Whiting, IN – On Saturday April 11, members of Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and Jobs with Justice Chicago (JwJ Chicago) traveled to Whiting, Indiana to stand in solidarity with the over 800 United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7-1 members who have been facing an illegal lockout by British Petroleum (BP) since March 19.

USW members warmly welcomed the supporters and were anxious to share their story about a fight with one of the most powerful corporations in the world. Despite the vast wealth of the bosses at BP, the locked-out USW members are confident that worker solidarity will prevail in the end.

BP and USW Local 7-1 have been bargaining over a new contract since January 2026. On March 2, BP came to the table with an offer that USW says showed they were not negotiating in good faith with the union. BP’s offer would expand managerial rights significantly, reduce hourly wages, replace seniority-based promotions with promotions only granted after training given by management, and eliminate other bargaining unit rights. The contract proposal from BP would also eliminate around 100 jobs.

BP’s offer was rejected by the USW members through a 98% no vote on March 12. On March 13, BP came back to the table with a revised offer that the USW members say was worse than the March 2 offer. This new offer was also rejected by the union’s negotiating committee on March 17.

On March 19, the BP responded by illegally locking out the USW members. Since the lockout began, BP management has since been making statements to the public about the negotiations and lockout that USW members say have been misleading, and has refused to return to the table and negotiate in good faith.

USW District 7 Director Mike Milsap said, “In its drive to lower staffing levels and implement wage cuts, BP is choosing confrontation and gambling the community safety on inexperienced replacement workers. The lockout is a direct attack on workers’ rights and an attempt to weaken the bargaining power of the very people who can make this facility successful. We are standing united and will not back down from securing a fair agreement.”

BP has brought in hundreds of out-of-state scabs who lack the training and experience of the USW members who regularly run the refinery, posing a risk to public safety for the community of Whiting.

What stood out as the largest concern in BP’s unreasonable offer was the expansion of managerial rights. This would increase BP’s ability to undermine the contract if it was ratified and would defeat the purpose of that contract entirely. USW members say that if they signed that contract they would become a union only on paper with no real rights inside the massive BP oil refinery.

USW Local 7-1 members are preparing for a long fight ahead. In 2021-2022, USW Local 13-243 in Beaumont, Texas faced a ten-month lockout and a campaign by ExxonMobil management to try to push employees to decertify the union. Management from the Exxon refinery in Beaumont have been brought into the BP Whiting refinery during the current clash.

Despite BP’s history of attacks on unions, USW International President Roxanne Brown was defiant and said, “Generations of union members have kept this refinery running safely and efficiently, and they deserve a contract that reflects their value – not intimidation tactics designed to force concessions.”

USW is accepting donations at United Steelworkers Local 7-1, Inc., Strike and Defense Fund, 2045 Schrage Ave, Whiting, IN 46394

#WhitingIN #IN #Labor #Lockout #USW #USW71 #Featured

Starting from Margerum Fountain, the massive crowd of protestors spanned the entirety of the John T. Meyers Pedestrian Bridge as they marched shoulder to shoulder making their way to the Lafayette courthouse. After the massive crowd rounded the courthouse they made their way back to Tapowingo Park to listen to live music and speakers

Protesters demanded an end to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, an end to the terror of ICE, a return to the rule of law, and disparaged the lack of accountability of the Trump administration.

“Today the war that no American asked for has reached a month in length,” said Lea Rush, a member of SDS at Purdue. “As a student I call on all American institutions of higher learning to immediately divest from their military industrial partners. We will not tolerate our schools being the intellectual and technological backbone of terror and genocide all across the world.”

It is clear that wide sectors of people are vehemently against this illegal and unpopular war of aggression. People are tired of billionaires sending young people to fight and die in their dirty wars and the No Kings protest are evidence that there is popular outrage against the Trump administration. People want real change and want it now.

The protest was organized by Indivisible. The No Kings Rally had attendees from various organizations including Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Purdue, JVP Indiana, Greater Lafayette DSA, and YDSA.

To get involved with SDS at Purdue follow us on Instagram @sdsatpurdue and attend our weekly planning meetings every Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Haas Hall room 101.

#LafayetteIN #IN #NoKings #PeoplesStruggles #StudentMovement

But AI is not on the verge of being introduced, it has been introduced into every sector of the economy possible, and the balance sheets are coming up wanting. Last year MIT conducted a study of over 300 firms and found that 95% of them saw no return whatsoever on their investment in AI. British firm PricewaterhouseCoopers reported in its 29th annual CEO survey that over half of respondents had seen no benefit from AI whatsoever, either in the form of reduced costs or higher revenue.

Despite these gloomy reports and increasing fears that the dramatic overvaluation of the tech companies tied into the AI boom is a financial bubble waiting to pop, the tech moguls are still demanding more investment. For the most part, they are getting that investment, whether into sprawling new data centers or the power stations to keep them online. While cultural backlash to AI “slop” is becoming more and more widespread, it is clear that the capitalist class still sees AI as the future.

In trying to understand why, it is important to disaggregate the hype of AI’s most shameless salesmen, like Sam Altman or Elon Musk, from the actual capabilities of the technology. Essentially at its core all of what we see called “AI” is just a series of mathematical equations whose parameters are set by a combination of pre-existing data and manual rules set by its designers. The process of “training” AI can be likened to feeding paper into a shredder that can then recombine the letters and words to form new sentences. The AI is “incentivized” to make “good” sentences, which tends to mean ones that look like a human could have written them. The same goes for photos, videos, or music: all the AI is doing is regurgitating something it was already fed.

Throughout the entirety of the process, then, human labor still plays the essential role. Humans need to make the works to be fed to the AI in the first place, because if AI is trained on AI generated data it begins to “rot” and produce increasingly poor results. Then humans need to design the mathematical procedures for the AI to be “trained,” and humans often have to intervene forcefully to prevent the AI from breaking the law (by relaying legally sensitive information like how to make explosives or creating images of illegal activity like CSAM). Then, to create the final generated product, the AI needs to be prompted to do so by a human, who needs to write the prompt in such a way that the machine gives them the output they want. The value that AI possesses is the value of embodied human labor within it.

This is plainly not what capitalists believe. They think that AI carries in it the same unique capacity that only human labor power possesses: the ability to create new value beyond that which it cost to produce it. Capitalists do not understand that, out of the portion of capital they advance for means of production, and out of the portion of capital they advance for labor power, it is only the latter that creates new value in excess of that initial advance. To them, it simply appears as a profit in excess of the total cost they paid. While AI’s mystification is particularly intense, the capitalist class has never understood this fact about any machine, or indeed about their entire mode of production: the origin of profit is in the unpaid labor time of workers.

It is no coincidence that AI investment and speculation took off in the last five years, in the wake of COVID’s disruptions and the growing power and militancy of the labor movement that emerged out of them. Capitalists are desperate for the next big technological innovation to save them from the contradictions of capitalism, as Mr. Andreessen himself admitted last month. “If we didn't have AI, we'd be in a panic right now about what's going to happen to the economy,” he said on a podcast, claiming that “declining population” (a racist dog whistle he uses alongside Elon Musk) and “slow productivity growth” would be the “real crisis” that AI is thankfully solving.

What he is facing up to is the idea that without populations of “surplus” human beings to form the reserve army of the unemployed, and with the rate of profit falling continuously as more and more capital becomes advanced and embodied in machines that merely transfer value and do not create it, that capitalists are dinosaurs living on borrowed time. As they look up at the meteor of class struggle and socialism plummeting towards them, they are conjuring phantasms and trying to breathe life into them with dollars and electricity. AI can be a useful tool, a means of production like any other, but it will not save capitalism from itself.

