Minneapolis, MN – Over 1000 union members, immigrant rights activists and supporters marched through Minneapolis’ Whittier neighborhood on Monday, February 16, to demand an end to ICE’s occupation of the city and for the defense of immigrant rights.

Marchers held dozens of banners with slogans like “ICE our now,” “Legalization for all,” and “Killer ICE off our streets.” The march began at Stewart Park, crossed a highway where the supportive honks of passing traffic temporarily drowned out the marchers’ chants, and ended at the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street, where Alex Pretti was murdered.

Pretti was shot repeatedly in the back while held down on the ground by masked federal agents agents, after stepping between the agents and a woman who they were attempting to pepper spray.

The march was headlined by the Minnesota AFL-CIO, and was endorsed by many local unions, including AFGE Local 3669, AFSCME Council 5 and Council 65, ATU Local 1005, IATSE Local 13, IAM District 77, IUPAT District Council 82, LiUNA Minnesota and North Dakota, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, Minnesota Nurses Association, NALC Branch 9, SEIU Locals 26 and 284, UFCW Locals 1189 and 663, and UNITE HERE Local 17. Many community organizations endorsed the event and turned out their membership to march as well, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations — MN (CAIR-MN), 50501 Minnesota, Reviving Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE), Women’s March Minnesota, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).

Speakers were unanimous in driving home the message that ICE occupation of Minnesota has not ended. Manuel Pascual, a member of MIRAC, spoke to the crowd from the back of a truck as the marchers took the streets, saying, “Just days ago, federal officials announced the end of Operation Metro Surge. Let’s be clear — that did not happen because they suddenly found compassion. It happened because people across Minnesota organized, spoke out, marched, and refused to stay silent. It happened because immigrant communities and allies showed courage. It happened because resistance worked.”

However, Pascual continued to note that the community fight against ICE continues, and spoke to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s agreeing to “unprecedented” levels of state collaboration with ICE, without details of this agreement being made public. Pascual said, “What we are seeing now is not a victory lap from those in power. It is a shift in strategy. A quieter approach. Deals being made behind closed doors. Policies that risk embedding ICE deeper into our local systems — into our jails, into policing, into everyday encounters — where harm becomes less visible but no less real. We must say clearly: we will not be fooled.”

Organizers noted that a decreased ICE presence in Minnesota also does not mean that the battle against ICE has ended on a national scale, and that just as millions marched across the country in solidarity with Minnesota, Minnesota will march in solidarity with any future city to see a large-scale occupation by ICE.

When the march arrived at the site of Alex Pretti’s murder, organizers handed out flowers to attendees so they could lay them in tribute at his memorial. The crowd was asked to repeat these slogans after the emcee: “We have a duty to fight for our freedom! We have a duty to win! We have nothing to lose but our chains!”

MIRAC plans to take their demands for an end to ICE terror and for legalization for all directly to Governor Walz, with a rally outside the Minnesota Governor’s Residence at 1006 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #Labor #AFLCIO #AFGE #AFSCME #ATU #IAM #MIRAC #CAIRMN #FRSO

New York, NY – On September 6, in Midtown Manhattan labor unions began assembling at 8:30 a.m. for the annual NYC Labor Day Parade sponsored by the NYC Labor Council, AFL-CIO. The event is the nation's oldest and largest Labor Day Parade, with over 200 unions and constituency groups participating.

Many union locals had large floats which played loud music to energize the crowd of union members, who joined in to the event with their respective locals and enjoyed free food and drink.

Around 11 a.m., the crowd of tens of thousands of unionized workers began preparing to march north through the streets of Manhattan. While marching, they chanted, “Get up, get down, New York is a union town!” “Tax the rich! Tax the motherfucking rich!” and “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go!”

Among the many unions and union locals present were the UFT, DC-37, NYSNA, UCATS 3882 of NYU, CSEA Local 1000, 1199 SEIU, NYC Iron Workers, and more.

The United Federation of Teachers, UFT, were in particularly strong force. The nearly 200,000-member public sector union had a float and hundreds of members present, reflecting a wide array of political interests. Slogans included “ “Union strong” and “Never cross a picket line.” Reflecting their opposition to Trump's anti-immigrant policies, educators also shouted “Up up with education, down down with deportation!”

A sizable group of UFT workers had signs and shirts which said “UFT for Zohran,” reflecting the union's recent endorsement of the progressive mayoral candidate. They chanted, “UFT for Mamdani” and “Hey hey, ho ho, Andrew Cuomo has got to go.” Many of these unionists discussed their experiences canvassing for Mamdani.

Other UFT members were present who had organized themselves into an autonomous group called “NYC Educators for Palestine” and were campaigning for the Teacher Retirement System of New York to divest from companies which support Israel’s ongoing occupation and genocide of Palestinians.

Many people not participating in the march watched it go by in solidarity. The march ended at West 64th Street with musical performances, chants and speeches.

#NewYorkCityNY #NY #Labor #LaborDay #AFLCIO #UFT #NYCEFP

Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday, August 30, workers came out in full force to demonstrate outside of Senator Rick Scott’s office in downtown Jacksonville. This rally, organized by the North Florida Central Labor Council and the North Florida Future Labor Leaders, was in protest to the onslaught on US workers by the current administration.

This protest was sparked by the AFL-CIO’s call for a “Workers' Labor Day.”

Union teachers, plumbers, longshoremen, electricians, logistics workers and city employees showed out and demonstrated the power of union solidarity. LJ Holloway, a rank-and-file member of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), led the chant: “United we bargain! Divided we beg!” Anyone in downtown Jacksonville could hear the echoes of the workers chanting, “Who’s got the power? We got the power! What kind of power? Worker power!”

Monica Gold, a middle school teacher and proud union member, told the crowd, “Within our building we have teachers, paraprofessionals and office personnel. We have maintenance workers, school bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians. And I think about how their victories are my victories, and how their losses are my losses, and that we’re so much stronger when we work together. I think it’s high time that we stop asking for things, but that we demand things.”

