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

Englewood, CO – On April 1, teachers and faculty across five schools of the Sheridan School District went on strike demanding union recognition and the reinstatement of their contract. Over 100 teachers, faculty and community members walked the picket lines demanding that the school district come back to the table for negotiations.

Tensions rose earlier this year when the school district passed a policy that stated they would not recognize staff without licenses in the union. That means school custodians, paraprofessionals on staff, bus drivers – workers who all keep the district’s schools running and operational – were not able to join. When contract negotiations fell apart, 98% of members voted to strike. While the Sheridan School District initially claimed that schools would stay open while the strike was ongoing, the school district was forced to cancel classes through the end of the week due to low staffing.

Kate Biester, president of the Sheridan Educators Association, reflecting on the start of the strike, said, “When we lost our contract for the teachers, it also lost what the district was giving in good faith to the rest of their workers – and we decided that wasn't good enough anymore. And we need to fully enfranchise all of the workers in our school district and give them all bargaining rights.”

According to the union, students and the local community have been very important every step of the way. Earlier this year, high school students in Sheridan School District walked out in support of the teachers, and elementary school students helped chant alongside their teachers.

“There's always been kind of like an undercurrent of community members, parents, students, really trying to make significant change in this community,” Biester said, ”And I feel like right now it's just all coming to a head, all the work we've done in different spaces over the last few years is showing up all at once.”

On day two of the strike, organizers hosted a car rally, driving by the district’s administration building with a truck from members of Teamsters Local 455 leading the way in solidarity.

Members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) showed up in solidarity as well, decorating cars for the car rally. Circe Conway, an FRSO general member and former Starbucks Workers United organizer pointed out, “The more people that join the union, the more people that are eligible for and benefit from the union, the more powerful it’s going to get, and that builds a lot of worker power.”

After the car rally, workers went back to their strike shifts one more time before closing the day out in high spirits.

#EngelwoodCO #CO #Labor #Sheridan #Educators #Strike #Featured

New York, NY – On March 23, the Contract Faculty Union at NYU (CFU-UAW) called a strike at 11 a.m. after contract negotiations failed to advance by the strike deadline. Over 200 faculty, students and community members convened at the John A. Paulson Center to picket in response to the strike call. Several classes were cancelled, which created a massive disruption amongst the university community.

Before the strike call, the NYU administration stated their intention to hire substitute professors to replace striking professors, which would make these substitutes scabs. In response, the CFU-UAW called on non-contract faculty to not take on struck work. Student groups such as YDSA, SDS and SILS called on their student peers to not attend classes with substitute professors.

The picketing went on for two days, from March 23 to March 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

During the picket, hundreds of students, faculty and community members joined in to express solidarity with their striking professors. Protesters chanted “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” and “Get up! Get Down! New York is a union town!”

Politicians, faculty and student organizers spoke to the crowd about the importance of standing in solidarity with striking professors and why the administration should provide them with a fair contract. Student organizers from YDSA, SILS, SDS and Yecao Collective organized “Freedom Schools” that took place alongside pickets, which spoke on different topics related to NYU campus, labor or immigration.

At around 3 a.m. on March 25, the bargaining committee of the CFU-UAW announced that a tentative agreement between the administration and the union was reached. There will be a vote to ratify the contract from March 31 to April 6. If ratified, the contract will mark a major victory for faculty after years of organizing.

#NewYorkNY #NY #Labor #NYU #UAW

Denver, CO – On Saturday, March 28, over 20,000 people showed up at the steps of the Colorado State Capitol to protest the Trump administration’s continued attacks on oppressed people and to demand an end to foreign wars. The day’s program included speeches as well as live music from Colorado Singing Resistance, Los Mocochetes, Brothers of Brass, and Notes of Dissent. The event, the third of its kind, was organized by a coalition of grassroots organizations, including Denver Coalition Against Trump, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Aurora Unidos CSO, Indivisible, and various labor unions.

Trump’s first year back in office has seen increased ICE attacks resulting in the kidnapping of community members. Laws passed by reactionary politicians have pushed back women’s, LGBTQ, and civil rights by decades in some instances. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, launched a war in Iran, and tightened its sanctions and blockade of Cuba. All of this, in addition to many other grievances, was aired by the protesters during the event, which lasted all afternoon.

Protesters began pouring into the capitol grounds around noon. Grassroots organizations set up tents and tables around the pavilion to share educational material and opportunities for organizing. The event was kicked off with short protest songs and a series of speeches by members of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Rocky Mountain Equality, the ACLU, Colorado Education Association, and Rise and Represent.

“We are here to send one clear message: that the years and decades of exploitation and abuse by the billionaire class, the capitalist class, the Epstein class, on our communities must come to an end today,” said Kooper Karaway, executive director of Colorado Education Association.

After the initial rounds of speakers, two marches started. Chants filled the streets of downtown Denver as tens of thousands of protesters marched past places of business and recreation. People watched from the balconies of their apartments, cars honked in support, and Brothers of Brass kept spirits high.