#WestLafayetteIN #IN #Commentary #Opinion #CapitalismAndEconomy #AI

Indianapolis, IN – On Sunday, March 15, braving forceful winds, around 20 Indiana residents from around the state gathered in downtown Indianapolis to demand that the United States end its criminal war on Iran and the entire Middle East.

The protest was organized by FRSO Indiana, SDS at Purdue, and SDS at Butler, who answered the national call to action by the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN).

Protesters opened the rally with chants “No justice, no peace, U.S. out of the Middle East,” “From Iran to Palestine, killing children is a crime,” “From Iran to the Philippines, stop the U.S. war machine” and “No blood for oil, U.S. out of foreign soil!” The crowd was highly energized, receiving supportive honks from passing cars and raised fists throughout the rally.

The U.S. war on Iran, waged alongside its partner in genocide, Israel, is now in its second week and shows no signs of letting up. The U.S. has repeatedly claimed that Iran is in disarray and on the brink of defeat, all while the Iranians have launched over 40 waves of coordinated missile attacks on strategic U.S. military assets and Israel. More than 2100 people have already been killed in Iran, and over 3 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes.

“We do not want anyone, Iranian or American, dying for this cruel and senseless war,” said FRSO organizer Erica Schnieder.

Speakers denounced the criminal actions of Trump and Israel, calling out their hatred and abuse of women and disregard for humanity. The crowd held a moment of silence for the over 185 young schoolgirls killed in Minab on the first day of the war as attendees held signs with the names and faces of each person who lost their lives.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #AntiWarMovement #Iran

West Lafayette, IN – On Monday, March 2, over 30 protesters gathered in front of the Armory on Purdue University campus to protest the illegal war on Iran by the United States and the apartheid state Israel.

The protest was held in front of the Armory because that is where Purdue ROTC is based, where military recruiting takes place on campus, and is a longstanding symbol of the militarization of the academy. Purdue University has strong, historical ties with major military contractors and eagerly pushes engineering students to work for these companies after graduation through a well-established pipeline. 

The protest was organized by the Purdue chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), with support from the Purdue chapter of YDSA. Speakers were invited from SDS, YDSA, and the West-Lafayette Revolutionary Student Front

SDS member Tavish Bryan led the protest with chants including, “From Iran to Palestine, killing children is a crime!” “No more sanctions, no more wars! We won’t stay quiet anymore!” and “Trump wants war, Trump wants oil! Hands off Iranian soil!”

“I'm a teacher, and one of my students asked me today, 'Mr. Tavish, did World War III just start?' and I didn't know what to say to them. Can you imagine what the students in Minab would be asking? They might be asking the people who are still alive, 'Why are all of my friends dead?'” Bryan said, referring to the elementary school bombed by the U.S. on the first day of the war.

Protester Ellen Newkirk Jahoda stated, “As someone who's constantly scared of something like a school being shot up, the idea of your school being bombed is just terrible, especially when [schools] are supposed to be a safe space for everyone.”

Purdue has already been implicated in attacks on Iran before this war even began with its illegal, de facto admissions ban of graduate students from China, Russia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Cuba, and most notably, Iran. Graduate students from these countries have already been deported in some cases, creating an atmosphere of dread and terror among those left. 

This ban is spearheaded by the bootlicking Provost Patrick J. Wolfe, who explicitly stated that he will not sign the final admissions for any graduate students from these countries. The university wants to have its cake and eat it too. By leaving the policy unwritten it hopes to leave intact its progressive bona fides and attraction of international talent, while also maintaining servility to the Trump administration.

The provost and his ilk cannot hide behind verbal instructions and closed doors forever, because every day more and more people wake up knowing they must dismantle the war machine in all its forms.

If you want to join that fight, contact SDS at Purdue on Instagram, or join our weekly planning meetings, held at Haas Hall room 101.

#WestLafayetteIN #IN #PurdueSDS #SDS #AntiWarMovement #StudentMovement #Iran

The bill, authored by State Senator Liz Brown of Fort Wayne, revives core portions of an immigration bill she previously refused to hear last year as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This led to an open spat between Brown and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, during which Rokita claimed Brown had held up the bill because she had an “illegal alien” in her family. Brown said these comments were false and filed an attorney misconduct grievance over Rokita’s comments, which ended up dismissed. Then, after the Indiana Senate voted to reject Trump’s gerrymandering scheme in December, Brown was replaced as chair of the committee by State Senator Cyndi Carrasco of Indianapolis.

The fractious Indiana Republicans are now fumbling for unity through this “improved” version of the bill, which is drawing praise from Rokita as properly forceful. Under the law, local governments at all levels would be legally required to comply with federal detainer requests, holding arrested immigrants for 48 hours past their usual release so they can be disappeared by the DHS. Local governments, public schools and universities as well, would be liable for civil penalties of $10,000 per violation of immigration enforcement.

Additionally, the Family and Social Services Administration and hospitals would be required to turn over reams of data about non-citizens who receive benefits from Medicaid, expanding the massive DHS surveillance dragnet. And even the private sector does not escape the crackdown. Employers face threats of temporary or even permanent suspension of their right to operate if found to be employing people deemed “illegal.”

Indiana has had a law on the books outlawing sanctuary cities since 2011, Senate Enrolled Act 590, but the attorney general has had considerable trouble enforcing this ban and is using this law to seek firmer enforcement mechanisms to ensure a clear path for DHS boots to march.

Senate Bill 76 stands to expedite the terror waged against immigrant communities across the U.S. to Indiana’s front door. With the terror comes repression, a futile attempt of Trump’s running dogs to silence any institution willing to fight back. While tightknit communities’ decades long established may lean on each other for support, recent immigrants and rural communities strewn across Indiana face a greater threat of serious harm if targeted.

However, it is doubtful that Rokita and Trump’s other henchmen in Indianapolis will have their way. Resistance to the immigration crackdown is growing across the state. Hundreds of people from all walks of life have hit the streets week after week all across the state since Renee Good was murdered in Minneapolis during “Operation Metro Surge.” Their message has been clear: ICE is not welcome in their streets.

In contrast to the bickering Republicans seething at one another over personal insults and failed legislation, the people of Indiana are finding unity in their common opposition to the murder and kidnapping of their neighbors and do not believe in any special “immunity” for federal immigration jackboots. Even in what some would write off as “Trump Country,” people are standing up to fight back because they know they can win.

If you want to get organized and join that fight in Indiana, you can reach out to FRSO Indiana at frsoindiana@gmail.com, on Instagram at @frso_indiana.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #ImmigrantRights #Opinion #Commentary #ICE #FRSO

Lafayette, IN – On Tuesday, January 27, nearly 300 protesters gathered at the Tippecanoe County courthouse to protest the brutal execution of Alex Jeffrey Pretti by two federal agents in Minneapolis.

Protesters braved the brutal cold to demand an end to ICE’s occupation of Minneapolis and stood to honor Alex Jeffrey Pretti, Renee Nicole Good, Keith Porter, Ismael Ayala-Uribe, Johnny Noviello, and all people killed by ICE.

On the steps of the courthouse, speakers rallied the crowd in defiance of the Trump administration.

The demonstration was organized by Students for a Democratic Society at Purdue, Freedom Road Socialist Organization Indiana, Young Democratic Socialists of America at Purdue (YDSA), and Ayuda Mutua Lafayette Indiana (AMLI).

“We stand here today in solidarity with Chicago, with DC, with LA, with all our immigrant neighbors, because it is right to rebel. It is right to resist,” said Tavish Bryan of FRSO Indiana. “There will be no business as usual while ICE is terrorizing our streets, because these are our streets,” said Bryan.