Many at the rally spoke on the Trump administration’s shameful attacks on unions and the working class as a whole, including the recent ruling on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Michael Sampson, an organizer and union rep for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) stated, “What we are seeing is the agenda of Donald Trump to starve us, to get rid of our unions, to get rid of the solidarity that we have with each other. Because he knows that having a union means having an organization, and having an organization of workers means having the ability to fight back against the agenda of corporate America.”

Shayne Tremblay, a union electrician and president of the North Florida Future Labor Leaders spoke on the need for solidarity, stating, “I believe that we need to take the winning strategy of solidarity that got us our unions, and we need to aim higher. We need to stand in solidarity, not just with our coworkers, but with every working person in this country. We need to organize all working people to turn this into a country that is for workers, by workers.”

The rally took place in one the most traffic-heavy parts of the city, and the workers got a plethora of honks and expressions of support from folks driving by.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #Labor #LaborDay #NFFLL #AFLCIO #ILA #AFSCME

Atlanta, GA- Hundreds of workers and community members gathered in Woodruff Park Monday afternoon, September 1, to celebrate Labor Day and declare their opposition to Trump’s agenda.

The rally and march, titled “Workers over Billionaires”, was endorsed by a coalition of over 20 unions and political groups including: Teamsters Local 728, Starbucks Workers United, the Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council, the Atlanta Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The rally started with speeches and spirited chants denouncing Trump, ICE and the U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza.

“There is a war being waged on the working class right now. It’s not just led by Trump, but by his allies in the monopoly capitalist class. Like Peter Thiel at Palantir, Carol Tome at UPS, and Jeff Bezos at Amazon,” Teamster and FRSO member Alex Carson told the crowd. “As a UPS worker we are experiencing this war on the shop floor every day. It looks like Trump’s tariffs reducing our hours, it looks like management increasing harassment. All the while, UPS has pulled in record profits for the last five years.”

After speeches, the protest marched down Auburn Avenue to the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and King Center. On every block supporters trickled out of buildings to film the protest and join chants of “When workers’ rights are under attack, what do you do? Stand up, fight back!”

This protest occurred on the heels of Trump’s vow to send the National Guard to Atlanta and was but a small show of force compared to what awaits them should troops be deployed.

#AtlantaGA #GA #Labor #LaborDay #Trump #Teamsters #SWU #AFLCIO #AAARPR

Chicago, IL – 10,000 Chicagoans gathered at the West Loop Haymarket Memorial on Monday, September 1, for a “Workers over Billionaires” protest called by the Chicago Federation of Labor for a militant Labor Day demonstration.

The protest was a response to Trump’s sweeping attacks on working and oppressed people, with particular focus on his attacks on federal workers’ bargaining rights, Immigrant rights, and his threats to send federal troops into Chicago.

In March, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to strip collective bargaining rights from almost 1 million federal workers. In recent weeks, he has made consistent threats to send military forces into cities run by Black mayors, with particular malice toward Chicago’s mayor and the union city that elected him.

To open his remarks at the Labor Day protest, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson fired up the crowd with chants of “No federal troops in the city of Chicago!” The mayor took a fighting stance with regards to Trump’s attacks on Chicago, describing his administration’s efforts to defend and invest in workers, especially Black and brown workers. Johnson spoke with pride about helping abolish the sub-minimum wage, ratify a transformative Chicago Teacher’s Union contract, and invest in affordable housing units on the South and West sides.

“We have stood up for the interests of workers before and we will do it again Johnson said. “We will always be a labor town.”

Johnson’s emphasis on the role of unions and working class people in mobilizing against Trump’s attacks to come was clear. “I need you all to stand firm and stand strong,” he said.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis-Gates matched Johnson’s words, stating, “In Chicago, we reject a billionaire’s tyranny in our city,” she said. “Solidarity is the antidote to white supremacy. Solidarity is the antidote to anti-immigrant fever. Solidarity is the antidote to transphobia and homophobia.”

“It is because of unions that there are no children who are working underage, and because of unions that we have health benefits, sick leave and vacation time,” said Reverend Jamal Bryant, a senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. He called for labor forces to fight back once again. “There are more labor workers than there are billionaires.”

After the initial program at the Haymarket Monument, the protesters began marching west, chanting and holding signs promoting workers’ and Immigrants’ rights, and opposing Trump and his threats to send in troops to Chicago.

First stop: Workers over billionaires!

The march stopped at the corner of Fulton and Sangamon, outside the offices of Valor Equity Partners, a company founded by Chicago billionaire Antonio Gracias.

Toni Frazier, a childcare professional and SEIUHCII member, has worked in childcare for more than 34 years. She called out Gracias for not only hoarding billions off the backs of workers but also working with Musk to cut Social Security. These attacks hit close to home for Frazier, whose granddaughter needs special services for autism and whose niece is disabled and struggles to access healthcare. “We are here to take care of those who need help the most,” Frazier said. “That ain’t the billionaires.”

Second stop: Boycott Target!

The march reached its second stop outside a Target store, where Reverend Bryant spoke about the nationwide boycott against the corporation since it ended its DEI programs and goals early this year. The campaign’s efforts have seen Target’s stock drop by $52 per share and the CEO’s salary cut by 42% since the start of the boycott.

Bryant attributed the campaign’s progress to the same unity that helped build the Montgomery Bus Boycott during the Civil Rights movement. Labor unions, teachers and faith leaders all have to work together, he said. “Don’t let nobody turn us around!”

Final stop: We must defeat Trump in the streets!

John Miller, local president of University Professionals of Illinois Local 41 and a member of the American Association of University Professionals, called out the cruel disinvestment in education and all aspects of society orchestrated by Trump and the billionaire ruling class, including Governor Pritzker. Miller emphasized the need for an organized, militant response from the movement.