After the two marches, there were more speeches back at the Colorado State Capitol.

“Here’s the good news: this war against the people of the world is not one-sided. There is widespread resistance, both here at home and all over the world.” said Shaine Carroll-Frey of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “One year ago today, Jeanette Vizguerra was detained over in Aurora by ICE. Where is she today? She’s here with us! We did that! With constant vigils, weekly vigils and protests, we freed Jeanette! That’s what organized people power looks like – that’s what organized worker power looks like.”

“We win when we all get into the struggle. We win when we let go of our fear.” said Jade Kelly, president of CWA Local 7799. “If you leave No Kings today remembering only one thing, remember the simple truth: that we already have the power as working people. We built this world. We keep this state running with our labor. And we have the power to build a better world. We just have to organize to get it.”

#DenverCO #CO #NoKings #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWarMovement #Labor #ImmigrantRights

Caracas, Venezuela – In a meeting chaired by Francisco Torrealba, past president of the Venezuela Transport Workers Union, and current deputy of the National Assembly, international trade unionists heard updates from Venezuelan leaders.

Longtime Bolivarian Revolution leader Eduardo Piñate shared an assessment of the situation in Venezuela post-January 3 with the group during a meeting in early March. As he mentioned the many fronts that U.S. imperialism is intervening in, including China, the Middle East, Russia/Ukraine, and Latin America and the Caribbean, Piñate then spoke to Venezuela’s place in the international scene. Piñate stated, “With the world’s largest oil reserves, the top ten largest reserves of natural gas, rare earth minerals, biodiversity, and fresh water, we have resources for trade and development. But since we are pursuing an alternative model, one with a revolutionary direction, we are a threat to the United States’ system of capitalism. This is why they attacked us on January 3.”

Piñate continued “But I want to make clear a number of political victories. One: President Maduro and Cilia Flores are alive; two, the U.S. could not occupy our national territory; three, there are no internal forces, no base for fascist reactionaries and no rallies anywhere in the country celebrated the bombing, in fact the people been in the streets constantly since the attack; four, we had a successful constitution transition to an acting president and swore in a new National Assembly as our laws dictate. All of this has allowed us to maintain our political direction. We had tactical flexibility in the moment that meant we did not lose power despite our leader being kidnapped.” He added, “I have trust and confidence in the revolutionary direction we have, of Chavez, of Maduro, of heroic resistance of the last ten plus years, we are not a colony of the gringos.”

After two years as minister of People’s Power in the Social Process of Labor, Piñate will continue in his other role as part of the executive secretariat of the president of United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Appointed as new minister is Carlos Alexis Castillo who brings years of legal and judicial experience in labor law.

During the subsequent meeting on March 20, PSUV Vice President of Foreign Relations Tania Dias laid bare the harsh reality of the early hours of January 3. With over 15,000 military personnel and scores of naval and aircraft on their shores, the plan to actualize the threat took place. “The cruel, barbarous regime of Donald Trump told us to negotiate or they’ll bomb the entire city in ten minutes,” she said. “One does not negotiate with kidnappers like this,” Diaz added. “While they kidnapped my close, personal friends, we are in strong, capable hands with Delcy as acting president.”

Diaz continued with an assessment of the current political situation and the failure of the U.S. to create regime change: “The power isn't just with the executive, nor the National Assembly; real democratic power is with the people. We have thousands of comunas, PSUV elected committees in nearly all the streets of the country. Popular militias coordinated with our army, the union. This is the vision of Comandante Chavez, carried further by President Maduro, and deepening the revolution.”

“This is why all the attempts at psychological warfare like false media narratives, misinformation aimed at sowing division and undermining our confidence have failed: the people have political power here,” Diaz emphasized.

#CaracasVZ #VZ #International #Venezuela #PSUV #Labor #Maudro

San Jose, CA – On March 18, over 300 members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which includes mental health professionals, clinicians and therapists, participated in a one-day strike at the Santa Clara Medical Center. The action was part of a larger strike across Northern California, which included over 2400 workers.

“We’re really trying to keep Kaiser accountable,” union member Ania Saeger said. “Our contract expired last September, and we're not making a lot of progress in the negotiation, especially around the language, with artificial intelligence, collaboration and really protections for our jobs.”

A reason for the strike was Kaiser’s improper implementation of artificial intelligence. For those in mental health, contact and a relationship between the patient and the counselor is crucial. Saeger explained how AI disrupts this relationship, stating, “You used to be able to call if you were a patient, [when you] needed something. We have this position that we rotate throughout the day, a counselor that is available throughout business hours. Kaiser changed it. They developed this call center where you cannot call the clinic directly. Patients are redirected and get frustrated; they either get a phone operator or AI to answer.”

