Oakland, CA – On Thursday, April 23, more than 40 people gathered for an art build to prepare for Oakland’s upcoming May 1 rally, march, and resource fair commemorating International Workers’ Day. The event was hosted by Eastside Arts Alliance and organized by Oakland Sin Fronteras, a coalition of over 20 organizations and workers’ unions.
En el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores, honramos las luchas globales pasadas y presentes por un mundo mejor. Nos comprometemos a seguir adelante con las antorchas de la liberación, porque hay mucho contra lo que luchar y mucho por lo que luchar. El capitalismo monopolista está construido sobre la explotación y nos hereda sufrimiento innecesario, destrucción ambiental y guerras interminables. La decadencia es evidente. Los precios suben fuera de control, las familias caen en bancarrota por los gastos médicos, millones enfrentan deudas insoportables y la gente trabajadora que ya estaba al borde del abismo está siendo empujada a la ruina. El sistema les entrega ganancias obscenas a los de arriba, quienes son implacables en su búsqueda de ganancias. Nosotros deberíamos ser aún más implacables para construir las fuerzas unidas de los trabajadores y los pueblos oprimidos que puedan derrocarlos.
NYC, NY – On April 26, a dedicated group of rank-and-file organizers from the MORE Caucus, the opposition caucus within the United Federation of Teachers, held their annual “State of Our Union” event, in the City University of New York Grad Center, where they sum up the year of union organizing and prepare for what’s to come.
Milwaukee, WI – On April 9, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced that it would be “temporarily” suspending matching contributions to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) in an effort to cut costs for the federal institution.
St. Paul, MN – On April 20, the Trump administration’s Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer, resigned from her post. On the same day, Trump appointed Keith Sonderling as Acting Secretary of Labor.
Chavez-DeRemer had served as a congresswoman from Oregon previously, and, while she is a Republican, she was supported in her congressional campaigns by some unions, including the Oregon Fire Fighters Council, Ironworkers Local 29, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and the American Federation of Government Employees. When she was tapped by Trump to take over as labor secretary, the move was lauded by International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who had recently spoken at the Republican National Convention.
Arlington, TX – On April 23, around ten rank-and-file Teamsters at the Arlington UPS hub marched on the boss. They presented a petition with 70 signatures gathered from workers across the building, demanding start times be posted earlier and made more consistent.
Washington, D.C. – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) President Sara Nelson, representing Spirit flight attendants, released the following statement, April 23, on federal relief for Spirit Airlines:
St. Paul, MN – At 7 a.m., April 20, over 300 nursing home workers from five nursing homes walked off the job and began a three-day strike. The striking workers are represented by SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa and have been in negotiations for their next union contracts.