“All of higher education is under attack,” Miller said. “We’ve filed lawsuits, but we must defeat [Trump] in the streets.”

“We can play defense, or we can go on offense,” said Nico Coronado, chief negotiator for Teamsters 705 in their fight with Mauser. Over 100 members have been on strike since June 9. They are demanding better wages, workplace quality standards as well as protections from immigration enforcement. “We need to organize to bring in more members and have more militancy.”

No Trump, no troops!

In the coming days, an illegal military occupation of communities may come to Chicago as ordered by Donald Trump. The National Guard is being deployed, like in Washington DC, to continue the attacks on working and oppressed people, under the guise of fighting crime.

Chicagoans, in particular Black people and immigrants, have an inalienable democratic right to resist through whatever means of resistance needed. The Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) is ready to mobilize as soon as troops hit the ground. Follow CATA on social media at coalitionagainsttrumpagenda.org

#ChicagoIL #IL #PeoplesStruggles #Labor #Trump #ImmigrantRights #CATA #AFLCIO #SEIU #CTU

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

Resolution in Solidarity with Organized Labor in the Philippines

WHEREAS, legislative and violent attacks on organized labor in the Philippines have resulted in the country being ranked among the world’s deadliest countries for trade unionists, where over 70 workers have been murdered since 2016, and;

WHEREAS, unions and labor activists are frequently targeted with forced union disaffiliation, intimidation, harassment, aggressive surveillance, torture, imprisonment, and killings, and;

WHEREAS, thousands of workers have been arrested on false charges in an attempt to silence their voices, including Anne Krueger, who was working to organize call center workers and hosted two delegations of Communications Workers of America (CWA) members to the Philippines, (1) and; 

WHEREAS, in April 2023, Alex Dolorosa, a union organizer whose work was funded by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), was violently murdered, and no effort has been made by the authorities to investigate his murder, (2) and;

WHEREAS, in the face of legislative attacks, violent repression, and human rights violations committed by the repressive Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regime, unionists in the Philippines continue to organize a vibrant and growing labor movement that merits great respect and solidarity, and;

WHEREAS, the government of the Philippines is by far the largest recipient of US military aid in the Indo-Pacific, having received $1.14 billion in US military aid since 2015, (3) and;

WHEREAS, on May 1st, 2019 the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Congress to end military aid to the government of the Philippines, and; 

WHEREAS, in June, 2020 the AFL-CIO issued a statement calling on Congress to pass the Philippines Human Rights Act (1), which would suspend US military aid to the Philippines, (4) and;

WHEREAS, The Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO, The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), and the AFL-CIO Executive Council have issued resolutions and statements calling for Congressional action to address ongoing human and labor rights violations by the government of the Philippines, and;

WHEREAS, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO, representing nearly 20,000 union members, believes fundamentally in the power of worker solidarity, and actively supports trade unionists and all people of conscience working to stop attacks on labor and democratic rights.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO reaffirms our solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the labor movement of the Philippines, and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO demands accountability from the Philippine government and supports international calls for a comprehensive investigation of the killings in the Philippines, and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO calls for the urgent passage and signing of the Philippines Human Rights Act.

1. https://aflcio.org/about/leadership/statements/congress-should-introduce-and-pass-philippines-human-rights-act

2. https://aflcio.org/about/leadership/statements/2023-george-meany-lane-kirkland-human-rights-philippines-labor-movement

3. https://ph.usembassy.gov/fact-sheet-u-s-philippines-defense-and-security-partnership/http

4. humanrightsph.org/

#MilwaukeeWI #MALC #AFLCIO #Unions #LaborCouncil #Philippines #Labor #InternationalSolidarity

Lansing, MI – 120 union members and supporters marched through downtown Lansing, July 15, chanting, “They say cut back! We say fight back!” The march stopped at a union worker statue where Nick Eaton of IATSE Local 247 spoke, “This statue represents the workers who built the new buildings you see in front of you. It also reflects the history of factory workers before deindustrialization left ugly scenes and empty lots, like many cities in the Midwest.”

The marchers returned to the State Capitol building chanting about unemployment, “Extend to the end!” and “HEROES Act now!” Josh Roskamp with IATSE Local 26 explained, “The hundreds of post cards addressed to Republican Senator Mitch McConnell will send a message that we need the $600. We can’t wait for it to run out. We need every person at this rally to organize small groups to visit politicians at their offices to talk about unemployment and the HEROES Act!”

Pete Vargas with the Restaurant Opportunities Center spoke at the rally, “Many of our food service workers live on tips, and are low wage at $3.25 per hour. For those who applied, many of them women and immigrants, they only make $126 a week for unemployment. It is just totally unacceptable. We support the expansion on both the state level and federal level.”

Nia Winston, president of UNITE HERE Local 24 covering Michigan and Ohio, opened with the crowd chanting, “No justice! No peace!” Winston spoke passionately, “All of us have been essential for a long ass time, but nobody recognized that until now.” She then told the story of a McLaren Hospital porter forced to wear a plastic trash bag for PPE during the COVID-19 crisis. Other workers had to beg for masks while the McLaren Health Care Corporation continued to roll in the profits.

Speaking to the unemployment need, Winston said, “For UNITE HERE union, 98% of our members are on furlough. If Congress and the Senate does not pass the HEROES Act now, unfortunately we will have members with serious medical conditions who will lose their health care.”

She finished by saying, “Who the hell can live off of $300 per week unemployment? Extend the HEROES Act to the end! My plea is to the Senate to pass the HEROES Act now. Do your damn job!”

The rally also featured a leading group of IATSE union stagehands Walter Shink, Lindsey Katerberg, Joe Miller, Tom Rivera and Josh Roskamp. IATSE members work in Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo.

Anne Brown spoke for U.S. Congressperson Elissa Slotkin of the 8th District on the topic, “What is the HEROES Act and what to expect?” She finished with a call and response, “When we fight! We win!”