Saeger emphasized that while the counselors and therapists were not opposed to AI assisting their jobs, they wanted assurances in the language of their contract that AI would not replace their jobs. This is language that Kaiser has refused to implement in their negotiations.

When asked how community members could support the NUHW in their contract struggle, Saeger answered, “Our patients have been instrumental to this movement. We have patients speak at our rallies. As human beings, we can relate stories, so we want our patients to get their stories out there.”

The strike also included a program at which the California Nurses Association, another union striking in solidarity, spoke. Pomaikai Neil, a nurse and representative of that union stated, “Kaiser wants to save money on the backs of healthcare workers. As registered nurses, we feel the pressure to work harder with less resources every time we miss our meal breaks, when we are told we will do the same job with less staff, or when we do grueling 16 hour shifts to make sure our patients are safe.”

Neil also stressed the issues posed by AI in the mental health field. “Imagine sharing your emotional information with your therapist and having them ask you if an artificial intelligence device can join in? Heavy usage of artificial intelligence can exacerbate psychosis and create dangerous relationships with unregulated technology.”

Neil continued, “The hallmark of mental health is human connection. A robot cannot learn empathy. CNA nurses stand with NUHW in their fight against the unilateral implementation of AI and we demand that Kaiser address the limited access to safe care by investing in staffing.”

NUHW and CNA are some of the many unions locked in struggle with Kaiser. Their demands surrounding AI are reflective of modern concerns around technology now melding with decades-long labor struggle. So long as Kaiser continues with further usage of AI and cost cutting around staffing, the labor struggle across different sectors of healthcare is sure to only heat up further.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor #Strike #Healthcare #NUHW #CNA #

Greeley, CO – JBS Greeley workers are starting the first weekend of their strike strong, with over 1000 picketing outside the meatpacking plant on March 20.

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 union members and JBS workers alike wrapped around the block outside the JBS factory on Friday. People crowded along the barrier on 8th Avenue and danced to music in Spanish and English, forming conga lines with supporters and strike marshals.

In December 2025, Haitian immigrant JBS employees, who comprise a large number of night shift plant workers, filed a class action lawsuit against the meatpacking company for dangerous working and living conditions, after being recruited under false pretenses.

When they were hired, JBS promised free housing and fair pay; instead, Haitian employees had to pay out of pocket to live with 20-30 people in a single motel room and get paid meager wages to meet dangerously high processing quotas.

Since the lawsuit was filed, conditions have only gotten worse. JBS has sped up production for members across the factory – so much so that employees aren’t getting the 40 hours of work a week that they were promised, according to a shop steward. Workers also must use dull knives to cut beef.

UFCW Local 7 has been negotiating with JBS since May 2025, and their contract ended in July. After nearly ten months of unsuccessful negotiations, over 90% of all workers in the plant voted to strike, which began on March 16.

Hundreds of non-workers and their families have also shown up to support the struggle against JBS.

“I was taught growing up, you pick a side and stand with it and that’s what I’m doing,” said one of the political coordinators of the strike, “fighting along my brothers and sisters who don’t have the support structure I have, but deserve a chance at the American dream.”

#GreelyCO #CO #Labor #Strike #UFCW

Los Angeles, CA – Over 30,000 members of United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), SEIU 99, and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) came together in downtown Los Angeles at a rally on March 16 in a powerful display of unity, demanding the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) shift their budget priorities and agree to a decent contract. If the district does not settle the contract, teachers, school staff and administrators are prepared to strike on April 14.

LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation. The district has had a proposal for a contract for over a year and has not offered any reasonable offer to address union demands. Key issues include increasing salaries, reducing class sizes and improving staffing levels.

According to UTLA, “LAUSD started off the school year with $5.03 billion in reserves. Since 2022, they’ve committed $10 billion to multi-year private contracts.”

“This would be my first ever strike,” commented LAUSD middle and high school teacher Kate Regan. “I love teaching – it is my dream job. I want the district to respect my work and my students by offering a contract that is fair – I am more than ready to strike to make that a reality. Defending public education is incredibly important.”

Centro CSO members rallied in solidarity carrying a large banner with the slogans support public education and support all education workers.

Antonieta Garcia co-chair of the education committee for Centro CSO commented, “We need to unite and support UTLA/SEIU 99, they represent our public education system.”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Labor #UTLA #SEIU #AALA #Strike #Teachers

Greeley, CO – On March 16, 3800 members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 went on strike at the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado. The union members walked out of their shift at 5:30 a.m. to picket the plant.

This strike marks the first time in over 40 years that workers at a major meat packer went on strike for a better contract. This came after management’s final offer of a 30-cent raise, with 22 cents going towards healthcare benefits. Workers were dissatisfied with all offers from the company’s side, and 99% authorized to strike.

At least 1200 members walked the picket line the morning the strike started. Chants were being yelled out to the crowd, including “When we fight, we win” and “Sí se puede.” Union staffers and organizers kept members in high morale with hand warmers and water, and kept the crowd organized with megaphones, directing members to strategic areas around the plant.

