Chicago, IL – At 7 a.m. on Thursday, June 24 nurses represented by National Nurses United (NNU) In Chicago, Illinois began a 24-hour strike against Cook County's health facilities’ management. The nurses are striking to end chronic staff shortages which they say have been undermining care for patients and the communities.

In addition to the NNU nurses, social workers represented by the Service Employees International Union, Local 73 (SEIU 73) will begin open-ended picketing of the same facilities, including John H. Stroger Hospital, Cermak Health Services, the Cook County jail, and Provident Hospital. The strike and the picketing are receiving support from the Chicago Teachers Union as well, which is encouraging its members to attend the pickets.

NNU member Consuelo Vargas is an emergency room registered nurse at Stroger Hospital and had the following to say, “Nurses are being pushed to a breaking point. Many patients have gone without care during the pandemic and are now beginning to seek treatment for their ongoing medical conditions. Yet we are constantly understaffed, and because of that, we are losing experienced nurses. In fact, we have lost a century of nursing experience over a six-week time span because so many of our experienced nurses left because they felt they could not provide the best care to their patients. We do not want to strike, we want to be at the bedside, but it is time for Cook County to create a plan to hire nurses to care for our community.”

NNU and SEIU Local 73 say they are striking and picketing to show Cook County health management that patients deserve safe responsible staffing levels and better services for communities in need.

#ChicagoIL #nurses #Illinois

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by the #ByeBrannigan campaign. On Tuesday, April 6th, 2021, the #ByeBrannigan campaign, led by Arab community organizers of the southwest suburbs of Chicago, mobilized hundreds of Palestinians, Yemenis, and other Arabs to the polls to defeat the racist Sharon Brannigan, who lost the race for Palos Township Assessor in a landslide to incumbent Robert Maloney.

But it wasn't Maloney who won the election. It was the Arab community and its allies that are responsible for this historic victory, three years and nine months after the launching of the #ResignBrannigan Coalition, which first protested Brannigan, the former Palos Township Trustee, in response to racist, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim statements she has posted online.

For almost four years, southwest suburban Arabs and other residents attended every monthly Palos Township board meeting, demanding Brannigan’s resignation, her censure by the rest of the board, and more transparency and accountability from the township in general.

Despite verbal threats from Brannigan, some of the other board members, and other racists she recruited to attend the meetings, protesters never wavered, turning many of the gatherings into educational workshops on racism, white supremacy, and hate groups; free speech filibusters; and even civil disobedience.

Brannigan and the board’s attempts to silence the community consistently failed, even after they hired a security company to bully protesters and call the Palos Hills police, leading to the arrests of five #ResignBrannigan leaders. Protesters were vindicated, however, when the judge deemed Brannigan’s testimony “contradictory,” dismissed the case, and “essentially affirmed the right of protestors to chant and challenge Brannigan and other trustees at the township meetings,” according to an October 2020 statement from the Arab American Action Network.

#WhenWeFightWeWin

“Yes, Brannigan is a Trump Republican, and received political support from Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, who is also the chair of the county’s Republican Party,” said Husam Marajda, #ByeBrannigan Campaign Coordinator, “and yes, the southwest suburbs of Chicago is predominantly white and right wing, and historically votes Republican.”

“But she was also supported by other members of the township board who are independents or Democratic Party operatives,” Marajda added, “so in its essence, #ByeBrannigan was not supporting Maloney or practicing partisanship. It was formed and organized exclusively to defeat Brannigan and her racism and white supremacy.”

Some forces in the Arab community did not support the original tactics of #ResignBrannigan, believing instead that it should practice “respectability politics” and insist to the township board that Arabs and Muslims are “good neighbors and good people.” Some wanted to negotiate with Brannigan and accept her disingenuous apologies. And some supported Brannigan outright, with one Arab institution honoring her and Morrison together at a banquet, and other right-wing Arabs publishing articles or social media posts attacking the protesters and defending her racism.

But these voices were easily isolated, as the broader working class and immigrant Arab community was mobilized for close to four years to protest Brannigan’s racism. This base learned lessons from the Black liberation movement and other anti-racist campaigns, understanding that white supremacists can never be left unchallenged, because hate speech leads to violence against the communities directly affected by it. This was seen many times in the past five years, ever since the announcement of Trump’s presidential campaign. When legislators like him spew hatred, racists and white supremacists are emboldened to attack.

And this is why #ResignBrannigan confronted Brannigan and her supporters at every turn, why it refused “dialogue” and “negotiations” with the racists, and why it did not choose appeasement. Thousands of community members participated in some aspect of the protests over the years, because #ResignBrannigan had the correct, confrontational line against the enemy, and the majority of Arabs in the township agreed with it.