Importantly, Ron Bieber, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO spoke about workers being sick, and the people he knows who died. Bieber explained, “Dumbass Donald Trump has failed to have a coordinated federal response, to this day, after all the pain and all the deaths in this country. He continues to downplay the seriousness of the virus; after all we have been through.”

Bieber continued, “You cannot fix this economic crisis until you fix the health crisis. Get your ass to work fixing that, Donald.”

Josh Roskamp closed the rally by responding to Presidential Advisor Ivana Trump’s “Find something new” statement last week. Roskamp said, “Do we really want to be competing for everybody else’s job? Do we really need to run down all our wages?”

U.S. unemployment rose by 1.8 million workers this past week. Officially there are 33 million unemployed, including 2 million in the entertainment industry.

#LansingMI #CapitalismAndEconomy #PoorPeoplesMovements #Unemployment #PeoplesStruggles #AFLCIO #IATSE #HEROSACT

Grand Rapids, MI – After a lively rally on June 24 with nearly 100 workers, the stagehands union IATSE is calling a new rally on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol for July 15. The stagehands and other gig workers are demanding the passage of the HEROES (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions) Act by the U.S. Senate. July 25 is looming as the $600 per week unemployment boost that keeps people paying their bills is set to run out. Tensions are rising not just in Michigan, but also for stagehands from New York City to Hollywood, across the whole country.

“The U.S. House of Representatives gave us hope by passing the HEROES Act,” said Josh Roskamp of IATSE Union Local 26. “Unfortunately, the Republican-dominated U.S. Senate, leader Mitch McConnell in particular, is stalling on giving us what we need. They say $600 is too much. They claim we don’t want to work, but they know full well that we cannot work!”

Roskamp continues, “We all saw the disaster of opening bars and restaurants in June. Now people are suffering and dying from COVID-19 at high rates. The events and entertainment industry is shut down until the COVID-19 pandemic is treated as a serious public health crisis. Most touring concerts and theater shows are not going back on the road until after March 2021. Millions of us are unemployed. We need to pay our bills and feed our families. This is our fight to live!”

Lindsey Katerberg of Local 26 said, “We are speaking out for non-union workers too. We are in this fight together. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits those in our industry who cannot claim unemployment. It will continue to remain vital past the current expiration of July 31. We need to raise base benefits at the state level in Michigan, to extend state unemployment, and set minimum wage for essential workers at $13 per hour.”

Joe Miller of Local 38 in Detroit said, “Most of us have never filed for unemployment, never had to. You are looking at people that would rather be working. We don’t want to sit home. Now due to mishandling of the crisis, we do not see a particularly good way forward until next March 2021.”

The IATSE Local 26 statement says, “Union or non-union, performers, musicians, ushers, ticket takers, security, concessions workers, stagehands, gig workers, hospitality, and travel. We are reaching out to everyone to join forces with us as we recognize the need for extending the $600 FPUC as well as unemployment benefits and raising the maximum base payment of $362 per week at the state level.”

The stagehands are planning to mobilize their members to call both Michigan and U.S. representatives and senators to demand backing for the HEROES Act. It will clarify which politicians support stagehands and gig workers in the events and entertainment industry, and which do not. At their rally on June 24, the crowd chanted, “Extend to the end!” and “They say cut back! We say fight back!”

The rally begins at 10 a.m. on July 15 and brings together IATSE Local 26 of West Michigan, IATSE Local 38 of Detroit Metro, IATSE Local 274 in Lansing, the Michigan AFL-CIO and other union locals throughout Michigan.

#GrandRapidsMI #CapitalismAndEconomy #PoorPeoplesMovements #Unemployment #US #PeoplesStruggles #AFLCIO #DonaldTrump #IATSE #HEROESAct

The AFL-CIO, made up of 55 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million active and retired members, voted to endorse the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA). The PHRA calls on the U.S. Congress to “suspend United States security assistance to the Philippines until such time as human rights violations by Philippine security forces cease and the responsible state forces are held accountable.”

A resolution of the AFL-CIO executive committee stated, “In the four years since the election of Rodrigo Duterte as president of the Philippines, we have been increasingly troubled by the increased repression of labor, human rights, environmental and political activists in the Philippines.”

The resolution also stated, the AFL-CIO “strongly urges introduction in the U.S. House and Senate of the Philippines Human Rights Act, which would suspend U.S. taxpayer-funded military aid to the Philippines until security officials stop the routine violations of human rights and those responsible for abuses are held accountable.”

“We welcome and applaud the AFL-CIO's statement calling on Congress to introduce and pass the PHRA. Our coalition of support for human rights and democracy in the Philippines is growing within the labor movement, faith groups, youth, educators and academics, community-based organizations and even city-level government agencies,” states Drew Elizarde-Miller of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines.

“Now with the pending passage of the Anti-Terror Law in the Philippines, we are seeing intensifying political repression in the country under Duterte’s rule, a targeted national campaign to silence and kill off his critics and voices of dissent. The Duterte government is even using the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown to justify its abuse of executive power and crackdown on the Filipino people, who continue to struggle against tyranny. As Filipinos in the U.S. and our supporters, we must fight as well and echo the cries for democracy and justice,” states Yves Nibungco of Malaya Movement.

“As Filipino-American youth, we want a future where the human rights violations in the Philippines aren't funded by U.S. tax dollars. We don't want our families separated because of a U.S. military presence in the Philippines, we don’t want to see the military occupation and violence in Philippine schools,” states Christine Fabro of Kabataan Filipino-American Youth Alliance, based in Washington D.C.

Co-sponsors of the PHRA include the Communication Workers of America, United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, the United Church of Christ Justice and Peace Ministries and the Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines.

