Tallahassee, FL – On Saturday, April 5, over 1000 people gathered at the Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee to protest the Trump administration’s reactionary agenda. The protest was organized as a part of the 50501 Movement alongside hundreds of other demonstrations held in Florida and across the country, telling Trump, Elon Musk, and their cronies, “Hands off!”

One attendee, Nicole Soza of Food Not Bombs, noted that in her nine years of organizing she had never seen a turnout that large in Tallahassee. “I think it's a clear sign that working-class people are no longer willing to tolerate being exploited, nor are they willing to see their BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled brothers and sisters be oppressed any longer.”

Over a dozen local organizations co-sponsored the event, including the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA), Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood, the Tallahassee Community Action Community (TCAC), Food Not Bombs, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

Since stepping into office, Trump has ramped up political repression of anyone who expresses dissent with his backwards policies. Local and federal law enforcement have been given the green light to arrest immigrants, such as Mahmoud Khalil, who stand up against Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. Expanding the powers of abusive U.S. police forces not only has negative consequences for immigrants but also increases the oppression of Black and brown people in the country. Far-right commentators like Ben Shapiro have suggested pardoning killer cops like Derek Chauvin, an idea that Trump would undoubtedly be amenable to.

Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee, spoke on the importance of building a movement against police crimes. The NAARPR affiliate is currently campaigning to have the charges on Calvin Riley, a Black man who had evidence of a DUI planted on him, dropped. TCAC is also fighting to shift resources from police to pay for the needs of Tallahassee residents,

Pierre stated, “We have to continue to fight for Calvin Riley, show solidarity with all those affected by the Trump administration, and fight for a budget that reflects the priorities of the people in Tallahassee.”

JJ Glueck stated, “We are lucky not to be followed by police and arrested like Jacksonville SDSers. We are lucky not to be beaten with batons like the students at Wash U. And we are lucky to live in the belly of the beast. My university still stands, but not a single Palestinian university was spared from U.S.-made bombs.”

In Trump’s first term, he and his administration worked to strip back the reproductive rights of women and LGBTQ people. Now, these attacks have resumed in a more blatant manner. Trenece Robertson, a reproductive justice organizer and one of the event’s emcees, stated, “For a long time, people’s autonomy has been under attack, from white women being denied sexual education during the Victorian period to Black women being forcibly experimented on and sterilized. These attacks on abortion and gender-affirming care are nothing new. It’s just that masks are officially off, and our lawmakers are finally being honest about how they felt.”

While Trump has been attacking the rights of immigrants, women, queer people and others, a common talking point was that of Trump’s economic policies. Trump’s tariffs on countries that the U.S. regularly trades with is creating economic uncertainty for working-class families. The Republican Party has even openly discussed taking aim at Medicaid and Social Security.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization member Regina Joseph emphasized the importance of not just mobilizing, but organizing against Trump and Musk’s attacks on the rights of the working class, stating, “We need to organize because it’s the only way we can win. We need to build a massive broad movement against Trump and the multimillionaire and billionaire class!”

The rally had an air of righteous anger, with some protesters expressing fear and even despair at the onslaught of cruel attacks. Robert Lee, member of Food Not Bombs and TIRA addressed these fears and the importance of uniting in the face of it, “Donald Trump and his administration want us to feel isolated and afraid, that’s how they win. But together with our collective power we can win!”

#TallahasseeFL #FL #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #TIRA #FRSO #TCAC #AFLCIO #PlannedParenthood #50501 #Indivisible

Grand Rapids, MI – The social hall at Fountain Street Church in the heart of downtown was packed to capacity with up to 300 people, February 1. While the folks inside listened intently to the dozen organizers speaking, over 200 people were outside in the freezing weather, patiently waiting to march.

Reverend Nathan Dannison began by telling the audience how excited the church was to be fulfilling its role as a progressive space to host events like these, stating, “the attendance is astonishing.” Fountain Street Church has a long history of being a hub and sanctuary for organizers in the city. Legendary leaders in the Black Liberation movement, like Angela Davis and Malcolm X, have spoken and held rallies at the church. 

The rally organizers, the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stated their goal was to build coalitions and relationships with organizers throughout the city. Speakers from these organizations included Planned Parenthood, GR Climate Coalition, Grand Rapids Pride Center, GVSU Progressive Student Union, Grand Rapids School Board, GR Rapid Response to ICE, and others.

Sam Tunningley, an organizer of the event and member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, stated, “Trans rights and 2S-LGBTQ rights are extremely personal to me. My closest friends are queer, my sibling is trans, so Trump and his attacks are extremely personal, and we’re going to fight this on the front lines of every struggle!”

Eduardo Montiel, the chair of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stated, “I’m optimistic because I know the people, the working-class people who aren’t under risk of deportation, alongside immigrants will come together and stand up to Trump's racist and reactionary agenda. Together a better world is possible and that’s what everyone in this room is here to do right now. To come together and say enough is enough.”

An organizer of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said, “You who showed up for Patrick Lyoya, Samuel Sterling and Riley Doggett, for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, we call on you to join us in our demand, community control of the police now!” In 2024 the GRPD officers killed Samuel Sterling, Riley Doggett, and many more community members. Justice is still yet to come for the family of Patrick Lyoya, who was killed by GRPD Officer Christopher Schurr in April of 2022.

Anthony Hegarty, a member of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids, stated, “The ceasefire came at a great cost and it's already being used as a political football by the ruling class in this country, first Trump takes credit, then Biden takes credit. It makes no difference; the Palestinians are ones who deserve credit!” 

The majority of speeches were also translated into Spanish, either by a volunteer translator or by speakers who were already fluent. The event continued into the streets of downtown Grand Rapids as over 500 community members marched for nearly an hour in the blistering cold, waving flags of Mexico and other Latin American countries, and chanting to drown out the sound of GRPD sirens and arrest warnings.

