Creek, 10,000 UAW union members at John Deere equipment plants, teachers, nurses and other health care workers across the country. The young workers’ Amazon union victory in New York cries out for the Teamsters and AFL-CIO officials to stand up and call for a national union drive right now!” continued Burke.

International Workers Day included speeches from Ryan Letts, president of the Kent-Ionia Labor Council; Jess Westra, president of the IATSE Local 26 West Michigan Stagehands, and Jesse Perez of Teamsters 406. Lindsey Katerberg, first vice president of IATSE Local 26, announced an upcoming fundraiser so Michigan politicians can pass a film tax credit to bring thousands of Michigan film jobs back.

The Grand Rapids May 1 rally called for union drives at Amazon and Starbucks. In Kalamazoo, a recent strike by workers at the Maru Sushi restaurant won a lot of attention. Local service workers are demanding higher standardized pay, across the board benefits, and respect in restaurant, hotel, bar and entertainment industry jobs. Stagehands are looking for thousands of Michigan film jobs to make a comeback and are asking Michigan politicians to pass a film tax credit.

Dr. Jose Flores, a candidate for the Michigan House spoke about growing up Chicano and the importance of recognizing American Indian peoples in the U.S. He called for expanding immigrant rights to the 11 million undocumented immigrants, many in low-paid jobs.

Lily Cheng-Schulting, another candidate for Michigan House, and an immigrant herself, said, “We need politicians who really represent the people and not just a corporate agenda. This includes equality and representation for the many Asian American, Mexican and Central Americans who live here in West Michigan.”

The May 1 rally expressed solidarity with the family of Patrick Lyoya, an immigrant from the Congo executed by Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr on April 4. County Commissioner Robert S. Womack spoke about how he forced a meeting with the chief of police after being contacted by the family of Patrick Lyoya. They were the first to see the police execution video and demanded its release to the public.

Womack, who is now running for the Michigan House, was followed by popular community activist Danny Santiago. Santiago, who leads protests with the Patrick Lyoya family, spoke about the need to build the movement for Black lives in the streets to win justice. He described how the police and the courts are set up to deny justice. He explained how city officials direct the police to harass and repeatedly arrest Black leaders for using bullhorns and protesting.

Adam Schurman of the Grand Rapids Service Industry Workers Coalition spoke and then led the service workers’ march through downtown to the Rosa Parks statue. The march stopped to rally at a local Starbucks and to hear a fired up and informative speech by former Starbucks worker Kate Masterson.

The local unions are pushing back on the mistreatment of immigrant farm workers, factory and service industry workers. Abuses were exposed in West Michigan apple growing areas this past year, where owners drive down wages through racist intimidation and threats of deportation, worsening conditions for all workers. International Workers Day rally organizers expressed their solidarity with an immigrant rights march led by COSECHA on the same day in Grand Rapids.

Young workers are rejecting the conditions being offered by big corporations and business owners these days. They are joining unions, walking out, fighting back and forming new unions as needed.

#GrandRapidsMI #MayDay #internationalWorkersDay #IATSE

Lansing, MI – A group of 40 stagehands from across Michigan gathered at the State Capitol building in Lansing, March 17. The IATSE union stagehands are marking one year without work and demanding the extension of unemployment benefits until it is safe to return to their jobs.

One of their issues is that Michigan law makers need to restore 26 weeks of unemployment, after it was cut down to 20 weeks when Republican Governor Snyder was in office. The amounts paid for unemployment also need to increase dramatically as they have been frozen for years.

Stagehands were forced on unemployment in March 2020, similar to hotel and restaurant employees, gig workers, artists and performers. Many attended “Push for $600” unemployment rallies during the summer and fall.

“The pandemic has cost us loved ones and livelihoods. Unemployment checks are the only thing keeping a roof over our heads and food on our plates,” said Jessica Westra, IATSE Local 26 President.

She continued, “Unemployment payments boost the economy. People need to pay for food. People need to pay for healthcare. They need to pay their rent, their mortgage, and their taxes. People can’t save for the future if they are barely able to survive the present.”

“My union has kept me insured, my union has kept our workplaces safe, my union has lived up to its obligation to protect its membership. We need our legislature to live up to its obligation to protect its citizens,” Westra explained.

Members from five or more different IATSE locals around Michigan gathered for speeches covering Michigan film tax credits, the details of the American Rescue Plan like the $1400 checks, and solidarity with Amazon workers forming a union in Alabama.

Stagehands make possible mass gatherings, political rallies, culture, songs and performances that express people’s humanity, give joy and excitement, and lift peoples spirits. They are fully behind the CDC guidelines and the organized push for vaccinations against COVID-19 so they can return to work where large crowds gather.