Protesters marched around the courthouse block to the constant honks and cheers from cars in support. Community members and organizers spoke with local reporters to express their rage at the Trump administration and relay their hope, fueled by the strength of people standing together against ICE.

In a city a fifth the size of Minneapolis, not a single counter-protester was present in the face of such a large, energetic crowd.

“We saw a man murdered in the streets of Minneapolis, and we wanted to show solidarity. This is what ICE does when left unchecked. And we don't believe this organization should exist at all,” said a member of YDSA Purdue.

The crowd persevered even after the speakers finished. As the sun set, the volley of honks and cheers did not let up. “The people united will never be defeated!” rang from the crowd as the temperature fell and the night descended.

ICE's presence in Greater Lafayette is relatively small. Still, Indiana lawmakers have passed legislation requiring state, city and county police to cooperate with ICE or face severe consequences.

SDS member and FRSO cadre Lea Rush emphasized that ICE “will come here soon enough, we need to stand up in defiance before that happens.”

#LafayetteIN #IN #ImmigrantRights #ICE

West Lafayette, IN – On Monday, January 12, over 100 protesters gathered at the busy intersection of State Street and Northwestern Avenue just outside of Purdue University campus to protest and grieve the brutal murders of Renee Nicole Good and Keith Porter, and the killings of Johnny Noviello and Ismael Ayala Urribr, who died in ICE detention from criminal medical neglect.

The protest was organized by the Purdue chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) with attendance from Purdue Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), Greater Lafayette Democratic Socialists of America (GLDSA), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Greater Lafayette Immigrant Allies, and United Tippecanoe Rapid Response Network (UTRRN).

SDS member Reed Stoerck opened the protest, citing the furious anger at the murder of Good and Porter, and the killings of Uribe and Noviello, that have brought people out to the streets, and called on everyone to get organized.

The crowd, composed of students and community members, was impassioned and loud, gathering the attention of people on their commutes home, chanting “IDF, KKK, ICE, they’re all the same!” and “Jonathan Ross is a? Murderer!”

“In her glove compartment, there were no weapons, no explosives, but stuffed animals. Is this what a domestic terrorist would have in their glove compartment?” said Vincent Ferro, a Purdue freshman from Minneapolis who witnessed the cold-blooded murder of Renee Nicole Good. “What's been going on in Minnesota is absolutely just disgusting. It's heartbreaking.”

Melissa Hernandez, a Purdue student, told the crowd, while in tears, “My parents have been waiting 20 years for papers in this country. Never once have they committed a crime!” adding, “They are people too! They are human! They have emotions! We will not live like this and take it anymore!”

Another speaker, who identified themselves as undocumented, said, “I’m an illegal immigrant— I’m not scared to say that – I would like to thank you guys for coming out here. You guys are doing great. If you guys are scared of ICE, just know that we do have a God, and God is by our side, so do not be scared.”

The overall message of the night was to fight despair, get organized, and unite. Many speakers encouraged people to remain vigilant and fight complacency, with others calling for unity and organization.

ICE remains a constant threat to our lives and communities. The best way to fight back is to get organized. Purdue SDS will be hosting a new member meeting at Mad Mushroom on State Street, Thursday, January 22, at 5:30 p.m. Follow us @sdsatpurdue on Instagram.

#WestLafayetteIN #IN #ImmigrantRights #ReneeGood #SDS

Indianapolis, IN – Several hundred people gathered at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis last night, January 8, to express their collective rage, grief and resilience over ICE’s murder of Renee Nicole Good.

Chants of “IMPD, KKK, ICE they’re all the same” and “The people, united, will never be defeated” filled the air as protesters held signs demanding ICE leave their communities and comparing them to the Nazi Gestapo. The crowd was repeatedly cheered by passersby honking their horns as they drove the circle, and people walking by raising their fists in solidarity.

Renee Good was a legal observer of ICE’s latest batch of raids. When ICE saw her vehicle in their way, they surrounded it, shouting contradictory orders at Good both to drive away and leave the vehicle. One officer, Jonathan Ross, jumped in front of Good’s car, drew his weapon, and shot Good to death.

The crowd listened to speakers from Indianapolis Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), About Face: Veterans Against the War, Indianapolis Indivisible, and others. The speakers were totally united in their demand that the killer ICE agent Jonathan Ross face full legal repercussions for the murder he committed.

The crowd was extremely diverse, representing the near universal outrage at the blatant criminality of ICE and the DHS. Many people used signs they’d originally brought to No Kings protests last year, and they were shoulder to shoulder with attendees from the ACLU and Food Not Bombs, chanting “One solution, revolution” alongside the protest organizers.

At multiple points the Monument Circle sound system began its nightly broadcast of red, white and blue propaganda, including a full rendition of America the Beautiful blared at full volume, but the people’s anger and resolve was undimmed.

Speakers connected the brutality and lawlessness of ICE at home directly to that American imperialism has imposed overseas in places like Venezuela and Palestine. At the mention of Palestine, a “Free, free Palestine” chant started at the back of the crowd spontaneously and was soon being taken up by the entire group, including the speaker who began to help lead it.

After the speeches and chanting, the crowd took to the streets, marching and raising a righteous din as bystanders watched in open admiration from storefronts and shop windows. The march concluded at the State Capitol building with speakers reiterating their calls to get organized and fight back against the Trump regime’s racist campaign of terror.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #ImmigrantRights #ReneeGood #ICE #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #KillerICE

Indianapolis, IN – About 60 people gathered Saturday afternoon, January 3, at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis to protest the U.S. military attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Demonstrators chanted, “No war on Venezuela” and “Maduro, aguanta, el pueblo se levanta,” Spanish for “Maduro, hold on, the people are rising up.” Protesters held signs reading “No war for oil” and “Hands off Venezuela,” while passersby honked their horns and raised fists from their cars in support.

Organizers said the emergency protest was called in response to rapidly unfolding events in Venezuela earlier that morning. The United States bombed Venezuela and captured President Maduro during a large-scale military operation launched in the early hours of Saturday.

Reports from Caracas indicated that explosions began around 2 a.m. local time, with multiple military installations and numerous civilian buildings being bombed. The number of casualties remains unknown.

In an official statement, the Venezuelan government condemned the attack as a violation of the United Nations Charter and a threat to regional peace, announcing the activation of national defense plans and the deployment of armed forces. Venezuelan leaders also called for mass popular mobilizations of working people and trade unions. Authorities said they would bring formal complaints before international bodies, including the United Nations, over what they described as a criminal act of war committed by the Trump administration.

Speakers at the Indianapolis rally echoed those condemnations, denouncing the attack as an act of imperial aggression and warning that a U.S. war on Venezuela would be fought for corporate and oil interests at the expense of civilian lives. Several speakers emphasized solidarity with the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Revolution and called for an immediate end to the U.S. war on Venezuela, as well as the safe return of President Maduro.

Trump’s war on Venezuela, though carried out under the bogus pretense of drug trafficking, is being waged at the behest of the monopoly capitalist class that rules the United States. Trump could barely contain himself at the press conference announcing the military operation, pledging to occupy Venezuela and turn its oil over to Western energy corporations. By targeting Maduro, U.S. imperialism is attempting to decapitate the Bolivarian Revolution. In 2002, the United States backed a coup attempt against then-President Hugo Chávez, who was restored to power by the Venezuelan people within 47 hours.

