April 4 was a day of national mourning in the People’s Republic of China as millions paused to mark the lives lost in the pandemic.

Minneapolis, MN – The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2822, representing 1300 clerical workers in Hennepin County, is calling on Hennepin County to immediately halt Hennepin County administrator David Hough’s dangerous work or debt mandate to library and service center workers.

Milwaukee, WI – A new date is being announced for the March on the Democratic National Convention: Monday, August 17. Organizers are going ahead with the march by discussing ways to make the protest safe and taking into account health guidelines. Due to the coronavirus crisis, the Democratic Party recently changed their dates, as they continue to discuss limiting participation at the convention.

Businesses slash 700,000 jobs in the first half of March

San José, CA – On Friday, April 3, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that businesses cut more than 700,000 jobs last month. This report was based on surveys from the first half of March, before the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This ended the longest streak of job gains – almost nine and a half years – and almost certainly marked the beginning of a recession.

New York, NY – On, April 2, the New York Times reported that the U.S. Naval Ship Comfort, the 1000-bed navy hospital, had 3 patients. The USNS Mercy – the West Coast counterpart – had 15. Both crews of 1200 each were largely idle and some reported that they were bored. While beds remain empty and crews remain idle, the New York City system is overrun with patients.

A new record of 6.6 million Americans apply for benefits

San José, CA – New claims for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits doubled from record numbers just a week earlier. On Thursday, April 2, the Department of Labor reported that more than 6.6 million people applied for state unemployment insurance benefits for the week ending March 28. This means that almost 10 MILLION people lost their jobs and applied for UI benefits in just the last two weeks of March. This economic crisis has caused more job losses in two weeks than the entire 2007 to 2009 recession, where 8 million jobs were lost.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following March 29 statement from the Twin Cites based Anti-War Committee.

New York, NY -This past week reports poured in as New York City opened and built several new medical support structures to aid the overwhelmed city hospital network. Over the weekend, pictures of the converted Javits Center, a huge convention center in Midtown, were circling around, boasting 1200 new hospital beds.

Minneapolis, MN – Union nurses represented by Minnesota Nurses Association at five hospitals voted overwhelmingly that they have “no confidence” in M Health management’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospitals where the votes took place are Fairview Southdale, St. Joseph's, St. John's, Bethesda, and the University of Minnesota Medical Center.

San José, CA – Many immigrants won’t be able to get help from the bipartisan COVID-19 pandemic aid bills passed by Congress and signed by President Trump. More than 4 million undocumented immigrants who are paying taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN, will not qualify for the $1200 per person benefit because they have no Social Security number. Another 5 million American citizen children with undocumented parents also will not get the $500 per child benefit.

Chicago, IL – Teamsters Local 710 published an online memorial to Brother William “Dollar Bill” Young, who passed away on Sunday, March 29. Brother Young worked at the UPS CACH facility and was remembered as “hard working,” and “dedicated to his craft and always a friendly face.”

Chicago, IL – The COVID-19 health crisis has (rightly) led to millions of people staying home in order to reduce the spread of the virus. For hundreds of thousands of Teamsters though – drivers and warehouse workers at UPS and YRC, grocery store clerks and food service workers – all deemed “essential services” by the Trump administration – we have to continue to work regardless of the risks.

Chicago, IL – Two dozen prominent organizations and individuals have urged Gov. J. B. Pritzker in a letter to use “the powers of [his] office to provide long overdue justice to Gerald Reed.” Reed’s deteriorating health puts him at extreme risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has heart failure, and late last year while awaiting a new trial at Cook County jail he had a heart attack.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC).

State and local officials can help save lives by independently reaching out to China.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the statement from the MN Anti-War Committee.

The National Prison Movement (Movimiento Nacional Carcelario) and other prisoner rights groups called a demonstration in Colombian prisons on March 21, to protest the lack of protection against the COVID-19 virus and the general lack of decent healthcare in the Colombian prisons. Twelve Colombian prisons answered the call for a ‘cacerolazo,’ a protest where one bangs on pots and pans to make enough noise so that the protest is heard.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following March 24 statement of the World Federation of Trade Unions.

Minneapolis, MN – The MN Anti-War Committee (AWC) wanted to be a part of Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network’s global week of action for Palestinian Land Day but they couldn’t do it as a protest the way they had originally planned. Instead on March 24 the MN AWC reorganized their protest as a call-in day, and then did a five-person social distancing bannering protest.

Tampa, FL – UPS preloaders held a demonstration March 24 demanding disposable gloves, hand sanitizer and other personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. The demonstration was part of an ongoing local and national fight by UPS employees to get the PPE they need to safely perform their job and prevent the spread of the virus to customers and the public.

Chicago, IL – This past week, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) won expanded protections for all its members at United Parcel Service (UPS). The mid-contract negotiations were in direct response to the Trump administration's designation of UPS as an essential service during the COVID-19 crisis, meaning that workers will continue to work throughout the duration of this health emergency.