Fight Back News Service is circulating the Final Declaration of the Workers’ Summit of the Americas which took place in opposition to the Biden administration’s failed summit in Los Angeles.

Fight Back! interviewed Venezuelan trade union leader Jacobo Torres de Leon, the international coordinator for the Bolivarian Socialist Council of Workers at the Workers’ Summit of the Americas which took place June 10-12 in Tijuana, Mexico.

Chicago, IL – Teaching artists and school office staff at Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) have voted to join the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), June 3. Three office staff voted to join the union, and later in the day, part-time arts teachers – who make up the backbone of the school’s programs in the visual arts, music, theater, dance and creative writing conservatories voted 75% (41 yes to 14 no ) to join the union.

St. Paul, MN – On May 26 at 9:45 a.m., more than 420 Planned Parenthood staff across the five-state North Central States Region of Planned Parenthood filed union cards with the NLRB signed by a majority of their coworkers seeking a union election to become members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa.

Minneapolis, MN – At 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 24, mental health workers at three Minneapolis area hospitals walked off the job and went on a one-day strike. All three groups of workers organized and formed unions with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa (SEIU HCMN&IA) since September of 2021. Now they are fighting for their first contracts. They decided to do a joint one-day strike to show management that they are serious and united and will fight to win real improvements in their first union contract.

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday May 24, over 500 mental health workers will walk off the jobs at three hospitals in the Minneapolis metro area. The striking groups include mental health coordinators and psych techs, along with other job classes that perform mental health work.

Rome, Italy – The 18th Congress of the World Federation of Trade Unions is being held in Rome, Italy May 6 – 8. Nearly 500 delegates came from 96 countries, with many more participating online. The WFTU represents 110 million workers in 133 countries, mostly in the global south. For the first time in over 50 years, there were delegates from the United States, with representatives from AFSCME 3800, the University Minnesota clerical workers union, and Roofers Local 36 from Los Angeles. Both unions have affiliated to the WFTU in recent years. Also participating from the U.S. was a leader of the newly-formed Starbucks Workers Union, who attended as an observer.

Milwaukee, WI – Young labor activists in Wisconsin are reading the new book Class Struggle Unionism by veteran labor activist Joe Burns. Two dozen members of the Young Workers Committee (YWC) of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council have been meeting every month to study chapters of the book, which presents the case for a class-struggle based approach to unionism, where democratic, member-led unions vie for more than just better wages and working conditions but for greater control over their workplaces.

Los Angeles, CA – On May 1, dozens of people gathered in Boyle Heights to commemorate the historic International Workers Day. The event was led by Centro CSO, which held a May Day Rally in the Chicano neighborhood for the seventh consecutive year to highlight social issues like police terror, privatization of education, and immigration.

Appleton, WI – Local groups rallied in Houdini Plaza in the early afternoon on May 1 to celebrate International Workers’ Day.

Chicago, IL – 40 people gathered in the office of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) to celebrate International Workers Day with Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Speakers included Maria Moreno, financial secretary of the CTU; Bassem Kawar, political director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Frank Chapman of CAARPR, and Roni Thrailkill, the mother of Chaz Thrailkill, a prisoner in Menard Prison who is suffering abuse at the hands of the guards in addition to having been wrongfully convicted.

Tallahassee, FL – On Sunday, May 1, Tallahassee’s Freedom Road Socialist Organization hosted a rally at the Florida Capitol to celebrate International Workers’ Day. More than 30 people from various organizations met at Cascades Park in the rain and thunder with the intention of marching to the capitol – protesters reconvened at the historic capitol due to inclement weather.

San Jose, CA – On May 1, about 400 people had gathered at Roosevelt Park in San Jose to celebrate International Workers Day. Many leftist organizations, trade unions, and grassroots organizations like Papeles Para Todos attended.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 300 demonstrators gathered on May 1 to march in Minneapolis for International Workers Day. The marchers gathered at noon near the Minneapolis Adult Education Center on Lake Street, in honor of the historic educators’ strike that took place this March.

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

New Orleans, LA – Community members gathered with activist and immigrant rights organizations at the Benito Juarez monument in New Orleans on May 1, to celebrate International Workers Day.

Tampa, FL – Tampa residents gathered outside of city hall to celebrate International Workers Day. Cries could be heard from all in attendance to demand safe and affordable housing for all. The ongoing rent crisis in Tampa has hit working class people hard, as many people are being pushed out of their homes with rent prices skyrocketing. Rent prices have risen extremely quickly, reaching over 38% higher prices than last January.

Tallahassee, FL- On March 22, Florida State University’s Graduate Assistants United (GAU) marched to Wescott and demanded FSU change their policies around COVID-19.

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, April 19, baristas at the Starbucks café on Maple Street filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board for a union election. Workers complain about chronic understaffing, few hours and low wages. Poor scheduling was especially hard on the employees during Mardi Gras, when the New Orleans tourism industry is at its peak. Fight Back! interviewed Billie, a shift supervisor and organizer of the union drive. Billie’s last name is not being used due to concerns about company retaliation.

La Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad convoca a los trabajadores de todos los Estados Unidos para conmemorar el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores con marchas y programas.