Chicago, IL – Five charter schools could face strikes in coming weeks, as educators battle for living wages, adequate student supports, pension rights and protections for immigrant and diverse learners.

Tampa, FL – Over 40 custodians, teachers and concerned community members rallied outside the Hillsborough County School Board meeting, April 2, to stop plans to privatize the custodial staff at all Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS). The rally was hosted by the Hillsborough State Employee Federation and Hillsborough County Teachers Association. Chants at the rally included “It’s time to stop the greed, give custodians what they need!” and “Up up with education, down down with privatization!”

Tucson, AZ – On March 30, the Legalization For All Network completed the first day of an immigrant rights delegation to Arizona and the U.S.-México border.

Jacksonville, FL – With 58% of the vote, Republican Mayor Lenny Curry outright won re-election as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida on March 19. Sheriff Mike Williams, also a Republican, garnered about 62% of the vote, easily trouncing Democrat challenger Tony Cummings. Republicans also won Property Appraiser and Tax Collector by sizable margins.

Minneapolis, MN – On March 17, 50 people filled Mayday Books to hear Sean Orr, a Latin America solidarity activist, trade unionist, and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), speak about the current crisis facing Venezuela. In a presentation entitled, “The U.S. Orchestrated Coup in Venezuela: A Marxist Perspective,” Orr highlighted the leading role of the United States in the destabilization of Venezuela as well as its efforts to foment regime change.

Denver, CO – Over 8000 employees of King Soopers, supermarket workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Worker’s Local 7 Union (UFCW), voted to strike on March 15, after two days of voting and nearly three months of negotiations with the company.

Tampa, FL – On March 7, Dennis Taylor, chief negotiator for Teamster contract negotiations with UPS, announced that local supplements for Detroit Local 243 and Western Pennsylvania would be forced through. This spits in the face of a resounding no vote from UPS Teamsters. Just days earlier, votes came in showing that UPS Teamsters in Detroit and Western Pennsylvania had rejected their local supplements by a staggering 88.3% and 96.4% respectively.

Kapolei, HI – United Steelworkers (USW) members employed by Par Hawaii Refining, LLC, in Kapolei, a subsidiary of Houston-based Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PARR), overwhelmingly rejected the company’s contract proposal.

Milwaukee, WI – Workers at Milwaukee's Stone Creek Coffee unveiled a petition drive, March 4, to support a several months’ long organizing drive at retail shops and production facilities. These young cafe baristas, cooks, bakers, warehouse workers and truck drivers have signed up in ever-growing numbers to be represented by Teamsters Local 344, the Sales and Service Industry union that represents UPS workers as well as Coke, Pepsi and bakery and linen companies in southeastern Wisconsin.

Tampa, FL – Over 30 teachers, staff, parents and community members rallied outside the Pasco County School District Office, March 5, to build support for United School Employees of Pasco (USEP) and challenge dismal salaries for school district employees, along with the lack of funding for public education. The rally occurred only minutes before a Pasco County school board meeting inside.