Leticia Avalos, a member of UFCW Local 7, said, “Most of all, the strike is to make a statement to the company, that their members are tired of the mistreatment that they get – because not only is it in the contract or some safety issues they [the company] have been doing, but also the treatment that [workers] get. They get yelled at, they’re told that they have to wait to go to the restroom, and when you have to go you have to go.”

Members also cited other issues of safety, including a short supply of safety equipment supplied by the company with members having to purchase it themselves to stay safe.

Katherine Draken, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, attended the event in support of the striking workers. Draken said, “These workers have shown incredible militancy rejecting JBS's pathetic contract proposal. Everyone who supports worker power and militancy should be out here to support this.”

Another supporter of the strike, Salem Chadwick, a member of Teamsters for a Democratic Union, said, “The JBS fight is connected to our fights. When we see unions win big, it inspires workers all over to fight the boss and win too.”

At 1:30 p.m., members switched shifts, with the second shift of strikers holding the line until 10:30 that night. Spirits were high on day one of the strike.

#GreelyCO #CO #UFCW #Labor #Strike #Featured

New York, NY – On March 14, outside the Martin Luther King Educational Campus in Lincoln Square, unionized teachers, parents, students and community members, led by the Movement of Rank and File Educators/United Federation of Teachers Caucus (MORE Caucus) in collaboration with the organization Climate Families, held a protest against the NYC Department of Education’s push for AI in public school curriculum.

Inside, Kamar Samuels, the new chancellor of NYC Public Schools who is part of the push for more AI, was holding a community town hall meeting with parents, students and teachers.

Outside, teachers, students and community members led a speakout, and were met by a gathering of NYPD cops who outnumbered them. Department of Education (DoE) officials, representing the teachers’ employer, came out and instructed the police to make the protesters move across the street, and to put them behind barricades.

The protesters fought back. Brooklyn elementary school teacher and leading MORE caucus member Martina Meijer stood up to the cops, saying “We won’t be putting kids in cages.” The police then allowed them to remain in their original location, outside the entrance.

The DoE appeared to be attempting to pre-emptively enforce a proposed bill that would create “no-protest buffer zones” outside of places of worship and schools.

Inside the town hall, a middle-school student who participated in the protest presented a petition signed by over 1300 people calling for a pause on the implementation of AI in NYC public schools. The chancellor responded by saying that he agreed with the contents of the petition, but teachers and community members expressed that “actions speak louder than words,” and that his feet need to be held to the fire.

Outside, the protesters passed out flyers educating people on the harms of the unchecked use of AI on education and on students, as well as on its threat to the occupation of teaching. They also sang songs set to well-known themes that replaced the words of the song to criticize the use of AI in schools. Their signs read, “Less AI, more teachers” and “Pause AI in NYC schools now!”

The MORE Caucus, the United Federation of Teachers main reform caucus, is leading the charge fighting against the unchecked push for AI in schools. They view it as a de-skilling of teachers’ labor. DoE mandates the use of scripted curricula that relies on AI; it is a threat to the education of their students (in particular because of the racism inherent in AI), as well as a threat to the environment.

Martina Meijer said, “We need to resist AI. It impacts our professional work, and AI can’t unionize. We need to preserve education as a human profession…and the DoE isn’t fighting this.” She also said, “This money should be put toward lowering class sizes, and hiring counselors” and “I’m also deeply concerned about the racism embedded within AI.”

Meijer also mentioned the financial interest of big ed tech companies, which “turn DoE officials into lobbyists for these companies, and then push it on teachers and students.”

Meijer concluded, “These officials are feeling very tenuous in their positions, they feel how little impact they are making, so they rely on pushing these ed tech interests so they can secure a position for themselves.”

#NewYorkNY #NY #Labor #PeoplesStruggles

San Jose, CA – On March 3, around 40 nurses affiliated with the California Nurses Association gathered after 2 p.m. near the Federal Building in downtown San Jose, to support healthcare for all and demanding that hospitals keep ICE out.

The protest speakers included nurses who had worked in healthcare for decades.

Monte Wright, a member of the California Nurses Association, who had been a nurse for 31 years, stated, “Most importantly, we're out to let the public know that healthcare's a human right, and that everybody deserves healthcare.”

Wright continued “Nobody should have to weigh their safety over getting healthcare. And when they come into our hospitals, it should be a sanctuary, not a place of fear.

In many cities, ICE targets immigrant patients. This has forced many to make the difficult choice of risking deportation to access treatment, or avoiding hospitals with potential ICE presence, having to endure life threatening medical conditions without a doctor.

When asked about the chief demands of the nurses, Wright stated, “One of our chief demands is that our public hospitals implement SP 81, which involves training our nurses, what to do when ICE arrives, training our nurses how to recognize a judicial warrant, and having clear signage in the hospital that shows restricted areas. The law has been enacted since September with an enforcement date of November, and to this day, it's not being readily enforced in our area, in our private hospitals.”

