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.
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.