Stagehands are also demanding Michigan legislators fund unemployment by continuing employer contributions, instead of using taxpayer money. They want Governor Whitmer to hold the line and not allow Republican kickbacks for employers. Republicans are holding back federal monies to try and force Governor Whitmer to relinquish her powers.

#LansingMI #CapitalismAndEconomy #PeoplesStruggles #IATSE

Grand Rapids, MI – Outside the stagehands union IATSE Local 26 headquarters in Grand Rapids, union members and youth activists attached big signs to their cars saying “Amazon needs a union!” and “Solidarity with Amazon!” They gathered in the freezing cold on February 19 for a press conference and car caravan to three Amazon centers, including a giant new one promising to employ 1000 workers.

Josh Roskamp, IATSE26 business agent, said, “Working conditions at Amazon are harsh. They refuse to universally adopt measures that protect workers from COVID 19, and the work and lifting can be back-breaking. That is why workers are forming a union. They want safety and respect on the job.”

“We are here in solidarity with the union drive in Alabama because win or lose, the lesson for every worker is clear. Organize, organize, organize. We need fighting unions in every industry to get respect and contracts with good benefits,” said labor activist Tom Burke.

Burke continued, “Boss Bezos wants to own the whole market, make it a monopoly. Bezos plans to do away with UPS and the Post Office along with the unions there. We need to organize every Amazon warehouse at the same time, all across the country. If one warehouse wins, Amazon can just close it. We need the Teamster and AFL-CIO leaders to get out from behind their desks and lead the fight.”

Approximately 6000 workers at Amazon in Bessemer, Alabama will vote by March 29 to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale Department Store Workers Union. With a mostly Black work force, the union drive is history-changing, as they go up against one of the biggest and most powerful transnational corporations in the world, and its super-rich union-busting owner, Jeff Bezos. Bezos is the second richest person in the world, worth $194 billion.

These workers are standing up to the racist, anti-union laws that suppress labor across the South. Their struggle is inspiring workers and supporters around the country with 50 cities holding rallies or events for a national day of action.

As the car caravan snaked around the circle entrance of one Amazon facility in West Michigan, seven yellow vested managers ran out, waving their arms and asking drivers to leave. Amazon is clearly shaken up.

#GrandRapidsMI #PeoplesStruggles #Amazon #IATSE

Austin, TX – On the morning of September 8, a group of around 100 unemployed artisans, designers, technicians, stagehands and other entertainment industry workers held a protest to push for $600 in unemployment benefits and pass the HEROES Act now. The protest was organized by IATSE Local 484 and Local 205, along with many independent contractors.

Participants gathered at the Paramount Theatre and marched with 60 road cases up to the state capitol building for a rally. Chants included, “Push for 600, HEROES Act now!” and “They say cut back, we say fight back!” The action wrapped up with a march to the Texas AFL-CIO building.

In discussing the demands of the protesters, one of the organizers for the Push for 600 ATX protest, Jennifer Crump, said, “We all need the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance extended and the Heroes Act to be passed because none of us know when it will be safe to work in our industry again. We've bailed out several major corporations including the Airlines industries. We now need to bailout the entertainment industry workers along with all other industry workers that have been displaced by COVID-19.”

Other demands include: Send out a second round of economic stimulus checks, provide government assistance for rent and mortgage payments, extend the eviction moratorium, and increase government funding for the arts and entertainment workers.

The protest was called in light of the Senate’s continual failure to address the needs of working people, as millions remain unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Entertainment workers continue to protest the government’s inaction not only in Texas, but also in other “Push for $600” actions, such as those in Michigan, and across the country.

#AustinTX #PoorPeoplesMovements #IATSE #HEROESAct #ParamountTheatre #COVID19Pandemic

Grand Rapids, MI – Joining other unions across the United States on Labor Day, IATSE union stagehands are holding a “Push for $600” on Monday, September 7, 11 a.m. near the Gerald R. Ford Museum. Currently there are 29 million workers receiving some form of unemployment across the U.S.

“There are no concerts, theater performances, in-person meetings or conventions for stagehands to work at and we need the $600 to pay our bills. Economists and industry owners are saying we cannot start work again until spring 2021 or later,” said Josh Roskamp, business agent for the stagehands union IATSE Local 26.

Roskamp continued, “We are pushing for $600 now because Congress returns from vacation on September 8. We need the Republicans in the U.S. Senate to take action now! Mitch McConnell knows there are no jobs because we sent McConnell hundreds, probably thousands of postcards, emails and letters. We need unemployment extended until it is safe for us to work. We need the $600 so we can stay in our homes, pay for health care and feed our families.”

Workers across the country see the bailouts for the rich while being told to find non-existent jobs. Workers, especially in specialized positions like stagehands, know there are 29 million out of work and resent being told to “find something new” by White House spokesperson Ivanka Trump back in July.