The Bolivarian Revolution is an ongoing national democratic revolution that has been unfolding in Venezuela for over 25 years. Contrary to the claims of the Trump administration, Maduro and the Venezuelan government retain broad support among the working class, peasant farmers, the urban poor, and the workers and peasants in uniform who comprise the military. Despite U.S. sanctions that have placed severe strain on the Venezuelan economy, the country has stood firm in the face of imperialist aggression. As masses of working people in Venezuela mobilize to defend their independence, solidarity and anti-war demonstrations like the one in Indianapolis make clear that they are not alone.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #Antiwarmovement #venezuela

Shelbyville, IN – In a decisive victory for their historic strike for union recognition, table games dealers and dual rate dealers at the Horseshoe Indianapolis casino voted overwhelmingly on Friday, December 5, to join Teamsters Local 135.

In an expedited NLRB election ordered after the end of the government shutdown, striking casino workers delivered a landslide mandate for union representation and forced Caesars Entertainment, the corporation that owns the casino, to recognize their union. The vote took place on day 50 of the strike.

The final tally showed 100 votes for the union and 47 against, a 53-vote margin in favor of Local 135. Caesars management challenged the ballots of 50 of its employees – more than one in four eligible workers – but the challenged ballots were not determinative to the outcome. More than two-thirds of the challenged ballots were cast by striking workers, who voted yes. Caesars also challenged all dual rate ballots, continuing to claim dual rates are “supervisors,” despite multiple NLRB rulings rejecting that position.

A strike-day election

Polling opened at 5 a.m. inside the Horseshoe casino. Across the street, the striking dealers and dual rates held a mass rally before walking together in groups to cast their ballots. The NLRB’s decision to hold the election at the casino was an egregious example of the federal government violating the rights of workers. In ordering the election in this manner, the NLRB effectively forced strikers to cross their own picket line. Despite this gross violation of workers’ rights, turnout was not diminished in the slightest. Every striker voted, and the rally on the picket line across the street continued throughout the day.

When polls closed at 10 p.m., workers again assembled across the street for a victory gathering. An hour later, the results were announced. Striking workers celebrated an overwhelming win for the union.

Horseshoe General Manager Trent McIntosh and Table Games Manager Lee Ann Hinthorne were present during the vote count, along with an attorney from the casino. All three were advised by Littler Mendelson, the anti-union law firm that Caesars paid tens of thousands of dollars per day throughout the campaign. All looked on as the workers delivered a resounding defeat to Caesars’ months-long anti-union effort, which included illegal firings, threats, captive-audience meetings, illegal attempts at strike-breaking, and around-the-clock pressure.

The road to victory and beyond

The December 5 election came exactly 50 days after the strike began on October 17, when day-shift dealers walked off the floor in unison, shutting down table games. The strike came after Horseshoe management refused to honor the union's request to proceed with a neutral-administered election during the government shutdown, which indefinitely postponed all scheduled union elections.

Workers held a continuous, militant, round-the-clock picket line through storms, freezing temperatures, police repression, and a coordinated effort by the city of Shelbyville and Caesars to restrict public space around the casino. Their organization and persistence sharply limited Caesars’ ability to continue union-busting and held the unit together through the shutdown until victory.

Teamsters Local 135 President Dustin Roach called the outcome “a victory written in courage, sacrifice and snow,” saying the workers had “shown the world exactly what it means to fight for dignity.”

In a statement after the vote, Teamsters Local 135 said that the dealers and dual rates “faced down a billion-dollar corporation. They endured pressure, fear tactics, and every trick Caesars could throw at them. They sacrificed paychecks, sleep, family time and comfort — all for each other. And tonight, they won.”

The strike officially concluded on Monday, December 8, when the dealers and dual rates returned to work as recognized Teamsters Local 135 members. They are immediately beginning to organize a strong first-contract campaign.

The Horseshoe recognition strike now stands as one of the most consequential labor victories in recent Indiana history, and a rare example in the modern era of workers using a recognition strike to force a major corporation to the bargaining table.

#ShelbyvilleIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #Strike #Feature

Shelbyville, IN – Thirty days into their historic strike for union recognition, the Horseshoe Indianapolis table games dealers and dual rate dealers marked the milestone the way striking workers always have: together, in solidarity, and in full public view.

At noon on November 15, striking workers and their supporters gathered for “Labor Day in November,” a large cookout held directly across from the Horseshoe Indianapolis casino. Despite being one month into a bitter showdown with casino giant Caesars Entertainment, morale on the line was high and the sense of momentum unmistakable.

More than 100 Teamsters from other shops joined the celebration, alongside members of the UAW, USW, AFSCME, AFT, and other unions from across central Indiana. Indiana State Senator Andrea Hunley and Indianapolis City-County Commissioner Jesse Brown also attended, walking the lines and speaking directly with the dealers and dual rates who have held out for a month in the face of weather, corporate pressure and coordinated strike-breaking by the company and the city of Shelbyville.

A giant Teamsters Local 135 tractor-trailer drove up and down North Michigan Road, blaring its horn in support of the striking workers. At one point, Shelbyville police – who evicted the striking workers from their picket lines on day 20 by force and have effectively operated as Caesars' private security force – pulled the truck over, threatening to ticket the Teamster driver for supposedly “violating a noise ordinance.”

After lunch, the crowd surged back onto the picket lines, now re-established in the grassy public medians along North Michigan Road and CR-200 W, where striking workers stand on public right-of-way and easement. With fresh banners and high spirits, strikers marched in formation, chanting, “Hey Caesars, you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side!”

Dustin Roach, president of Teamsters Local 135, led the crowd in a chant, “Who’s got the power? We got the power! What kind of power? Teamster power!”

Strikers and their supporters leafleted customers as they entered the casino, explaining the strike and urging them not to cross. Many drivers honked, waved, or turned around—another sign of the broad community support the strike has gained.

A militant month

The 30-day mark follows a week of high energy on the line. One night saw picket-line karaoke, drawing dozens of strikers to sing and laugh together despite the cold. On another, two local bands, Work Friends and Boozehounds Bluegrass, held a solidarity concert for the striking dealers and dual rates. Work Friends delivered a set of union classics like Union Maid, and even a Horseshoe-strike version of Which Side Are You On? – featuring the lines:

They say in Shelby County,

There are no neutrals there,

You’ll either stand with Caesars’ greed

Or fight for what is fair.

Later that night, the entire swing shift sang Solidarity Forever together in full view of the casino.

Reviving the recognition strike

The strike began on October 17, when day-shift dealers set phone alarms for noon, closed their lids, secured their tables, raised their hands, and walked off in unison – shutting down table games and launching a 24-hour picket that has held firm ever since.

The walkout followed an NLRB election that was postponed indefinitely because of the government shutdown. Caesars refused to accept a union proposal to hold the scheduled election through a neutral third-party election supervisor, despite both the union and company having previously agreed to all terms of the election.

In response, the workers chose a route rarely seen in the modern U.S. labor movement, a recognition strike – a tactic common before the 1935 NLRA but almost unheard-of today.

Their determination has only grown stronger. The strike has weathered torrential storms, freezing nights, unexpected snow, strike breaking attempts by the city of Shelbyville's police and the company, and more. Through it all, the dealers and dual rates remain disciplined, united, and unwavering.

NLRB reopens and moves toward an election

The federal government shutdown ended on the night of November 12, marking the longest shutdown in U.S. history at 43 days. The NLRB reopened the following day and is now moving to schedule an expedited election for the Horseshoe dealers and dual rates.

Labor Board policy has been to expedite elections when a strike is taking place. With a historically large backlog of elections, hearings and cases stemming from the shutdown, the priority that the Horseshoe election is getting from the NLRB speaks to the effectiveness of the dealers' and dual rates' strike for recognition.