#WashingtonDC #AntiwarMovement #Philippines #AFLCIO #Duterte #InternationalCoalitionForHumanRightsInThePhilippines #PhilippineHumanRightsActPHRA #Asia

The AFL-CIO, made up of 55 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million active and retired members, voted to endorse the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA). The PHRA calls on the U.S. Congress to “suspend United States security assistance to the Philippines until such time as human rights violations by Philippine security forces cease and the responsible state forces are held accountable.”

A resolution of the AFL-CIO executive committee stated, “In the four years since the election of Rodrigo Duterte as president of the Philippines, we have been increasingly troubled by the increased repression of labor, human rights, environmental and political activists in the Philippines.”

The resolution also stated, the AFL-CIO “strongly urges introduction in the U.S. House and Senate of the Philippines Human Rights Act, which would suspend U.S. taxpayer-funded military aid to the Philippines until security officials stop the routine violations of human rights and those responsible for abuses are held accountable.”

“We welcome and applaud the AFL-CIO's statement calling on Congress to introduce and pass the PHRA. Our coalition of support for human rights and democracy in the Philippines is growing within the labor movement, faith groups, youth, educators and academics, community-based organizations and even city-level government agencies,” states Drew Elizarde-Miller of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines.

“Now with the pending passage of the Anti-Terror Law in the Philippines, we are seeing intensifying political repression in the country under Duterte’s rule, a targeted national campaign to silence and kill off his critics and voices of dissent. The Duterte government is even using the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown to justify its abuse of executive power and crackdown on the Filipino people, who continue to struggle against tyranny. As Filipinos in the U.S. and our supporters, we must fight as well and echo the cries for democracy and justice,” states Yves Nibungco of Malaya Movement.

“As Filipino-American youth, we want a future where the human rights violations in the Philippines aren't funded by U.S. tax dollars. We don't want our families separated because of a U.S. military presence in the Philippines, we don’t want to see the military occupation and violence in Philippine schools,” states Christine Fabro of Kabataan Filipino-American Youth Alliance, based in Washington D.C.

Co-sponsors of the PHRA include the Communication Workers of America, United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, the United Church of Christ Justice and Peace Ministries and the Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines.

#WashingtonDC #AntiwarMovement #Philippines #AFLCIO #Duterte #InternationalCoalitionForHumanRightsInThePhilippines #PhilippineHumanRightsActPHRA #Asia

Minneapolis, MN – On Thursday, June 11, 3200 protesters gathered at the Hennepin County Government Center demanding justice for George Floyd and real change. Protests had been going on daily, sometimes several per day, for 18 days since the police murder of George Floyd.

While a battle rages over the role of police ‘unions,’ members of at least seven unions organized and turned out to the protest as part of a labor contingent organized by Minnesota Workers United. The labor contingent also sent several speakers up to the stage to speak and demand justice for George Floyd and to make it clear that police have no place in the labor movement.

David Gilbert Pederson from Minnesota Workers United addressed the crowd in a lively speech saying, “The police have no place in our movement. The national AFL-CIO must immediately expel the International Union of Police Organizations. These killer cops are not our union siblings. They are scabs, they are strike breakers, they are class collaborators, and they have kept us under subjugation for decades.”

AFSCME Local 3800 executive board member and clerical worker at the University of Minnesota Chandra Killebrew said, “I was born and raised on the Northside and Southside of Minneapolis. To give people an idea of how long this has been going on, I can remember the name of a young boy who was taken from us by police too soon. Tycel Nelson. That was back in the 90s. This is a marathon y’all and we have to keep on running.” She went on to say “I am a mother, I am a sister, I am a cousin, and an auntie. I am a grandmother to a Black man, Power to all people!”

Groups of members were seen joining the labor contingent from AFSCME Local 3800, AFSCME Local 2822, AFSCME Local 34, AFSCME Local 1842, Minnesota State College Faculty Association, Fridley Association of Educators, Bloomington Association of Teachers and more.

In addition to labor contingent members, there were dozens of other speakers there to get their voice heard and demand justice.

Among them was Sumaya Aden, the sister of Isak Aden who was murdered by police in Eagan. She stated, “People like to talk about the racist South. But we are living in the Jim Crow North!”

After a series of speeches at the Government Center the protest gave way to a large march which took over 5th Street and marched over to a nearby police station where they rallied before marching back to the Government Center.

All of this took place the day before another major protest is planned for Friday at the Police Officers Federation at 1811 University Avenue NE in Minneapolis. Many of the labor contingent members said they would also be attending the protest there to show that police are not part of the labor movement.

#MinneapolisMN #Labor #PeoplesStruggles #AFLCIO #PoliceBrutality #AFSCME #MinnesotaWorkersUnited #GeorgeFloyd

Minneapolis, MN – Alrededor de 500 sindicalistas y funcionarios de docenas de sindicatos se reunieron en la casa del fiscal del condado de Hennepin Mike Freeman en el suroeste de Minneapolis, el 31 de mayo, para exigir justicia para George Floyd y poner fin a la vigilancia racista. Los manifestantes se resolvieron a no permitir que los tropos racistas sobre los agitadores externos les impidieran hacer lo correcto.

La multitud estaba ardiente y bulliciosa cuando 13 oradores dieron testimonio conmovedor y llamaron a la acción para defender la justicia y defender a George Floyd. Muchos oradores comentaron sobre sus experiencias como personas negras en Estados Unidos y lo que es ser acosado y amenazado rutinariamente por la policía racista. Varios mencionaron que no son agitadores externos, sino que provienen de la comunidad donde ocurrieron estos eventos y han visto a miembros de la comunidad salir en grandes cantidades para luchar por la justicia. Se hicieron muchas llamadas para que todos los presentes permanezcan en las calles y hagan lo que sea necesario hasta que se haga justicia. Se hicieron pedidos para arrestar a los cuatro policías que formaron parte del asesinato de George Floyd.