There are 140,000 IATSE union stagehands across the country, with 95% out of work. They know they cannot return to their jobs in the entertainment industry until it is safe. They also know they paid into unemployment insurance on every paycheck over the years. So now there is an expectation for a $600 extension until their jobs restart.

The current economic downturn brings mass unemployment now, but is likely to have long lasting negatives for the working class. The boom and bust cycle of monopoly capitalism is driving the current economic crisis. The downturn is comparable to the Great Recession of 2008.

States like Michigan continue to lose manufacturing jobs, with workers replaced by high tech machines and robots. These jobs are not coming back. Meanwhile, politicians will continue to bail out big companies and owners, boosting the stock market.

Joining stagehands across the country, IATSE Local 26 in West Michigan will be pushing road cases, the symbol of their industry, around downtown Grand Rapids. They will pass by the U.S. Post Office in solidarity with union postal workers and to oppose President Trump’s efforts to close USPS down.

The road cases will have signs reading, “Push for $600” and “Extend unemployment now!” The stagehands and gig workers will gather at the Spirit of Solidarity monument near the Grand River for speeches and to celebrate unions and the workers’ struggle in the 21st century. The union monument commemorates a four-month strike by furniture workers in 1911.

#GrandRapidsMI #PeoplesStruggles #IATSE

Lansing, MI – 120 union members and supporters marched through downtown Lansing, July 15, chanting, “They say cut back! We say fight back!” The march stopped at a union worker statue where Nick Eaton of IATSE Local 247 spoke, “This statue represents the workers who built the new buildings you see in front of you. It also reflects the history of factory workers before deindustrialization left ugly scenes and empty lots, like many cities in the Midwest.”

The marchers returned to the State Capitol building chanting about unemployment, “Extend to the end!” and “HEROES Act now!” Josh Roskamp with IATSE Local 26 explained, “The hundreds of post cards addressed to Republican Senator Mitch McConnell will send a message that we need the $600. We can’t wait for it to run out. We need every person at this rally to organize small groups to visit politicians at their offices to talk about unemployment and the HEROES Act!”

Pete Vargas with the Restaurant Opportunities Center spoke at the rally, “Many of our food service workers live on tips, and are low wage at $3.25 per hour. For those who applied, many of them women and immigrants, they only make $126 a week for unemployment. It is just totally unacceptable. We support the expansion on both the state level and federal level.”

Nia Winston, president of UNITE HERE Local 24 covering Michigan and Ohio, opened with the crowd chanting, “No justice! No peace!” Winston spoke passionately, “All of us have been essential for a long ass time, but nobody recognized that until now.” She then told the story of a McLaren Hospital porter forced to wear a plastic trash bag for PPE during the COVID-19 crisis. Other workers had to beg for masks while the McLaren Health Care Corporation continued to roll in the profits.

Speaking to the unemployment need, Winston said, “For UNITE HERE union, 98% of our members are on furlough. If Congress and the Senate does not pass the HEROES Act now, unfortunately we will have members with serious medical conditions who will lose their health care.”

She finished by saying, “Who the hell can live off of $300 per week unemployment? Extend the HEROES Act to the end! My plea is to the Senate to pass the HEROES Act now. Do your damn job!”

The rally also featured a leading group of IATSE union stagehands Walter Shink, Lindsey Katerberg, Joe Miller, Tom Rivera and Josh Roskamp. IATSE members work in Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo.

Anne Brown spoke for U.S. Congressperson Elissa Slotkin of the 8th District on the topic, “What is the HEROES Act and what to expect?” She finished with a call and response, “When we fight! We win!”

Importantly, Ron Bieber, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO spoke about workers being sick, and the people he knows who died. Bieber explained, “Dumbass Donald Trump has failed to have a coordinated federal response, to this day, after all the pain and all the deaths in this country. He continues to downplay the seriousness of the virus; after all we have been through.”

Bieber continued, “You cannot fix this economic crisis until you fix the health crisis. Get your ass to work fixing that, Donald.”

Josh Roskamp closed the rally by responding to Presidential Advisor Ivana Trump’s “Find something new” statement last week. Roskamp said, “Do we really want to be competing for everybody else’s job? Do we really need to run down all our wages?”

U.S. unemployment rose by 1.8 million workers this past week. Officially there are 33 million unemployed, including 2 million in the entertainment industry.

#LansingMI #CapitalismAndEconomy #PoorPeoplesMovements #Unemployment #PeoplesStruggles #AFLCIO #IATSE #HEROSACT

Grand Rapids, MI – After a lively rally on June 24 with nearly 100 workers, the stagehands union IATSE is calling a new rally on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol for July 15. The stagehands and other gig workers are demanding the passage of the HEROES (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions) Act by the U.S. Senate. July 25 is looming as the $600 per week unemployment boost that keeps people paying their bills is set to run out. Tensions are rising not just in Michigan, but also for stagehands from New York City to Hollywood, across the whole country.