Workers say that whatever date is chosen, they are ready to win their strike and begin bargaining their first contract.

“One day longer, one day stronger”

If Caesars hoped the cold, the storms, or the city’s interference would break the strike, Saturday made clear just how wrong they were. The Day 30 turnout demonstrated growing support from other workers and unions, as well as community members and elected officials.

In the last week, dealers and dual rates began filling out bargaining surveys on the picket line. They are eager to begin the collective bargaining process immediately to address their many issues, including wages, health insurance, PTO and unjust discipline.

As the crowd marched down North Michigan Road after the cookout, one chant echoed louder than any other: “One day longer!” “One day stronger!”

And after 30 days on the line, the Horseshoe dealers and dual rates mean every word.

#ShelbyvilleIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #Strike #IBT135 #Feature

Shelbyville, IN — The historic strike at the Horseshoe Indianapolis casino has taken a dramatic and scandalous turn.

Since October 17, table games dealers and dual rates—workers who deal cards part of the week and serve as floor leads the rest—have led a militant strike demanding that Caesars Entertainment recognize their union with Teamsters Local 135 and bargain over wages, benefits and working conditions.

Caesars, which earned $9.5 billion in revenue in 2024 and reported $336 million from Horseshoe Indianapolis alone, has waged a sweeping anti-union campaign since September. Now the city of Shelbyville has become an active participant on the side of big business.

For 20 days, workers lawfully picketed on the public easements and right-of-way outside the casino’s three entrances on North Michigan Road.

Everything changed on November 5, when Shelbyville police, standing shoulder to shoulder with casino security and management, evicted strikers by force and threatened trespass and arrest. Officers claimed the sidewalks, easement, and roadside were all “private property.” Yet North Michigan Road is a historic public road connecting county roads, lined with homes and farms, and carrying public easements by definition.

How could police justify this sudden reversal?

Because the mayor’s office struck a corrupt bargain with Caesars the day before.

A quiet morning meeting, a major strike-breaking scheme

On November 4, Mayor Scott Furgeson’s administration handed Caesars exactly what it wanted.

That morning, the Shelbyville Board of Public Works and Safety held a brief meeting with only two members present – both appointed by the mayor. There was no public debate, no explanation, and no acknowledgment of the citywide controversy surrounding the strike, despite continuous police presence at the picket line.

In minutes, the board approved a legal agreement with Caesars’ shell company, Centaur Acquisition LLC, redefining ownership of the land in front of the casino.

The city used a long-ignored paperwork technicality to redraw the public right-of-way into the narrowest possible shape, directly aiding Caesars’ efforts to break the strike.

The “Confirmation of Implied Dedication of Roadway Easement” declared that the public only owns the roadway “from curb to curb.” Everything outside the curb, including the entire grassy shoulder and roadside where strikers stood, was declared Caesars’ private property.

The board voted 2-0 to adopt this unusually restrictive dedication. They did not request shoulder access, pedestrian easements, or the traditional centerline-based right-of-way used throughout Indiana.

City Attorney Jennifer Meltzer admitted in the meeting minutes that the original easement from the 2008–09 road realignment was never recorded. Instead of correcting that omission in line with standard Indiana practice, she framed the new dedication as “preventing issues 30 to 50 years down the line.” She made no mention of the immediate issue unfolding outside Horseshoe—where the strike was entering its fourth week.

The timing speaks for itself.

Less than 24 hours later, police move in

On November 5, armed with the new agreement, Shelbyville police and Horseshoe management moved to expel workers from the roadside. Officers tore down tents and canopies set up to withstand freezing nights and threatened arrests for standing where strikers had legally stood for three weeks.

Only when officers sought trespass warrants did a judge refuse to sign them, noting the city could not prove the workers were not on public easement.

The message from city hall was unmistakable: Shelbyville was now enforcing Caesars’ strike-breaking strategy. In doing so, Mayor Furgeson has revealed himself as an enemy of the very working families he is supposed to serve.

Scandal in Shelbyville

Caesars is a multi-billion-dollar corporation desperate to stop its workers from forming a union. The strike has severely damaged operations and profits. Instead of remaining neutral, Mayor Scott Furgeson’s administration intervened on the company’s behalf, using government power to eliminate public space, restrict free speech and undermine federally protected labor rights.

The deal was rushed through quietly, with no public comment and no transparency. It wasn’t “administrative clean-up.” It was a political favor to a corporation during an active strike.

The strike unbroken

On the night of November 5, more than 100 striking workers and supporters flooded the Shelbyville city council meeting to condemn the city for siding with Caesars. The next day, many dealers wrote letters to Mayor Furgeson and called his office directly. Strike captains are preparing further escalation to force the city to abandon its support for Caesars’ union-busting tactics.

Despite the city’s maneuver, the Horseshoe strike remains unbroken. Strikers have regrouped across the street on a confirmed public lot, continuing 24/7 picketing under bitter conditions.

Disciplined, determined and militant, the dealers and dual rates have made one thing clear: They will not stop until their union is recognized.

#ShelbyvilleIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #IBT135 #Strike #Feature

Shelbyville, IN - The strike for union recognition at the Horseshoe Indianapolis Casino has now entered its fourth week, marking more than 23 days on the picket line for table games dealers and dual rate dealers. These workers, who greet one another each day with the call-and-response “One day longer” and “One day stronger,” are carrying out one of the most significant and courageous private-sector labor battles in modern Indiana history, and one of the only major recognition strikes seen in the United States in decades.

Their struggle is being closely watched across the state and around the country. The dealers and dual rates are fighting to preserve their rights, defend free speech, and win democratic recognition in the face of corporate union-busting, a federal shutdown, and now an unprecedented attempt by the city of Shelbyville to help Caesars Entertainment crush the strike by forcibly removing lawfully picketing workers from public land.

The road to the strike

Dealers and dual rates – workers who deal cards part of the week and serve as floor leads the other part – began organizing with Teamsters Local 135 roughly six months ago. Although Caesars misclassifies dual rates as “supervisors,” they have no authority to hire, fire or discipline; they are workers like everyone else.

By early September, the group had reached super-majority support for forming a union. On September 4, they marched on the boss and demanded voluntary recognition. Caesars refused. Workers then offered a neutral card check. Caesars refused again.

Local 135 filed for an NLRB election, originally proposing September 26. Caesars pushed for October 17. Knowing the company could stall the process even further through hearings, the union accepted the date and location proposed by management.

Immediately afterward, Caesars launched a full-scale union-busting campaign with the notorious law firm Littler Mendelson, known nationwide for helping employers crush organizing drives. Workers were bombarded with captive-audience meetings, threats, surveillance and nonstop anti-union television propaganda. Local 135 filed multiple unfair labor practice charges in response.

The shutdown, the delay and the strike authorization vote

On October 1, the federal government shut down after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. The NLRB ceased elections, including the Horseshoe vote planned for October 17.

Within hours, Local 135 proposed a solution: move forward with the October 17 election using a neutral, licensed third-party election supervisor under the exact rules already agreed to by both sides. Caesars refused to even acknowledge the proposal.

Workers now faced a choice. They could wait months for the NLRB to reopen and expect management to escalate union-busting in the meantime. Or they could revive a tactic that built the American labor movement before 1935: namely, a strike for union recognition.

In mass meetings, workers chose the latter. On October 10, in a secret ballot vote open to all dealers and dual rates, 92% voted to authorize a recognition strike.