One such private hospital is Kaiser Permanente, of which Wright is an employee. UNAC had been on a four-week strike against Kaiser just last month. Wright briefly mentioned CNA’s struggle against Kaiser’s higherups, “Our contract will be up August 31. We want Kaiser to bargain fairly.”

“We also are protesting the Big Bad Bill that took away funding for Medicare and sent it directly to ICE,” he explained. “Around the U.S. citizens [are] dying, children detained. Their parents [are also] detained, and these detention centers are disgusting. So, yes, we are against ICE’s presence, especially don't want them in the Bay.”

When asked about how fellow workers could support striking nurses, Wright ended off emphasizing the importance of class solidarity. “Anytime you see nurses outside the hospital, you know there's a problem on the inside,” he said. “So today, we were out there protesting ICE in the Bay, and we call on our brothers and sisters in other unions to join us in solidarity. And, of course, that goes both ways. Nurses have always been by the sides of all unions in this area, and we always will be.”

The protest comes at a time of heightened activity among organized labor in the Bay area. With workers across all sectors standing strong against ICE and Trump, a strong front is building here, setting the stage for sharper labor struggles in the leadup to May Day and beyond.

#SanJoseCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #Labor

Tampa, FL – On Thursday, February 27, around 30 trade unionists gathered in Ybor City for a press conference and rally against SB 1296, an anti-worker bill that is currently being heard in the Florida Senate. The West Central Florida Labor Council organized the rally against the bill that targets public sector unions.

Building off of previous legislation that requires annual recertification elections for public sector unions, this new bill raises the threshold for recertification and puts limits on the types of union activities that workers can engage in during company time. Like previous legislation, the bill puts a significant burden on unions to collect information cards for recertification and gather data for yearly financial audits. After similar legislation passed two years ago, 54 public sector unions were decertified, leaving 63,000 workers without union representation.

Stephanie Yocum, president of the West Central Florida Labor Council and of the Polk Education Association, explained that all the bill does is make it harder for working Floridians to make a living.

Brian Nathan, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, spoke to the importance of private sector workers standing in solidarity with public sector workers. Lauren Pineiro, a union flight attendant and member of Florida Future Labor Leaders, also spoke, saying that unions are necessary for securing better working conditions.

Workers across Florida, including many at the rally, are travelling to Tallahassee on Monday to speak out against the bill when it is discussed during the Fiscal Policy Committee.

#TampaFL #FL #Labor

En las Ciudades Gemelas, el impulso de Trump para las deportaciones masivas se topó con un muro. La Comisión Sindical de la OSCL aplaude el valiente movimiento inmigrante. Las protestas lo dejan claro: “¡Fuera ICE ya!”

Las espinas en el costado de Trump son muchas. El 23 de enero, 100,000 minnesotanos tomaron las calles en invierno, con temperaturas de 20 grados bajo cero. La AFL-CIO del estado se unió al día de acción. Sindicatos locales del SEIU, UNITE HERE, ATU, y MFE se manifestaron de forma masiva. Alrededor de 900 negocios cerraron sus puertas. La mayoría de estas eran tiendas pequeñas de barrio que se solidarizaron. Muchos progresistas faltaron a sus trabajos para protestar.

Estas fuerzas, y más, siguieron el liderazgo de la comunidad inmigrante. Siguieron los pasos del “Día sin inmigrantes” del 1 de mayo de 2006, que revivió el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores en este país. Por su participación en este frente amplio, muchos sindicatos de las Ciudades Gemelas son un ejemplo para trabajadores de costa a costa.

Algunos llaman a esto una huelga general, pero eso es falso. Fue una manifestación masiva contra ICE y las deportaciones masivas. Fue un logro notable liderado por el movimiento sindical de Minnesota. Los activistas sindicales pueden aprender de ello mientras ICE continúa su campaña de deportaciones masivas en ciudades de todo EE.UU. No se hace más grandioso un gran evento afirmando que fue algo que no fue.

Para llegar al nivel de una huelga general, el movimiento tendría que hacer algo diferente. La mayor parte de los trabajadores en las principales industrias tendrían que detener la producción. La economía de la ciudad se detendría por completo.

Seamos honestos sobre lo lejos que hemos llegado. No nos excusemos de la responsabilidad de seguir avanzando. Hay más poder obrero por desatar. ICE ha sido puesto en la mira, pero la clase trabajadora aún tiene armas de otro calibre.

Solo los sindicatos combativos pueden emplear el arma de una huelga general. Para organizarse contra los capitalistas, se necesita organizar en el taller contra el patrón. Sindicatos con una actitud de lucha de clases – una mentalidad de “nosotros contra ellos” – son la base para golpes letales al sistema. No hay nada en el mundo como un movimiento obrero militante.