Mahva Jones es miembro de la junta ejecutiva de AFSCME Local 3800, que representa a los trabajadores de oficina de la Universidad de Minnesota, y dijo esto: “El sistema no está roto, está funcionando según lo diseñado. En ningún momento en el origen de este país fueron Los negros pretendían ser cualquier cosa que no fueran esclavos o muertos.

El abogado del condado de Hennepin, Mike Freeman, esperó cuatro días para presentar cualquier cargo contra cualquiera de los oficiales que participaron en el asesinato de George Floyd. Cuando lo hizo, solo acusó al oficial de policía Derek Chauvin, y solo con asesinato en tercer grado y homicidio involuntario en segundo grado, a pesar de estar arrodillado en el cuello de George Floyd durante ocho minutos y medio mientras suplicaba por su vida y lentamente cayó en la inconsciencia con un La multitud que lo rodeaba gritaba que Chauvin estaba matando al hombre. Otros tres oficiales participaron tanto directamente como vigilando y reteniendo a la gente para que no pudieran evitar detener al oficial Chauvin y salvar la vida de Floyd.

Harrison Bullard, miembro de la junta ejecutiva de SEIU Local 26, dijo: “Cuando Jamar Clark se encontró con su desafortunado final, dije esto en los escalones del centro de gobierno, y lo diré aquí hoy: cuando alguien que sea elegido por usted se niega a hacer el trabajo para el que están allí, así que haz lo que te hacen a ti. Despídelos “. Continuó hablando sobre la necesidad de las intensas acciones y protestas que han tenido lugar los miembros de la comunidad en los últimos cinco días. Dijo: “Hay que poner miedo en los corazones de la policía al igual que ellos pusieron miedo en los corazones de los negros en nuestra ciudad. Tenemos que vivir de pie de pie, no de rodillas “.

El miembro de la junta ejecutiva de SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, Deb Howze, dijo: “¿Quieres hablar sobre la brutalidad policial? Ha estado sucediendo desde el principio de los tiempos. No es nada nuevo. Pero ahora tenemos una generación que está de pie, hablando en voz alta, luchando y diciendo ¡diablos no! ¿Hablamos de botas en el suelo? ¡Tienes razón, tenemos botas en el suelo! Vamos a cambiar esto. Uno está encarcelado. No queremos a nadie. Queremos uno, dos, tres, cuatro encarcelados y todos los demás que hicieron mal por aquí. Tenemos que levantarnos y seguir luchando “.

Aquí está la cita de MLK que el presidente Horazuk leyó: “Estamos cansados. Estamos cansados de estar en el fondo. Estamos cansados de ser pisoteados por los pies de hierro de la opresión. Estamos cansados de que nuestros hijos tengan que asistir a escuelas superpobladas, inferiores y de calidad inferior. Estamos cansados de tener que vivir en condiciones de vivienda deterioradas y deficientes, donde no tenemos alfombra de pared a pared, pero a menudo terminamos con ratas y cucarachas de pared a pared. Estamos cansados. Asfixiando en una jaula hermética en medio de una sociedad acomodada. Estamos cansados de caminar por las calles en busca de trabajos que no existen. Estamos cansados de trabajar cada día y ni siquiera de ganar un salario adecuado para las necesidades básicas de la vida. Estamos cansados.”

El presidente Horazuk continuó citando al Dr. King diciendo: “Ahora lo otro es que no se gana nada sin presión. Nunca olvides que la libertad no es algo que el opresor da voluntariamente. Es algo que deben exigir los oprimidos ”. Continuó recordándonos que el Dr. King dijo que “Un motín es el lenguaje de los no escuchados”.

#MinneapolisMN #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #Teamsters #AFLCIO #SEIU #Antiracism #AFSCME #TeachersUnions #JusticiaParaGeorgeFloyd #Sindicalista

Milwaukee, WI – On June 6, workers from across the city of Milwaukee joined a labor contingent in support of a rally and march for police accountability.

The march was hosted by the family of Alvin Cole and the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression to demand justice for “The Three”: Alvin Cole, Jay Anderson, Jr., and Antonio Gonzales – all victims of Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Anthony Mensah.

Union workers of the labor contingent could be seen wearing t-shirts and buttons from AFSCME, AFGE, AFT, IAM, IATSE, NALC, Workers United, Teamsters, Nurses, and others, along with the Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC).

The contingent was organized by members of the A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Young Workers Committee of the MALC.

#MilwaukeeWI #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #Teamsters #AFLCIO #SEIU #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #AFSCME #laborUnions #TeachersUnions #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Zee Rainey, a steward from Teamsters Local 455 stated, “There’s no hate unless we divide.” The group then marched to the capitol building and joined up with an estimated 1000 protesters, where speeches continued.

When the fight against police takes the form of community control of the police, it begins to echo the political dynamic of the labor movement; civilian police accountability councils and labor unions both protect the masses by offering real consequences to enemies of the people. As Rainey notes during his speech, “I’m for the people. I’m for the union that cares about the people, and all my brothers and sisters here with me today are for the people.”

#DenverCO #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #Teamsters #AFLCIO #SEIU #PoliceBrutality #PublicSectorUnions #Antiracism #laborUnions #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Minneapolis, MN – Around 500 rank-and-file union members and officials from dozens of unions came together at Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s house in Southwest Minneapolis, May 31, to demand justice for George Floyd and an end to racist policing. The protesters were resolved not to let racist tropes about outside agitators stop them from doing what is right.

The crowd was fiery and boisterous as 13 speakers gave moving testimony and calls to action to stand up for justice and stand up for George Floyd. Many speakers remarked on their experiences as Black people in America and what it is like to be routinely harassed and threatened by racist policing. Several mentioned that they are not outside agitators but instead are from the community where these events have occurred and have seen community members come out in huge numbers to fight for justice. Many calls were made for everyone there to stay out in the streets and do what it takes until justice is served. Demands were made to arrest all four cops who were part of murdering George Floyd.