October 17: The walkout that shut down table games

At exactly 12:00 noon on October 17, day-shift dealers set alarms on their phones – since casinos have no clocks. When the alarms sounded, they closed their lids, secured their tables, raised their hands, announced the strike, and walked off the casino floor together.

Outside, they were joined by grave and swing shift workers, and more than 100 Teamsters supporters. All entrances were soon covered by 24-hour picket lines. Table games were shut down.

The strike was on.

A powerful strike line – day and night, through rain and cold

From day one, the picket lines have been militant, disciplined and unbroken. Workers marched in formation. They leafleted customers. They carried signs like “Horseshoe Teamsters Hold All the Cards” and “Horseshoe Teamsters on Strike.”

For 23 days straight, they have held the lines in pouring thunderstorms, freezing nights and high winds. On October 18 and 19, storms tore down canopies and destroyed signs. By sunrise, day-shift strikers had rebuilt everything.

Some dealers who did not initially join the strike have come outside on strike since the beginning. One woman noted that management has taken to working the dealers inside excessive hours and refusing to grant “early outs,” or EOs, even in cases of being sick or a child's birthday.

The strike has also had real economic impact. Customers have turned back in large numbers, vendors have refused to cross, and Horseshoe’s table games operation has been reduced to a fraction of normal capacity. Sysco, UPS, Pepsi and other Teamster-represented vendors have honored the line. Caesars has resorted to unmarked, unrefrigerated box trucks to move food, and even then, workers intercepted and blocked deliveries.

Even as managers from these companies intervened to drive deliveries across the picket line, reports from inside the casino show an increasingly dire situation for the casino, including spoiled chocolate milk and empty vending machines. Escalators, which union technicians refuse to service behind a picket line, remain inoperable.

Recognition strike rattles Caesars and the city

Customer traffic plunged. Halloween, which was on a Friday, was unusually slow owing to the effect of the picket line. Caesars has attempted to lure in scabs from Harrah’s Hoosier Park with $45 per hour pay and $50 gas cards. They also began hosting “banquets” for high-tier customers (Diamond, Seven Star, GM Club) in an attempt to appear unaffected. Many of those elite customers, however, have joined the strike publicly and announced they will boycott Horseshoe until the union is recognized.

Striking workers kept the picket lines militant, loud and visible. No player was able to get into the casino without being talked to by the striking dealers and given a flyer, asking them not to cross. With thundering chants of, “What do we want? Union! When do we want it? Now!” and “If we don't get it? Shut it down!,” customers either pledged to not cross in the future or complained to their hosts inside about the strike. Both responses help the strike.

Feeling this pressure, Caesars turned to its puppets in the city of Shelbyville. For 20 lawful days, strikers picketed on the public easements along North Michigan Road, land that has been public since the city moved the road in 2007. But on November 5, in a backroom maneuver, the city suddenly declared nearly all land beside the curb to be private Caesars property – even though the casino does not maintain, plow, pave, or own the roadway and cannot legally “own” public right-of-way.

Shelbyville police, standing shoulder to shoulder with casino security and management, attempted to forcibly evict the strikers from their lawful picket areas.

Teamsters Local 135 President Dustin Roach and Dairy Teamster Brody Kanouse refused to retreat, in an act of civil disobedience. Police sought trespass warrants, but a judge declined, noting that officers could not prove the workers were not on public easement. Workers stood on the public land across the street, chanting “Shame!” as officers and managers ripped apart their tents and canopies, which were erected on a public easement to withstand the cold and the rain.

Dealers fight back: Legal action, political pressure and escalation

That night, over 100 striking workers and supporters flooded the Shelbyville city council meeting, the largest turnout in decades. Workers demanded that the city stop acting as an arm of Caesars Entertainment and defend working families instead of corporate power.

On November 6, Local 135 filed a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction against the city of Shelbyville and the Shelbyville Police Department for violating workers’ First Amendment rights, their NLRA-protected right to picket, and the protections guaranteed by the Indiana Constitution.

On November 7, a federal judge ordered the city to respond by Monday at noon, with union rebuttal due at 4 p.m. A ruling is expected shortly thereafter. The union is demanding full injunctive relief to restore strikers’ rights to picket on long-established public easements.

Meanwhile, strikers continue holding the line from a smaller section of confirmed public land across the road – complete with Scabby the Rat towering over the entrance for anyone who chooses to cross.

The significance of the recognition strike

Recognition strikes were once common before the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, but today, they are almost unheard of. Very few private-sector unions have struck for recognition in a generation. The Horseshoe Indianapolis dealers and dual rates are doing what workers did in the 1910s, 1920s and early 1930s: using the strike itself as the democratic mechanism to win a union when the legal process has been weaponized against them.

Their decision to strike has already changed the political landscape in Shelbyville and forced national attention onto Caesars’ conduct. Workers say they will continue the strike “one day longer, one day stronger” until Horseshoe recognizes the union and respects their right to collectively bargain a decent contract.

Whether the judge grants the injunction or not, the workers remain resolute in the fight to break management and have the union they formed recognized.

#ShelbyvilleIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #Strike #Feature

Shelbyville, IN – At noon on October 17, the movement to unionize Horseshoe Indianapolis erupted into open action as the table games dealers and dual rate dealers walked off the job and launched a strike for union recognition with Teamsters Local 135. “Dual rates” split their workweek as dealers and floor leads.

Hundreds of people packed the strike kickoff outside the casino – including a strong majority of the more than 200 dealers and dual rates – turning the Horseshoe entrance into a sea of picket signs, chants and Teamster unity. Many carried signs reading “Horseshoe Teamsters hold all the cards” and “Horseshoe Teamsters on strike.”

The strike began with a dramatic show of worker power on the casino floor. Because casinos have no clocks, day-shift dealers set alarms on their phones to hit exactly noon. When the alarms sounded, dealers closed their lids, secured their tables, and announced that they were on strike before marching off the casino floor together and pouring out the front entrance. They were joined by dual rates and other supporters in a strike procession that stretched across the property as they joined the picket lines.

From the outset, the strike took on a powerful and militant character. Workers established 24-hour picket lines at every entrance of the casino, vowing to shut down business as usual until Horseshoe recognizes their union.

The chants were deafening. “What do we want? Union! When do we want it? Now!” and “If we don’t get it – shut it down!” echoed across the property while cars honked in support.

Workers handed out fliers to customers calling for a boycott of the casino until management agrees to recognize their union and negotiate a fair contract. Management responded by calling in lines of casino security and Shelbyville police, who positioned themselves alongside management in an attempt to intimidate workers. It didn’t work.

Despite police threats, workers held the line, raised canopies, patrolled crosswalks, and kept pickets moving. Eventually the picket lines were established and the police presence pulled back.

The strike comes after weeks of escalating tension at Horseshoe. A majority of dealers and dual rates began organizing earlier this year and demanded union recognition on September 4. Instead of respecting workers’ choice, Horseshoe management launched a union-busting campaign led by the notorious anti-union law firm Littler Mendelson. Workers were forced into mandatory anti-union meetings, threatened, surveilled and fed misinformation. Teamsters Local 135 filed multiple unfair labor practice charges in response.

After management refused voluntary recognition, workers filed for an NLRB election. The vote was scheduled for October 17 – but on October 1, the federal government shutdown forced the NLRB to postpone all elections indefinitely. To keep the vote on schedule, Teamsters Local 135 proposed using a neutral third-party election supervisor under the same rules already agreed to by both sides. Horseshoe management ignored the proposal and used the shutdown to stall the process even further.

With no election in sight and management refusing to respect workers’ rights, the dealers and dual rates voted 92% on October 10 to authorize a strike for recognition. One week later, they delivered on that promise.

