Los Angeles, CA – On the morning of Sept. 7, Labor Day, hundreds of union members and families joined together, in LA’s Wilmington Community, to celebrate unions and the working class. Many members from a host of trade unions talked about past victories in contracts and recent organizing drives.

Fridley, MN – On July 14, 345 Hospital Workers at Unity Hospital in Fridley, a first ring suburb of Minneapolis, voted by a roughly 60% majority to join SEIU Healthcare MN. The new bargaining unit includes Nursing Assistants, Dietary Aides, Patient Care Techs, Health Unit Coordinators, Environmental Services Aides and other job classes.

Minneapolis, MN – Minnesotans will be celebrating International Workers’ Day early this year. Labor and community leaders will speak out at an event organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Sunday, April 26, 2:30 p.m., at 4200 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis.

Tucson, AZ – Este pasado jueves 4 de Septiembre la ciudad de Tucson se integro al movimiento nacional “Fight for $15” o “La Lucha por el Sueldo Mínimo”. Este creciente movimiento obrero está luchando actualmente por el objetivo de sindicalizar a los trabajadores de la industria de comida rápida y lograr incrementar el salario mínimo a $15 dólares la hora. El Sindicato SEIU (Service Employees International Union por sus siglas en ingles) está jugando un papel fundamental para impulsar nacionalmente este movimiento; el cual ya tiene presencia y se encuentra activo en grandes ciudades tales como Nueva York, Chicago, Atlanta, entre otras.

Saint Paul, MN – More than 240 members of Workers United Local 150 walked off the job from Health Systems Cooperative Laundries, August 5, forming picket lines at the plant entrances in a strike over unfair labor practices, which include the company’s unilateral discontinuation of sick-day benefits.

Minneapolis, MN – About 800 people blocked a major bridge here, Nov. 17 in a march demanding jobs. Police declared the protest to be an unlawful assembly and arrested 11 people who sat down in an act of civil disobedience. The 10th Avenue Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River, was closed for about an hour.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 union activists, as well as OccupyMN participants and others, rallied outside the University of Minnesota’s McNamara Alumni Center on Nov. 8 to protest a speech by Wells Fargo CEO Jon Stumpf.

St. Paul, MN – Service Employee International Union (SEIU), Healthcare Minnesota and SEIU Minnesota State Council President Julie Schnell condemned the budget compromise reached July 14 by Governor Dayton and GOP legislative leaders.

“The labor movement is at a crossroads”

Fight Back! reporters interviewed Sal Rosselli on April 21, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was in Minneapolis to speak at a fundraiser for the National Union of Healthcare Workers.

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, Feb. 6, about 40 people gathered at the Minneapolis Labor Center to train for civil disobedience in support of the janitors of SEIU Local 26. The janitors clean the downtown office buildings of some of the richest banks and corporations in the country, but they have low pay and bad work conditions. Since the janitors' union contract expired on Jan. 8, a strike of the 4000 janitors – mostly Latino and East African immigrants – could begin at any time. The janitors are demanding “good, clean, green jobs” along with full-time work at a decent wage, safe and environmentally friendly cleaning chemicals and day jobs instead of overnight shift. Their employer is refusing to move in negotiations.