Mahva Jones is an executive board member with AFSCME Local 3800, which represents clerical workers at the University of Minnesota, and she had this to say, “The system is not broken, it is working as designed. At no point in this country's origin were Black people meant to be anything other than slaves or dead.”

Hennepin County Attorney Mike freeman waited four days to file any charges against any of the officers who participated in the murder of George Floyd. When he did he only charged police officer Derek Chauvin, and only with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, despite his kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for eight and a half minutes as he begged for his life and slowly slipped into unconsciousness with a crowd surrounding him shouting that Chauvin was killing the man. Three other officers participated both directly and by standing watch and keeping people back so they could not help stop officer Chauvin and save Floyd’s life.

Harrison Bullard, executive board member with SEIU Local 26, said, “When Jamar Clark met with his unfortunate end, I said this on the steps of the government center, and I'll say it here today: When someone who is elected by you refuses to do the job they are there to do, so do what they do to you. Fire them.” He went on to talk about the need for the intense actions and protests that have occurred by members of the community over the last five days. He said, “You got to put fear in the police's hearts just like they put fear in the hearts of the Black people in our city. We got to live standing on our feet, not on our knees.”

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota executive board member Deb Howze said, “You want to talk about police brutality? It’s been going on since the beginning of time. It ain’t nothing new. But now we got a generation that’s standing up, speaking out, fighting back and saying hell no! We talk about boots on the ground? You’re damn right we got boots on the ground! We're going to turn this around. One is incarcerated. We don’t want no one. We want one, two, three, four incarcerated and all the rest of them that did wrong around here. We gotta stand up and keep fighting back.”

The protest was organized by Minnesota Workers United, which is rank-and-file union members united for solidarity, struggle and workers’ rights. One of the emcees at the event was AFSCME 3800 President Cherrene Horazuk who read a powerful quote from Dr Martin Luther King Jr reminding us of his calls to fight.

Here is the MLK quote that President Horazuk read: “We’re tired. We are tired of being at the bottom. We are tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression. We are tired of our children having to attend overcrowded, inferior, quality less schools. We are tired of having to live in dilapidated substandard housing conditions where we don’t have wall to wall carpet, but so often end up with wall to wall rats and roaches. We are tired. Smothering in an airtight cage in the midst of an affluent society. We are tired of walking the streets in search of jobs that do not exist. We are tired of working our hands off every day and not even making a wage that is adequate for the basic necessities of life. We are tired.”

President Horazuk went on to further quote Dr King saying, “Now the other thing is that nothing is gained without pressure. Never forget that freedom is not something that is ever voluntarily given by the oppressor. It is something that must be demanded by the oppressed.” She went on to remind us that Dr. King said that “A riot is the language of the unheard.”

Minnesota Workers United will continue to stand together in the streets and in their unions to fight for justice until police are no longer able to kill Black and brown people in the streets.

#MinneapolisMN #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #Teamsters #AFLCIO #SEIU #PoliceBrutality #PublicSectorUnions #Antiracism #AFSCME #TeachersUnions #MinnesotaWorkersUnited #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #MinneapolisUprising

Jacksonville, FL – Over 75 people gathered together to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8 in Jacksonville. The program was held in the union hall of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

International Women's Day has been celebrated by working-class people and organizers for well over 100 years, initially in honor of the 1908 garment workers strike in New York. It's a day that honors the heroic achievements won by an important section of the working class.

In Jacksonville, local trade unionists Christina Kittle of Duval Teachers United (DTU) and Angela McGill with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) organized a unique event designed to highlight the contributions of working-class women in the leadership of social and economic struggles. The program hosted several speakers who covered women's impact on the fight for a better world, along with an educational area promoting greater involvement in the trade union movement and progressive political causes.

Both the presidents of DTU and IATSE Local 115, Terrie Brady and Susan Phillips, gave powerful speeches about their experiences as women leading local unions and called for further involvement in the movement.

Several organizations had tables set up in the back ready to help get people active. Besides DTU and IATSE, other unions including the IBEW and AFSCME had information covering the benefits of union membership and involvement, along with how to apply for union jobs. Other tables from the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), the National Organization of Women (NOW), Women's March, Coalition for Consent, and the Duval County Democratic Black Caucus also passed out literature and spoke to people. A supportive mother and her daughter, a Girl Scout, hosted a popular table and sold a lot of cookies. Two people from a local Caribbean restaurant provided delicious catering for the hungry audience. Childcare was also offered to encourage attendance and participation in the event.

The audience included many trade unionists, like members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the International Association of Machinists (IAM), the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and a few other unions. Community members and activists in the crowd were also fired up. Speeches by local Black political leaders Pat McCollough and LJ Holloway called for everyone present to keep fighting Trump and his terrible policies, particularly those policies which hurt women, non-binary folks, working people and oppressed nationalities.

“Women hold up half the sky, and we also hold powerful positions within the labor movement. Teachers have the largest union in the country and it has both a majority women leadership and membership. Nurses' unions are similar. Even within workplaces that have been traditionally male dominated, like IATSE, we have women leaders like Susan helping to grow women's membership and leadership. There is an attack on working-class families going on, and we need to organize and fight it. Women have a very active role in this fight. It’s important to have events like these to remind ourselves how strong we’ve become and how we can continue to grow,” Christina Kittle said.

Everyone who participated in the celebration of International Women's Day in Jacksonville left the event with a renewed determination to fight for the working class and for liberation.

#JacksonvilleFL #Labor #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #AFLCIO #InternationalWomensDay #PublicSectorUnions #AFSCME #TeachersUnions

Lansing, Michigan – The United Auto Workers (UAW) called a strike on Sunday, September 15. Fight Back! interviewed Jean “Johnny Bravo” Duchemin, an alternate committee member in UAW Local 1753 in Lansing, Michigan about the GM strike.

Fight Back!: How do you see the strike fitting into the broader labor movement and the current political climate?