Now, the strike at Horseshoe Indianapolis is one of the most significant private-sector labor battles in Indiana in years, and one of the only recognition strikes in recent Teamster history.

The message from the strike line is loud and clear: the workers who run Horseshoe are standing united, and they aren’t backing down. Striking Horseshoe Teamsters are asking players and customers of the casino to stand with them and boycott Horseshoe Indianapolis until management recognizes the union.

The picket line is open to public support out front of the Horseshoe Indianapolis casino on 4300 N Michigan Road, Shelbyville, Indiana.

#ShelbyvilleIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #IBT135 #Strike #Feature

Shelbyville, IN – Table games dealers and dual rates at the Horseshoe Indianapolis casino have authorized a strike for union recognition.

At an October 14 press conference, Teamsters Local 135 President Dustin Roach announced that 92% of dealers and dual rates voted yes to authorize a strike. The vote, held on October 10 directly across from the casino, saw participation by a strong majority of both groups.

Roach was joined by more than 50 dealers and dual rates carrying “Teamster power” signs and a banner reading “Respect is a Teamster contract.” After addressing the press, the group chanted, “Tick tock, you’re on the clock,” signaling the countdown to a potential work stoppage if management refuses to recognize the union.

Background

Horseshoe Indianapolis is owned by Caesars Entertainment and ranks as the company’s second-most profitable property outside of Las Vegas, earning $336 million last year.

Most workers at Horseshoe are already covered by a union contract bargained by three unions that make up the Central Indiana Gaming Council. Teamsters Local 135 represents all slot attendants and warehouse workers at the casino.

This year, the largest remaining group of nonunion casino workers – nearly 200 table games dealers and 30–40 “dual rates,” who split their workweek as dealers and floor leads, launched an organizing campaign with Teamsters Local 135. They demanded union recognition on September 4.

Management refused to recognize the union voluntarily, leading Local 135 to file for an election through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The union proposed a vote three weeks from filing; management pushed for October 17 instead. To avoid further delay, the union agreed.

Horseshoe management also tried to divide the workforce by claiming that dual rates were supervisors and ineligible to join the union. The union rejected that tactic and successfully secured their eligibility to vote “subject to challenge.”

Corporate union-busting

According to the union, Horseshoe management launched an aggressive anti-union campaign after workers demanded recognition. Managers held small-group and one-on-one meetings, threatened pro-union employees, and flooded casino TVs with anti-union propaganda. Teamsters Local 135 has filed multiple unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB.

At the center of this campaign is Littler Mendelson, a high-priced anti-union law firm known for helping corporations block organizing drives.

Dealers and dual rates say, “Enough is enough”

Dealer Ericka Hacker said working conditions have worsened even as Horseshoe’s profits have soared.

“Over the last two or three years, things have changed—and not for the better,” Hacker said. “Corporate has become increasingly focused on profits over people. Dealers who helped build this department since it launched in 2020 are now being rewarded with insulting 3% raises—just 11 cents an hour—and that’s only if you qualify.”

She added that management has “taken away our Christmas bonuses,” forced workers to work through “pre-approved vacations, floods and gas leaks,” and changed short-term disability benefits without notice.

“Instead of listening to our concerns, we’re told we’re replaceable,” Hacker said. “We’re tired—tired of being undervalued, tired of being ignored, tired of corporate pocketing record profits while the workers who keep this place running get the short end of the stick. That’s why my coworkers and I are coming together to form a union and team up with Teamsters Local 135 to give us a voice.”

Government shutdown

On October 1, Congress failed to pass a spending bill, triggering a federal government shutdown that halted operations at the NLRB. The agency announced that all scheduled elections and hearings were “postponed indefinitely.”

“Our union election was scheduled for October 17 but was delayed due to the shutdown,” said Zachary Holbrook, a dual rate at Horseshoe. “In good faith, we proposed moving forward with a neutral third party to oversee the election. But management chose to ignore that request and instead used the delay to spread fear and misinformation.”

Horseshoe management has ignored Local 135’s proposal, which would have protected workers’ right to vote in their scheduled election.

Strike authorization

With no timeline for a government reopening—or for rescheduling the NLRB election—the organizing committee held a strike authorization vote on October 10.

If the company continues to ignore the workers’ demand for recognition, Local 135 says a strike could begin as early as this week.

Roach made it clear that the union is prepared to stand its ground.

“Let me be clear: if Horseshoe casino thinks they can steal, intimidate or silence these workers, they’re dead wrong,” Roach said. “Local 135 will stand shoulder to shoulder with these dealers and dual rates until their voices are heard, their rights are respected, and their union is recognized. The time for excuses is over. It’s time for justice.”

#ShelbyvilleIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #IBT135 #Feature

Indianapolis, IN — On October 9, striking Teamsters at Brulin Holding Company marked the eighth day of their unfair labor practice strike with a defiant rally outside the company’s Indianapolis facility.

Workers, fellow union members and community supporters filled the picket line with chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, Brulin’s greed has got to go!” and “Hey Nelly, hear our call – stop breaking federal law!” The latter was directed at Brulin’s head of human resources.

“I don’t know when this is going to end,” said Mark Caldwell, a Brulin Teamster who addressed the crowd. “All I know is that if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

Brulin is a chemical manufacturer responsible for cleaning products used in most Kroger grocery stores in the area. During the pandemic, they saw massive profits as their workers labored to meet increased demand. But even as tens of millions of dollars in revenue flowed in, the workers did not have a raise in four years.

Teamsters Local 135 called an unfair labor practice strike at Brulin after the company broke the law at the bargaining table. Management put forward insulting counterproposals to the union’s demand for substantial raises, calling it their “last, best and final offer.” Further illegal conduct demonstrated their refusal to bargain in good faith, which led Local 135 to file an unfair labor practice, or ULP, with the National Labor Relations Board. Brulin Teamsters then voted unanimously to authorize a strike.

Despite management’s efforts to bring in replacement workers, the 12 Brulin Teamsters remain united and determined to win a fair contract. Not a single member has crossed the picket line. Everyone spends six to eight hours picketing the company’s three entrances, Monday through Saturday. Brulin is not open on Sundays.

“Brulin broke federal labor law,” said Teamsters Local 135 President Dustin Roach. “These workers are out on an unfair labor practice strike because the company refused to bargain in good faith. This could be over today if Brulin would just come back to the table and respect its workers.”

The rally drew strong community and political support, with Indiana State Representative Mitch Gore and Indianapolis City-County Councilor Jesse Brown joining the line to stand with workers. Both gave fiery speeches denouncing Brulin’s refusal to bargain in good faith and praising the courage of the striking workers.

Brulin workers continue to hold the line at 2920 Dr. Andrew J. Brown Avenue, calling for fair pay, respect and an end to the company’s illegal conduct at the bargaining table.

Teamsters Local 135 invites supporters in other unions and the community to show their support on the picket line, Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #Strike #IBT135

Indianapolis, IN — Teamsters at Brulin Holding Company went out on strike in the early morning hours of October 1. The strike was called by Teamsters Local 135 in response to unfair labor practices committed by Brulin management during contract negotiations, which have dragged on for months.

With picket lines at all three company entrances, workers chanted, “What do we want? Fair contract! When do we want it? Now!” and “If we don’t get it, shut it down!” They also put up a giant Scabby the Rat inflatable at the front entrance on Dr. Andrew J. Brown Avenue.

Richard Dean, a manufacturer at Brulin for two years, described the reasons for the strike, “Instead of wanting to work with their employees, they’re only about their business. Brulin is choosing their own profits over making their employees’ lives easier.”