Los líderes y miembros de sindicatos deben ir a las manifestaciones. Deben aprobar resoluciones para proteger a los miembros inmigrantes en el trabajo. Deben luchar por contratos y Memorandos de Entendimiento (MOUs, por sus siglas en inglés) que detengan la colaboración de los empleadores con ICE.

Hay mucho por hacer. Nuestra moral está alta, nuestras ambiciones aún más.

¡Los trabajadores apoyan a los inmigrantes!

¡Fuera ICE ya!

¡Legalización para todos!

#Labor #ImmigrantRights

Denver, CO – On February 21, Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) organized a Strike Day of Action at the unionized Starbucks store on 16th Street in Denver, Colorado, to rally workers and supporters to demand the company stop stonewalling contract negotiations and bargain a decent contract with their unionized workers.

“I got this job for the benefits, which are being eroded away. I love this job enough to want to make it better for myself and all my coworkers,” said a striking Starbucks barista.

SBWU and Starbucks have been in negotiations for the first Starbucks contract since 2021, with Starbucks CEO Bryan Nichols facing mounting pressure from the striking workers. Starbucks workers started the Red Cup Rebellion strike on November 13, 2025, demanding livable wages, full staffing with reasonable hours, and transgender inclusive healthcare. The strike has expanded to over 190 stores across over 130 cities, making it the largest and longest work stoppage in Starbucks history.

“We want to make it clear to Starbucks and their customers that we want the company to come back to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair contract that works for both parties,” said Lucille Wayne, Starbucks barista and SBWU strike captain. “We've been unionized for four years. Starbucks has been stonewalling us this entire time. Workers are living paycheck to paycheck, we're getting scheduled less hours and losing our healthcare.”

Since unionization efforts began in December 2021 Starbucks has failed to meet workers' demands and has amassed over 1000 Unfair Labor Practice charges for union-busting, retaliatory firings, surveillance, and failure to bargain in good faith.

“There's been no progress in bargaining since late 2024. Starbucks doesn't want to give in to our very reasonable demands,” said Naomi Wilson, Starbucks barista and event organizer.

Supporters from the community, along with organizers from Teamsters for a Democratic Union and Democratic Socialists of America came to support the picket line. SBWU organizers and event attendees chanted “What's disgusting? Union busting! What's outrageous, Starbucks wages” and “No contract, no coffee” to dozens of community members in attendance and hundreds of passersby, most of whom did not cross the picket line.

The strike is set to end on February 24, with workers scheduled to return to work the next day. Despite the end of the strike, workers expressed that they will continue organizing, canvassing other Starbucks stores to gain more support for the union, and to sign up additional workers to join SBWU.

“I hope to see more stores get organized. We've been canvassing to help other stores unionize. If you're interested in unionizing go to SBWorkersUnited.org”, said Naomi Wilson as the event came to a close.

#DenverCO #CO #Labor #Starbucks #SBWU #Strike

Minneapolis, MN – Over 1000 union members, immigrant rights activists and supporters marched through Minneapolis’ Whittier neighborhood on Monday, February 16, to demand an end to ICE’s occupation of the city and for the defense of immigrant rights.

Marchers held dozens of banners with slogans like “ICE our now,” “Legalization for all,” and “Killer ICE off our streets.” The march began at Stewart Park, crossed a highway where the supportive honks of passing traffic temporarily drowned out the marchers’ chants, and ended at the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street, where Alex Pretti was murdered.

Pretti was shot repeatedly in the back while held down on the ground by masked federal agents agents, after stepping between the agents and a woman who they were attempting to pepper spray.

The march was headlined by the Minnesota AFL-CIO, and was endorsed by many local unions, including AFGE Local 3669, AFSCME Council 5 and Council 65, ATU Local 1005, IATSE Local 13, IAM District 77, IUPAT District Council 82, LiUNA Minnesota and North Dakota, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, Minnesota Nurses Association, NALC Branch 9, SEIU Locals 26 and 284, UFCW Locals 1189 and 663, and UNITE HERE Local 17. Many community organizations endorsed the event and turned out their membership to march as well, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations — MN (CAIR-MN), 50501 Minnesota, Reviving Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE), Women’s March Minnesota, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).

Speakers were unanimous in driving home the message that ICE occupation of Minnesota has not ended. Manuel Pascual, a member of MIRAC, spoke to the crowd from the back of a truck as the marchers took the streets, saying, “Just days ago, federal officials announced the end of Operation Metro Surge. Let’s be clear — that did not happen because they suddenly found compassion. It happened because people across Minnesota organized, spoke out, marched, and refused to stay silent. It happened because immigrant communities and allies showed courage. It happened because resistance worked.”

However, Pascual continued to note that the community fight against ICE continues, and spoke to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s agreeing to “unprecedented” levels of state collaboration with ICE, without details of this agreement being made public. Pascual said, “What we are seeing now is not a victory lap from those in power. It is a shift in strategy. A quieter approach. Deals being made behind closed doors. Policies that risk embedding ICE deeper into our local systems — into our jails, into policing, into everyday encounters — where harm becomes less visible but no less real. We must say clearly: we will not be fooled.”