Jean “Johnny Bravo” Duchemin: That one, I had to take time to think about that one. When it comes to the political climate and the labor movement, the labor movement in this country has been died out. A lot of people are uneducated. So, since the last major strike, and the last major movement, it’s been stagnant. Stagnated. So you have a whole generation of 30 years that hasn’t been educated on unions or any other kind of labor force movement. So they are unaware of the importance of the union, so now in today’s political climate it is extremely important, I feel, because... Let me think for a second. I don’t want to give a wrong answer here. So in today’s world we are under severe attack. We have the Right to Work law, which absolutely makes no sense, it just doesn’t make sense. Everyone has the right to work, but they don’t deserve union representation without paying for it. So laws like that, those are straight up union busting, and we’re under attack with these politicians. And so today our movement I believe is super important because it will, if we become victorious over this, I believe that other unions will fall in and stand up instead of accepting what the corporations offer them. That’s the word on the street that you hear. Because we get a lot of people yelling at us every day, “Just be grateful for what they give you,” “Just be grateful for the paycheck.” They don’t really understand the “why” we’re going on strike, why a movement like this is important.

Fight Back!: How many workers is this affecting?

Duchemin: GM employees [are] 49,800 and change, but on top of that 49,000 you have all the other plants actually feed parts, and then you have Canada and Mexico. The plants can’t function without us. So this is actually affecting more than half a million people currently, and now if we stay on strike for another two weeks then we’re looking at maybe 2.5 million people being affected by this. GM right now is leading, it’s leading this.

A lot of people have been accepting lower wages and, you’ve seen it, you got your corporation’s CEOs getting 300-350 times more than the current employee, but the employee doesn’t know that they can actually negotiate and get more money, and then we can burn down that big gap in the middle. So our job as unions, as union members and union representatives, is to agitate, educate and get the community to participate, that’s the main three roles of any union member.

Throughout the past two years I’ve been trying my best to educate everybody, get them prepared for something like this, and they just think you’re crazy ‘cause again we’re in a generation that is uneducated about this and the media’s been raising everybody so they have mixed views. But now they can honestly see that the company gives you nothing. Nothing. Everything that a union has, has been negotiated. The wages, every single entitlement we have, GM gave us none of that. It all has been negotiated. So I feel that when this is said and done, and we all go back to work, at least the UAW will be stronger. And Ford and Chrysler, they’re going to follow suit. But hopefully, other unions outside the auto industry pay attention and stand up.

I try to tell my plant all the time when they say, “The union ain’t fighting for us, the union’s not doing this,” I have to really insist that they themselves are the union. The leaders are elected, they can be unelected, but you guys are the union, and when you all come in numbers you can actually change who’s in the leadership, and you can actually change policies.

Fight Back!: In general what do you hope comes out of the strike, both within and outside of the union?

Duchemin: I hope what comes out of this strike is a message to working class Americans that you don’t have to accept what the company gives you. You don’t have to accept, because they’re going to try all the fear tactics. “You trying to get higher wages? We’re going to have to close down. You want better healthcare? We’re not going to be able to afford your wages.” That’s all bullshit! Excuse my language. They’re fear tactics, so hopefully they can see us stand tall between all the GM threats that are coming out. They can take our healthcare, they can lock us out, they can lock us up, but if we stay strong and everybody stays strong, you’ll get what you want, as long as we don’t accept what they give us.

#LansingMichigan #LansingMI #SpecialCoverage #PeoplesStruggles #AFLCIO #AutoworkersFightBack #UnitedAutoWorkers #Strikes #2019UAWGMStrike #UAWLocal1753

The IAM has overwhelming evidence that Delta Air Lines has interfered with the Flight Attendants and Ramp employees’ lawful right to seek a vote for union representation free from interference, influence or coercion exercised by the carrier.

“The IAM has provided the NMB with evidence showing Delta has run an unlawful, systematic anti-union campaign that includes intimidation, discipline and terminations of union activists,” said IAM General Vice President Sito Pantoja. “Last week, the public was able to see what many behind the walls of Delta have always known; that Delta will go to great lengths to suppress their employees’ collective voices.”

Some examples of Delta’s illegal activity include a coordinated misinformation campaign through postings and electronic messages in the workplace, surveilling and photographing employees participating in union activities and the singling out and termination of union activists.

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #AirlineIndustry #AFLCIO #InternationalAssociationOfMachinistsAndAerospaceWorkersIAM #DeltaAirLines #NationalMediationBoardNMB

Jacksonville, FL – About 35 people gathered on May 1 to celebrate International Workers’ Day in Jacksonville. The rally was held in front of the Duval County Courthouse. Members of several local trade unions were present, including Letter Carriers, Teamsters, SEIU, Teachers, and IATSE. Other local activist groups included the Community Action Committee, Students for a Democratic Society, Progressive Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Network, the Northside Coalition, and the local Democratic Black Caucus.

The rally was united under the theme of building alliances between different groups and organizations. A very special emphasis was placed on uniting the struggles of the entire working class and the struggle of oppressed nations in the U.S., particularly the African American nation in the Black Belt South.

A handful of speakers addressed important topics like the history of May Day and the struggle of working families under Trump. Many of those who attended the rally picked up copies of Fight Back! newspaper, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) May Day posters, FRSO pamphlets and little red flags from the FRSO table. The new FRSO pamphlet entitled Class Struggle on the Shop Floor: Strategy for a New Generation of Socialists in the United States was especially popular and is available online on the FRSO.org website.

Fernando Figueroa spoke for FRSO, saying, “The time is now to redouble our efforts to build a strategic alliance between the multinational working class and the oppressed nations. Working together we can take on the enemy and get ready to fight for our future through the 2020s and beyond.

#JacksonvilleFL #Labor #OppressedNationalities #MayDay #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #Teamsters #AFLCIO #SEIU #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganizationFRSO #PublicSectorUnions #Socialism #TeachersUnions