According to Teamsters Local 135, the company has refused to bargain in good faith, prompting the union to file an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Speaking on the company’s tactics, Dean continued, “How is that your last and best offer when it’s the first offer you’ve made? It makes me see they’re more corporate-oriented than caring about our families, which is what they say.”

Workers at Brulin have gone without a contractual pay increase for three years. The company, which manufactures cleaning chemicals and supplies, saw enormous profits during and after the pandemic – profits made possible only by the workers’ labor.

“They think we’re overpaid,” said Doug Johnson, who has worked in shipping and receiving at Brulin for almost 13 years. Johnson, who sits on the union’s bargaining committee, continued, “I think they ain’t loyal to their senior workers, and that’s what gets me. You’ve got people who have been here 16 or 17 years, and they’re always kicked to the back burner – when we apply for another position or even during layoffs. That ain’t the way you do people when they serve you for however many years. That’s not cool. You’ve got to respect your seniors.”

Ambulatory picketing at the gates in the early morning caused a line of cars to back up as striking Teamsters chanted, “What do we want? Fair contract! When do we want it? Now!”

Dustin Roach, president of Teamsters Local 135, stated, “Brulin thinks they can get away with starving out their workers for three years, but our members aren’t backing down. They are united, they are strong, and they will not accept anything less than the fair pay and respect they’ve earned. Brulin has bargained in bad faith, and that’s why Local 135 has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB. The time for games is over – it’s time for Brulin to do right by its workers.”

The strike deadline was set for September 30 at 11:59 p.m. After last-minute preparations that day, with Roach and Business Agent Jesse Mikesell meeting members at the facility, the union warned that Brulin’s refusal to change course left workers with no choice but to strike.

Shortly after the strike began, Indianapolis City-County Councilman Jesse Brown arrived to walk the picket line with Brulin Teamsters. Bringing coffee and snacks, he joined in the chants and ambulatory picketing of Brulin’s south entrance.

The union has called on the broader labor movement and community allies to join the workers on the picket line outside Brulin’s Indianapolis location at 2920 Dr. Andrew J. Brown Avenue.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #Labor #Teamsters #IBT135 #Strike #Feature

Indianapolis, IN – More than 60 members of Teamsters Local 135 rallied outside the UPS facility in Plainfield on Tuesday, August 19, as company UPS CEO Carol Tomé visited the site. The action put the company’s top executive face-to-face with UPS workers’ anger over rampant contract violations, illegal buyout schemes, and building closures that threaten job security and working conditions.

“Local 135 has a simple message for Carol Tomé,” said Dustin Roach, president of Teamsters Local 135. “We're done tolerating corporate games and illegal practices.”

The rally took place outside the UPS Plainfield hub, the largest in the Indianapolis metro area. Teamsters quickly raised a giant “greedy pig” inflatable, said to represent Tomé’s tenure as CEO, and carried signs reading “No way Tomé” and “UPS lies.”

Local 135 organized the rally in response to UPS’s pattern of ignoring the national contract, including violations of the 9.5-hour work protections for package drivers, excessive overtime, building closures and layoffs, heat safety violations and more. Members also singled out the company’s attempt to push an illegal buyout scheme as a direct attack on workers’ rights and livelihoods.

“UPS cannot claim to be a world-class company while engaging in blatant disregard for the contract it signed with its workers,” said Roach. “Our members deliver for this company every single day, and we will not stand by while management tears down the standards we've fought to secure.”

For several hours, workers gathered out front chanting, “Who are we? Teamsters!” and “Teamsters make the business run, Carol Tomé contributes none!” In addition to the main demonstration, smaller groups of workers with signs posted themselves at two other entrances to the facility, determined to confront the CEO wherever she might try to enter.

Shortly after noon, a black Cadillac Escalade carrying Tomé was spotted driving past the building’s entrances. Teamsters at the main rally site saw her filming the demonstration, greedy pig inflatable and all, with her phone as the SUV passed without entering. Rallygoers cheered, raised their fists and chanted, “Who’s got the power? We’ve got the power! What kind of power? Union power!”

About an hour later, Teamsters near the truck entrance gate reported the vehicle with Tomé finally entering the facility.

Her visit was brief. Teamsters at a little-used back gate reported her Escalade leaving the premises about 30 minutes later. Once again, she was confronted by workers chanting and carrying signs in protest.

The demonstration underscored both Local 135’s commitment to enforcing the contract and the larger fight by UPS Teamsters across the country to hold the company accountable. Workers at the rally emphasized that their stand in Plainfield is part of a national struggle to defend the contract gains secured in the historic 2023 Teamsters-UPS agreement.

“If UPS wants to move forward, they need to start respecting the contract and respecting the people who built this company into what it is today,” said Roach.

#IndianapolisIN #IN #Labor #UPS #Teamsters #IBT135 #Feature

West Lafayette, IN – On Monday, July 7, after months of dedicated community action, the West Lafayette city council voted unanimously to pass a resolution protecting gender-affirming care.

After a months-long campaign, a resolution to protect gender-affirming care was brought to a vote at Monday's city council meeting. Months before the vote, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) organized a rally outside the city council building to demand that the resolution be put on the agenda. Following up on this action, members of FRSO and the community met with city council members to discuss the resolution. FRSO mobilized the community to speak at the June 2 city council meeting in support of the resolution. All of this led up to Monday, when more than 40 people, all carrying trans flags, packed the house.

Among those 40 people were representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana (ACLU), Pride Lafayette, Greater Lafayette Democratic Socialists of America, Standing Up for Racial Justice, and the FRSO. All showed up to urge the city council to pass the resolution despite nationwide attacks on transgender people.

“The rights of queer Hoosiers are coming under increasing attack by those who would deny our very existence and use our existence, especially those of our trans siblings, as a wedge issue to sow division and hatred,” said executive director of Pride Lafayette Derrick Jones.

The resolution officially recognizes gender-affirming care as a valid form of medical care and protects both providers and patients. Despite this, the resolution cannot overturn existing state and federal legislation. Regardless of the limitations of the resolution, both the city council and the community recognized its power.

Samantha Bresnahan of the ACLU Indiana said the resolution, “serves as an important safeguard for access to gender-affirming care. Through our work, we’ve seen firsthand the harm caused by the growing number of attacks on the transgender community. Not just here in Indiana, but across the country. These attacks have come in many more forms: executive orders, court rulings, new state laws—including here in Indiana, and regulatory changes. Together they form a broader effort to push transgender people out of public and civic life.”

“To the point of this being a small measure. I don’t think it is. Like the woman before me said, it can’t change the law, but it’s an important step in showing that this is a fight, an uphill battle we should be willing to take on,” said Jack Nowinski, a local community member.

Applause filled the room after each of the 13 speakers made a public comment, and as the city council made its vote, in unanimous support of the resolution.

“The city of West Lafayette has just affirmed any unnecessary legal action against providers or receivers of gender-affirming care is going to be a low priority,” said AJ Dunn, a member of FRSO.

The fight is not over. In 2024, the city of Bloomington passed a similar resolution, and FRSO, with the support of the people, has set a goal to bring this resolution to the greater Lafayette area and the city of Kokomo. The people of West Lafayette have shown us what is possible when we stand up and fight for our rights. No matter the attacks from the Trump administration and attacks from Indiana state legislators, the people refuse to back down.

FRSO holds monthly meetings at the West Lafayette Public Library and the main branch of the Kokomo Howard County Public Library. Follow us on Instagram and email us at frsoindiana@gmail.com to sign up for our newsletter.

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