#ResignBrannigan protests continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic, with community members joining the Palos Township board’s public Zoom calls to oppose Brannigan and her apologist board colleagues, and coalition leaders organizing car caravans to drive through board members’ home neighborhoods and expose their racism.

Election operations

When Brannigan announced that she was running for Palos Township Assessor instead of reelection as a trustee, #ResignBrannigan immediately declared a small victory, even though her opportunist fellow trustees tried (unsuccessfully) to separate themselves from her racism by running on a slate without her. #ResignBrannigan understood that she had grown tired of the monthly protests and was trying to run away from them without resigning. Little did she know that #ByeBrannigan would not allow her to rest.

The independent #ByeBrannigan campaign ran an operation that made over 20,000 phone calls to Arab and other voters in the township, and knocked on close to 5,000 doors, calling on residents to vote against racism and white supremacy, to vote against Brannigan. Its negative campaigning hardly mentioned Maloney at all, focusing instead on Brannigan’s posts, words, and actions.

Make no mistake. Arab voters were not mobilized by their interest in a township election. They were not mobilized by Arab candidates running for other seats. They were not mobilized by Maloney.

Arab voters were mobilized to defeat Brannigan. They were mobilized by #ByeBrannigan to defend their community and their people by defeating Brannigan’s racism and white supremacy.

And we won!

#ChicagoIL #Illinois #SharonBrannigan #ArabCommunity

Chicago, IL – 1000 people marched in Chicago, May 1, from Union Park to the Haymarket Memorial, and then into downtown Chicago to Trump Towers. The front banners read “Stop the deportations!” “Stop the hate! Stop Trump!” “Yes to DAPA/DACA!” “Yes to legalization!” and “Yes to workers’ rights!”DAPA and DACA refer to President Obama’s executive orders for deferred action – Deferred Action for Parental Accountability, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

At the Haymarket Memorial earlier in the afternoon, the Illinois Labor History Society and the Chicago Federation of Labor gathered for their annual event to commemorate the martyrs of Haymarket. In 1886, the tradition of International Workers Day was born from a general strike by hundreds of thousands of workers in the U.S. The rich in Chicago called for the leaders of the strike to be rounded up and hung by the government.

This year, the commemoration honored the World Federation of Trade Unions. The Filipino union federation, Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement) also sent a solidarity statement which was read at the memorial.

#ChicaoIL #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #ImmigrantsRights #MayDay #PeoplesStruggles #chicago #DACA #Illinois #DAPA #laborRights

Fight Back News Service is circulating the speech delivered by Rasmea Odeh at the Chicago celebration of International Women’s Day.

It is really powerful to speak with all of you as we celebrate International Women’s Day, originally called International Working Women’s Day, a day historically linked to the year 1908, when 15,000 factory working women organized a march that filled New York City’s streets demanding equality and other social rights such as shorter work hours, better pay, voting rights, and an end to child labor. A few years later, over 140 women died in a NY factory fire caused by horrible working conditions.

These events became symbols of the importance of women in the working class and national liberation movements for equal rights and independence, and the Second International Conference of Socialist Women in 1910 officially established March 8th as International Woman’s Day. Since then the world has witnessed a significant shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and liberation. Women are standing strongly for their rights in spite of the complex system of patriarchy that attempts to keep us down.

As long as we believe in ourselves and have confidence in the justice of our struggles, we will accomplish our hopes and dreams. First and foremost, this includes working hard to win women’s rights and to eliminate the disease of racism and national oppression against Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, Black people, Latinos, Asians, and other people of color in this country. We can accomplish this by strongly standing together and dedicating our lives to these ideals, the same way women have dedicated their lives to the liberation of my homeland of Palestine.

Here we are! I have faced adversity, repression, and injustice since my arrest in October 2013. But I continued to stand up to these crimes against me, and I know that we will achieve justice in my case, because of the great legal work of my brilliant lead attorney Michael Deutsch and his team, because of the steadfast organizing of my defense committee, and because of the encouragement of my family and friends and all you supporters. You give me important strength and resilience. It’s not a secret to say that your support shifted the negative discourse in the case, and helped lead to our most recent victory in the decision of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals!

The story of our struggle for women’s rights, equality, and liberation belongs to no single person or any one organization, but to the collective efforts of all who care about justice. We continue to find inspiration and strength from women across the U.S. and the world, and that inspiration and strength will help us achieve all our goals.

Lastly, we often leave our appreciation and gratitude unspoken. But today, on this exceptional occasion, I want to take the opportunity to say thank you. I send my special warm greetings to every one of you, especially the women on this, YOUR DAY. Be proud of yourselves and don’t be ashamed if you sometimes get emotional.

A strong woman is caring and tough, practical and spiritual, revolutionary and flexible. You are all of these, you are all powerful, and you hold up half the sky!

