Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Labor

By staff

Minneapolis, MN – The United Steelworkers (USW) announced that workers at Cleveland Cliffs’ Northshore Mining joined the union July 18.

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By Diana Terreros

Los Angeles, CA – Chants of “Who are we? Teamsters!” and “Union power!” filled the street on July 19 at the UPS Olympic hub during a strike solidarity rally.

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By staff

Striking Teamstes at UPM Blandin Paper Company

Grand Rapids, MN – At 6 a.m., July 15, around 200 members of Teamsters Local 346 walked off their jobs at the UPM Blandin Paper Company and began a strike. Grand Rapids gets its name because it sits along the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota. The UPM Blandin paper plant was built in its location on the edge of the river to use the river to power its paper mill. The plant has been an established feature of the town’s economy since its founding in 1901. Now, for the first time in the history of the plant its workers have gone on strike.

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By staff

Pittsburgh, PA – United Steelworkers Local 4-200 announced today that 1700 members who work as nurses at Robert Woods Johnson New Brunswick have voted to grant the union the authority to call a strike.

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By Jon Abraham

Zach Callahan (left) of Teamster Local 639 at UPS picket, Landover, Maryland.

Landover, MD – On July 7 approximately 100 Teamsters of the Local 639 organized a practice picket outside their workplace in preparation for a potential strike.

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By staff

Fight Back! is circulating the following “Solidarity with the Tampa 5” resolution voted up by the union delegates to the West Central Florida Labor Council (WCFLC). President Jim Junecko of the WCFLC, AFL-CIO sent the resolution to Florida State’s Attorney Susan Lopez asking she direct Prosecutor Justin Diaz to drop the charges. Resolution in Solidarity with the Tampa 5

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By staff

Milwaukee, WI – The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) began bargaining their national agreement with the United States Postal Service (USPS) in February 2023. Then union members heard no status update after May 21 – the date the current agreement expired. The current agreement remains in effect until a new negotiated date, but it is now July and members are worried.

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By Haden Kersting

Teamsters practice picket at a UPS hub in Chicago drew over 300 people.

Chicago, IL – On July 14, 300 workers turned out for the latest practice picket and rally at the UPS Jefferson Street Hub on the Near West Side of Chicago. International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 705 and Local 710 organized this event, which was the largest of many practice pickets in the Chicago area that occurred throughout the week. Flyers promoting the event read, “Chicago Teamsters stand up to UPS greed!”

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By Lo Cross

Melissa Tempel, a teacher at a high school in Waukesha schools.

Waukesha, WI – On July 12, nearly 800 people silently rallied to support Waukesha public school teacher Melissa Tempel. Waukesha Alliance for Education organized the rally and encouraged participants to wear black armbands. This is a subtle nod to Mary Beth Tinker, the lead plaintiff in the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District ruling, a landmark 1969 decision regarding censorship in education settings.

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By Maya Garcia

Minneapolis, Minnesota protest against recent Supreme Court decisions.

Minneapolis, MN – 30 protesters gathered in front of Mayday Books in the West Bank neighborhood on July 8 to oppose the recent U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decisions that end affirmative action, enable LBGTQ discrimination, and block student loan forgiveness.

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