#GrandRapidsMI #GRAARPR #GRPD #GVSUPSU #GRClimateCoalition #PlannedParenthood #Trump #LGBTQRights #FreePalestine #ImmigrantRights

Minneapolis, MN – Union members at Planned Parenthood rallied on Tuesday evening, April 11, along with community supporters. The central demands of the action were that Planned Parenthood immediately reinstate a member of the bargaining committee who they fired recently, and to stop engaging in union-busting activity.

Around 450 workers at Planned Parenthood North Central States Region (PPNCS), across Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota formed a union and joined SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa last year and have since been fighting for their first contract. Recently Planned Parenthood management fired one of the leaders of the bargaining committee and issued severe disciplines to every member of the bargaining committee in a clear show of retaliation for their union activity.

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa say they have filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against PPNCS. In the charge, SEIU Healthcare MN&IA alleges that bargaining committee member Grace Larson was fired in retaliation for her leadership role in the union, that PPNCS has sought to intimidate and otherwise deter other elected bargaining team members from exercising their legal rights, and that PPNCS unlawfully surveilled private, non-work communications among elected bargaining team members.

Grace Larson, the fired Planned Parenthood worker, said, “Until two weeks ago I was a licensed practical nurse at Planned Parenthood North Central States, until the fired me for blowing the whistle on an employee accused of assault and abuse. I am a proud member of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa, and an elected bargaining team member at PPNCS United which is the union’s first contract team for bargaining. We all care about the mission and despite the challenges we face we have been willing to push through and continue to provide care for our patients, and continued to lead the union. We don’t want to pit abortion rights and workers’ rights against each other, especially at this critical time. We cannot have workers’ rights without abortion rights and we cannot have abortion rights without workers’ rights.”

Rachel Storm spoke at the rally and is a member of the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee. Storm said, “The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee is proud to stand here today in solidarity with the workers at Planned Parenthood in their ongoing struggle for justice and democracy in their own workplace. As an organization that advocates for the protection and expansion of reproductive healthcare, we understand on a fundamental level that it’s the workers at these facilities that make that care happen. We are appalled by the union-busting activities of Planned Parenthood North Central States and their firing of bargaining committee member Grace Larson, and we unite with the demand to reinstate Grace Larson and cease union busting-activities.”

After Storm, the next person to speak was Sasmit Rahman, who is a member of the Students for a Democratic Society at University of Minnesota: “SDS is proud to be here standing in solidarity with healthcare works at Planned Parenthood, fighting for their rights to organize and be paid and treated fairly.”

Rahman added, “These are vital frontline healthcare workers being pushed past their limits to serve our community. It is our responsibility to stand with them as they fight for the working conditions they deserve.”

The event was held on the University of Minnesota campus and, besides SDS and MNAAC, included other community and labor supporters. The crowd was around 100 people and was lively. Chants included, “What’s disgusting? Union busting!”

The Planned Parenthood workers are still in negotiations to win their first union contract, nearly a year after forming their union and becoming SEIU members. Judging from the attendance and energy at the rally they appear ready to keep fighting until they win the contract they deserve, Grace Larson is reinstated, and Planned Parenthood ceases union busting.

#MinneapolisMN #PlannedParenthood

Minneapolis, MN – On July 21, 435 Planned Parenthood workers from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska joined the Service Employees International Union, Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa (SEIU HCMN&IA) in a resounding 90.1% yes vote. 238 workers voted to join the union, and only 26 voted not to.

The Planned Parenthood workers began working with organizers at SEIU HCMN&IA in early summer of 2021. Over the next year they built an organizing committee among their coworkers with workers from all five states represented on the committee and wide representation from the 28 locations involved.

In May of 2022 they felt they finally had a strong enough organizing committee to move forward and began talking to coworkers and having them sign union cards committing to join the union. They quickly got over 30% of their coworkers signed up in under a week. Things were moving quickly, and then in early May the Supreme Court leaked that it was about to overturn Roe versus Wade which rocked the abortion rights world.

At the same time as their lives were in chaos from the leak, the organizing committee held a long late-night meeting and decided that now more than ever they needed to go forward with their push to unionize. Coming out of that meeting they went on to get a majority of their coworkers signed up on union cards which they filed with the NLRB to trigger a union election after requesting voluntary recognition of their union from Planned Parenthood.

Despite a majority having already signed cards committing their support for forming a union, Planned Parenthood refused to voluntarily recognize, so the workers went forward to an election held by the NLRB to get their union legally recognized. That process resulted in an election by mail which began on June 27 with ballots due back to the NLRB by July 19.

During the election the lives of Planned Parenthood workers were once again rocked when the Supreme Court did in fact overturn Roe v. Wade. But the workers pushed forward and when the ballots were counted on July 21, the workers got their union recognized through their 90.1% yes vote.

Mimi Arabalo is a bilingual health educator for Planned Parenthood in the Omaha area and had the following to say, “In my time here I have seen my incredible frontline colleagues go above and beyond for our patients and community, often at the cost of themselves. We have served our roles without breaks, without pay equity, and without a seat at the table to have a say in our own working conditions.”

Arabalo continued, “Today’s election results show that we have had enough. We still stand with our patients and our communities, but we cannot stand with Planned Parenthood without standing up for ourselves. There is no Planned Parenthood without us. We can’t care for our communities if we aren’t being cared for, and forming this union is a way for us to have some accountability for that care.”

Now that they have formed their union, the workers will move forward into bargaining their first union contract as members of SEIU HCMN&IA.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #SEIU #SEIUHealthCareMN #PlannedParenthood