Have a wonderful International Women’s Day! I wish you all the best.

#ChicaoIL #Palestine #WomensMovement #PeoplesStruggles #InternationalWomensDay #PoliticalPrisoners #chicago #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh #Illinois #IWD

Chicago, IL – Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at DePaul University held a fundraiser for Rasmea Odeh here, Feb. 3, with over 200 in attendance. Speaker after speaker rose to declare their support for Chicago’s legendary Palestinian woman activist. Odeh, who survived brutal torture and rape at the hands of Israeli prison guards, was put on trial by the U.S. Attorney in Detroit. She faces 10 years of prison and deportation at her March 12 sentencing hearing, for failing to reveal her 1969 conviction in an illegal, Israeli military court, when she applied for citizenship in the U.S.

The SJP event became the center of a media storm and a controversy with DePaul’s administration when the Zionist Organization of America vilified Odeh and her student supporters. Performing at the dinner, Amir Zahr, a well-known Palestinian comic, drew laughs and applause when he scoffed at the small group of racist Zionists outside with signs against Odeh, stating “Remember when we were the counter-protesters and nobody would listen to us. How things have changed!”

#ChicagoIl #ChicagoIL #Palestine #Israel #PoliticalRepression #RasmeaOdeh #SJP #StudentsForJusticeInPalestine #Illinois

According to a statement from protest organizers, “While millions across the world are rallying in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and for justice and peace in the region, including over 10,000 of us Chicagoans at both last weekend's protest and yesterday's – the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago is rallying in support of war, occupation and colonization right here in our city.”

“Mobilizations across the world are important to counter Israel's offensive. Join us tomorrow to say we don't want warmongers to rally in our town,” the statement continues.

The counter-protest will take place July 28, 10:45 a.m., at the State of Illinois building, Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph Street, in downtown Chicago.

The protest will put forward the following slogans: End the Siege on Gaza, Stop Killing the Palestinian People, Peace and Justice for Palestine, End the Occupation and Colonization of Palestine, and End U.S. Aid to Israel.

#ChicagoIL #Chicago #AntiwarMovement #Gaza #Palestine #Protest #Israel #CoalitionForJusticeInPalestine #Illinois #MiddleEast

Chicago, IL – Chanting, “Gaza, Gaza, Gaza,” a crowd estimated by organizers at 15,000 people marched in Chicago July 26. Sponsored by the Coalition for Justice in Palestine, the march is the sixth mass protest sponsored by the coalition since July 5.

At the opening rally, Hatem Abudayyeh of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the coalition, brought cheers from the crowd when he said, “Although we are paying a huge cost, Israel is losing. Even with the fourth strongest army in the world, and the support of our U.S. government, Israel is losing. It is losing in Palestine, and it is losing in the court of public opinion.”

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #Illinois #MiddleEast

Chicago, IL – 4000 delegates from throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico gathered here, July 14 -18, for the International Convention of AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Under the banner, “Bold, Brave, and Determined,” delegates discussed the impact of recent attacks on public sector unions and strategies for strengthening the labor movement.

The convention was held just weeks after the Supreme Court ruled in the case, Harris v. Quinn, that home care workers are “quasi-public” employees and therefore non-members do not need to pay “fair share” fees for representation. At the convention, AFSCME announced that a six-month campaign to increase membership had resulted in more than 92,000 non-members signing membership cards to join the union. The organizing effort was part of a larger strategy in response to Harris v. Quinn that AFSCME developed in order to organize and mobilize members, expand new organizing efforts, build political power and strengthen alliances with community organizations.

Among the other efforts highlighted at the convention was the struggle of 22,000 University of California workers, members of Local 3299, who walked out on strike twice in the past 18 months before winning the best contracts they've ever had.

The convention delegates rallied mid-week in support of 12,000 Chicago cab drivers who are attempting to organize a union with AFSCME. The cab drivers have seen cuts in income averaging $7500 a year, due to reduced hours, high credit card fees, and other rule changes imposed by the city two years ago. Reverend William Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP and leader of the Moral Monday movement rallied the crowd of supporters from the podium as he told the crowd, “We must not allow those who drive us to be themselves driven into poverty.”

The next day, Reverend Barber spoke to the entire convention and received multiple standing ovations as he spoke of the weekly rallies that the Moral Mondays movement, which he helps lead, has held on the steps of the North Carolina state capitol for the past year. He talked of the gains of reconstruction following the Civil War, the connection between civil rights and labor rights and the need to organize the South. He also reminded the crowd, “Nobody is going to come from the grave to save us. Martin Luther King is dead; Fannie Lou Hamer is dead. We have to organize and fight and save ourselves. We've got to have a movement, not just a moment.”

#ChicagoIL #Protest #AFSCME #Rally #Illinois #CabDrivers