Organizers noted that a decreased ICE presence in Minnesota also does not mean that the battle against ICE has ended on a national scale, and that just as millions marched across the country in solidarity with Minnesota, Minnesota will march in solidarity with any future city to see a large-scale occupation by ICE.

When the march arrived at the site of Alex Pretti’s murder, organizers handed out flowers to attendees so they could lay them in tribute at his memorial. The crowd was asked to repeat these slogans after the emcee: “We have a duty to fight for our freedom! We have a duty to win! We have nothing to lose but our chains!”

MIRAC plans to take their demands for an end to ICE terror and for legalization for all directly to Governor Walz, with a rally outside the Minnesota Governor’s Residence at 1006 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #Labor #AFLCIO #AFGE #AFSCME #ATU #IAM #MIRAC #CAIRMN #FRSO

New York City, NY – On Wednesday February 11, in the frigid cold of Manhattan’s financial district, rank-and-file unionists held a speakout in front of United Federation of Teachers headquarters, while the union’s monthly delegate assembly was being held. The action sought to put pressure on union leadership to do more to support immigrant students, families and staff from ICE attacks.

The speakout coincided with an “Immigrants Rights Week of Action in Schools” organized by the MORE Caucus (Movement of Rank and File Educators) which included sending mass emails to UFT top brass to pressure them to do more on the immigrant rights issue.

The teachers chanted “When immigrant students are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Legalization for all, say it from the union hall!” Calling out UFT President Michael Mulgrew by name, they shouted “Mulgrew Mulgrew hear our cry, we want support and that’s no lie!”

The teachers gave speeches comparing the militant anti-ICE actions of other teachers’ unions—like in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and the leading immigrant rights work done by the Chicago Teachers Union and United Teachers Los Angeles—to the work of their own union in NYC.

They brought attention to the lack of funding and centralized guidance of the immigrant defense committees which have formed at various school sites in NYC after the election of Donald Trump in 2025. The UFT passed a resolution at their delegate assembly in June of that year rhetorically supporting the creation of the committees, but the teachers say they are lacking material support from their union leadership.

Ismael Ali Moussa, a Bronx teacher who participated in the action, said, “Wednesday’s speakout outside the UFT was a powerful reminder that when we come together and raise our voices collectively, we can’t be ignored. It wasn’t just about making noise; it was about standing in solidarity for our community but most importantly our immigrant students! Being there showed me how much energy and determination there is among us to fight for real change and demand for change.”

#NewYorkCityNY #NY #Labor #UFT #Teachers #MORE

In the Twin Cities, Trump’s drive for mass deportations hit a brick wall. The FRSO Labor Commission salutes the brave immigrant movement. The protests say it clear: “ICE out now!”

The thorns in Trump’s side are many. On January 23, 100,000 Minnesotans took to the streets in the 20-below winter. The state AFL-CIO joined the day of action. Union locals from the SEIU, UNITE HERE, ATU, and MFE showed out in a big way. About 900 businesses closed up shop. Most of these were small, neighborhood stores in solidarity. Many progressives called out of work to protest.

These forces, and more, followed the lead of the immigrant community. They followed in the footsteps of the May 1, 2006 “Day Without Immigrants,” which revived International Workers Day in this country. For their part in this broad front, many Twin Cities unions are an example for workers from coast to coast.

Some call this a general strike, but that is not true. It was mass outpouring against ICE and mass deportations. It was a remarkable achievement led by Minnesota’s labor movement. Trade union activists can learn from it as ICE continues its campaign of mass deportations in cities across the U.S. It does not make a great event greater by asserting that it was something it was not.

To rise to the level of a general strike, the movement would have to do something different. The bulk of workers in major industries would shut down production. The city’s economy would grind to a halt.

Let’s be honest about how far we’ve come. Let’s not let ourselves off the hook to push farther. There’s more worker power to unleash. ICE has come under fire, but the working class still has guns of a different caliber.

Only fighting unions can employ the weapon of a general strike. To organize against the capitalists, it takes organizing on the shop floor against the boss. Unions with a class struggle attitude – an “us vs. them” mindset – are the basis for lethal strikes to the system. There’s nothing in the world like a militant labor movement.

Union leaders and the rank and file should go to demonstrations. They should pass resolutions to protect immigrant members on the job. They should fight for contracts and MOUs that stop employer cooperation with ICE.

There is much to be done. Our morale is high, our ambitions even higher.

Workers stand with immigrants!

ICE out now!

Legalization for all!

#Labor #ImmigrantRights #FRSO #Statement #Featured

Tampa, FL – UCF’s Students for a Democratic Society is taking steps to deepen its ties to organized labor and the working class by holding an event they dubbed “From The Classroom to The Shop Floor,” February 5, inviting representatives from local labor unions to explain their experiences organizing and labor solidarity to the students.