“The U.S. House of Representatives gave us hope by passing the HEROES Act,” said Josh Roskamp of IATSE Union Local 26. “Unfortunately, the Republican-dominated U.S. Senate, leader Mitch McConnell in particular, is stalling on giving us what we need. They say $600 is too much. They claim we don’t want to work, but they know full well that we cannot work!”

Roskamp continues, “We all saw the disaster of opening bars and restaurants in June. Now people are suffering and dying from COVID-19 at high rates. The events and entertainment industry is shut down until the COVID-19 pandemic is treated as a serious public health crisis. Most touring concerts and theater shows are not going back on the road until after March 2021. Millions of us are unemployed. We need to pay our bills and feed our families. This is our fight to live!”

Lindsey Katerberg of Local 26 said, “We are speaking out for non-union workers too. We are in this fight together. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits those in our industry who cannot claim unemployment. It will continue to remain vital past the current expiration of July 31. We need to raise base benefits at the state level in Michigan, to extend state unemployment, and set minimum wage for essential workers at $13 per hour.”

Joe Miller of Local 38 in Detroit said, “Most of us have never filed for unemployment, never had to. You are looking at people that would rather be working. We don’t want to sit home. Now due to mishandling of the crisis, we do not see a particularly good way forward until next March 2021.”

The IATSE Local 26 statement says, “Union or non-union, performers, musicians, ushers, ticket takers, security, concessions workers, stagehands, gig workers, hospitality, and travel. We are reaching out to everyone to join forces with us as we recognize the need for extending the $600 FPUC as well as unemployment benefits and raising the maximum base payment of $362 per week at the state level.”

The stagehands are planning to mobilize their members to call both Michigan and U.S. representatives and senators to demand backing for the HEROES Act. It will clarify which politicians support stagehands and gig workers in the events and entertainment industry, and which do not. At their rally on June 24, the crowd chanted, “Extend to the end!” and “They say cut back! We say fight back!”

The rally begins at 10 a.m. on July 15 and brings together IATSE Local 26 of West Michigan, IATSE Local 38 of Detroit Metro, IATSE Local 274 in Lansing, the Michigan AFL-CIO and other union locals throughout Michigan.

#GrandRapidsMI #CapitalismAndEconomy #PoorPeoplesMovements #Unemployment #US #PeoplesStruggles #AFLCIO #DonaldTrump #IATSE #HEROESAct

Grand Rapids, MI – Union stagehands and gig workers are rallying to extend unemployment at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on June 24 at 10 a.m.

“We need unemployment to ‘Extend to the end!’” said one of the organizers, Walter Shink, a union stagehand. Shink is worried that there is no end date for the COVID-19 crisis. For stagehands who work at large concert arenas, inside theaters or at corporate shows, there is no return to work. Most events are not set to come back until 2021.

“Workers are the ones who pay into unemployment. That money belongs to us. In this crisis it should be paid out to those who need it. We are going to be out of jobs for many months and we need income for stagehands and all gig workers in this economy,” said Josh Roskamp, business agent for the stagehands’ union IATSE Local 26 in West Michigan.

Roskamp continued, “There is a lot of anxiety for stagehands and gig workers. This includes ticket takers, security, catering, bartenders and the whole hospitality and entertainment industries. We need the HEROES Act passed by the U.S. Senate and something to replace the CARES Act so we can pay our bills. We need to pay mortgages and rent, we need to feed our children, and health insurance is in jeopardy as rates are about to skyrocket. We know the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Senate already gave away billions to Wall Street. We want President Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell to give us the unemployment money we already worked and paid for. At least we earned it.”

The union’s press release states: “IATSE is the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the labor union behind entertainment. We are the people in black moving behind the scenes of events great and small; more often than not you do not see or hear us. But on Wednesday June 24th we plan to gather at the Lansing State Capitol because in this time of crisis we must be seen and heard.

“Our industry relies on the gathering of large crowds and whether it is a full-scale arena tour, trade show, theatrical performance, comedy show, music festival, community event, or symphony performance there is a large crew of industry professionals who make it all possible. We know the importance of moving back into normalcy with the greatest precautions and understand our industry will be the last to return. We seek to inform the public and our representatives in the house and senate of our dire situation:

- The CARES Act ends July 31 - Michigan unemployment ends at 26 weeks+ 13 - The HEROES Act is in the hands of a skeptical Senate - Numerous tours are postponed or canceled - Many events are tentatively looking to Summer/Fall 2021

“We will not be returning to our craft when the financial relief we have been given thus far is set to expire. The uncertainty of our future weighs heavily on all gig workers, as the necessity of financial assistance is undeniable. Please work with us to extend unemployment benefits during this unprecedented crisis that leaves our profession at a standstill.”

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