Representatives from Seminole Education Association, the union representing public school teachers in the Orlando area, and UNITE HERE Local 632, representing workers at Disney parks, were invited alongside members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

A member of SDS emphasized the importance of students joining the working class out of college to use their SDS experience to employ militant, progressive mass organizing to the labor movement, what FRSO organizer Conor Munro dubbed “fusion” in his discussion on FRSO’s strategy of returning socialism to the working class through “class struggle unionism.”

SDS Vice President Vanessa Christaldi discussed the imperative for students to take their experience organizing on campus to their communities and unions if they want to effectively organize for social change.

SEA member Edmund Anglero spoke on his history as a student organizer at FSU and his transition into union organizing after he became a teacher. UNITE HERE member Victoria Burns discussed what unions do for workers, how they grow and organize, and the challenges they face in states such as Florida with notorious “right to work” laws and legislators working tirelessly for years to sabotage unions, especially public sector unions such as SEA.

An engaged audience was happy to ask the speakers what made them wish to join a union, their hopes for future activism, and how to get involved locally.

#TampaFL #FL #StudentMovement #SDS #Labor

Santa Clara, CA – On February 10, 80 nurses and healthcare professionals gathered in front of the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center to demand Kaiser Permanente meet them in good-faith at the bargaining table.

The United Nurses Associations of California/ United Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) are in their third week of an Unfair Labor Practice strike against Kaiser Permanente. Since the COVID lockdown of 2020, Kaiser Permanente has not replaced staff and threatens to cut benefits while taking away workplace protections, leading to high turnover and caregiver burnout among staff.

Nurses and healthcare professionals held signs with “On strike to protect our professions” and “Not thriving.” In addition to a picket line, they had picnic blankets and a DJ playing music that the community could enjoy while being in solidarity. Nurses and healthcare professionals discussed burnout and understaffing leading to delayed patient care. Cam Cook, a nurse anesthetist, said, “Kaiser is retaliating against our groups for organizing, for unionizing. They are trying to cut our benefits: healthcare and retirement.”

For the past couple of years, Kaiser Permanente has been ignoring nurses and healthcare professionals when they share the concerns they have about the quality of care patients are receiving. “That means a lot of long and difficult nights for providers like me,” said Cook. “We have been trying to have that addressed by Kaiser, but they have largely ignored us.”

During contract negotiations, Kaiser Permanente continued to waste the valuable time of nurses and healthcare professionals by continually not showing up to the bargaining table. “We can sum up what [Kaiser Permanente] has been doing as union busting,” stated Cook.

In addition to no-showing, union members report that Kaiser has taken punitive measures to retaliate against workers. “There has been a lot of retaliation in terms of not allowing people to change their schedules or do things we used to do,” Cooke continued.

Many strikers expressed that, although the strike is difficult, they feel a sense of newfound unity and solidarity with their coworkers that they do not see very often in the workplace. Physical therapists and nurse anesthetists pass each other by in hospital hallways every day, but on this picket line they stand together, united against Kaiser Permanente’s union busting.

#SantaClaraCA #CA #Labor #Nurses #Strike

Denver, CO — On Tuesday, February 10, over 50 Denver community members showed their public support for the Denver Art Museum Workers United (DAMWU) as they prepare for another round of negotiations with the company later this month. Contract negotiations have continued for the past year and a half since the initial vote for union recognition.

Supporting DAMWU were Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU), Starbucks Workers United (SBWU), Denver Public Libraries Workers United (DPLWU), and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

DAMWU won their union election in March of 2024 and since then has made great strides in achieving better working conditions for museum employees.

The fight, however, is not over and negotiations surrounding livable wages, health and safety standards, and immigration protection are still ongoing.

Sarah Darlene, an artist and union supporter, spoke at the event about the importance of union presence saying, “When workers are paid well, admissions go up, and the quality of the museum increases.”

Many Denver Art Museum employees hold two or more jobs despite working 40 hours a week providing a valuable public service in spreading awareness and knowledge through access to art.

Health and safety issues are also of critical importance to the union. The museum has refused to allow their gallery attendants to sit without a doctor’s note during their eight-hour shifts. One union member mentioned her father’s lifelong career as a construction worker, saying “One thing management never required of him was standing for the sake of standing.” Along with this basic request are demands for an extension of maternity leave and additional annual sick time.

Denver citizens showed their support through chants like, “Exploitation ain’t the way, workers gotta get their pay,” and “When livable wage is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” Denver workers and community members feel the cost of living weighing down on them, and they will fight to earn a livable wage.

DAMWU will return to the table on Thursday, February 26 to continue negotiating their first contract. Whether the company will agree to come to a resolution remains to be seen.

#DenverCO #CO #Labor #DAMWU #TDU #Teamsters #DPLWU #FRSO