Tampa, FL — On June 5 the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Package Division announced a big ‘yes’ vote for strike authorization at both UPS and UPS Freight. Teamsters voted ‘yes’ at 93.19% and 91.26% respectively.

New York, NY – On June 3, a contingent of 400 people marched in the Philippines Independence Day parade. The parade was a day for Filipinos in New York City to celebrate their homeland and heritage.

New York, NY – Over 70 Palestinians and solidarity activists protested the Celebrate Israel Parade on June 3 in New York. The parade commemorated the 70th anniversary of Al Nakba or “the catastrophe,” when the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians led to the founding of Israel.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 100 people came to a noon rally, June 1, to protest the Trump administration’s policy of separating immigrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. The protest at the U.S. Courthouse downtown was called on very short notice.

Los Angeles, CA – A press conference was held in Boyle Heights, May 29, to release the body camera footage from two LAPD officers involved in the killing of 14-year-old Jesse Romero, a student at Mendez High School. The killing occurred on August 9, 2016. Romero’s parents, Teresa Dominguez and Jesus Romero, their lawyer Humberto Guizar, members of Centro CSO, Romero’s high school classmates, teachers and other families of loved ones killed by police were also present.

Houston, TX – On May 22, 50 students disrupted and walked out of a Q and A session with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley hosted by the University of Houston. The protest began minutes after the president of the University of Houston, Renu Khator, extolled Haley’s popularity in a glowing introduction.

Both leaders will run on the Teamsters United reform ticket

Jacksonville, FL – Standing in front of more than 100 Teamsters gathered in a Boston, Massachusetts park, May 29, two Teamster leaders announced plans to run together for the leadership of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) in 2021.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the All Workers Militant Front (PAME).

Oshkosh, WI – After their protest of the U.S. opening of its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem, United Action Oshkosh (UAO) held a celebration of Palestinian culture, May 20, at Rainbow Park. The family-friendly event featured music, food and games, as well as a guest speaker, Samir Moukaddam, who lived in Lebanon among displaced Palestinians forced from their homes by Israelis.

Overwhelming ‘Yes’ vote expected as contract negotiations continue

Jacksonville, FL – Two crucial strike authorization votes are underway at UPS and UPS Freight. On May 16, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) began mailing ballot information to all members at UPS and UPS Freight, who will vote either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to give union negotiators the authority to call a strike.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Chicago, IL – More than 1000 people rallied and marched in Chicago, May 15, in an emergency response to Israel’s brutality, and a rejection of the Trump administration’s dangerous and illegal U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem. The protest also coincided with the commemoration of 70 years of Nakba, what Palestinians call “The Catastrophe,” which marks the ethnic cleansing of almost 800,000 Palestinians upon the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Minneapolis, MN – The Anti-War Committee is organizing a bannering to show solidarity with Palestinians facing repression from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza. It will take place on May 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Central Avenue and 43rd Avenue NE.

Tallahassee, FL – On May 14, over 40 community members from all across Florida marched to the state capitol building to protest poverty, racism, ableism and all forms of oppression. The coalition consisted of African Americans, disabled people, labor unions, immigrant rights activists, and many other forces affected by anti-poor people policies.

Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá – El Congreso de Mujeres Trabajadoras de la Federación Sindical Mundial se llevó a cabo en la ciudad de Panamá del 8 al 10 de marzo. Militantes sindicales de todo el mundo se reunieron bajo el lema “Luchamos por la igualdad de derechos en el trabajo, en la sociedad y en la vida”.

May 15, 2018 marks the 70th year since al Nakba, or the Catastrophe, in Palestine. The Nakba refers to the day in 1948 when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced out of their homes and off their land by Israeli troops, precipitating the creation of the colonial, apartheid state of Israel. Since then, the Israeli government and its military has continued their attempt to squeeze Palestine into submission. But this attempt has been futile, as recent events in Gaza have illustrated.

Madison, WI – On May 9, dozens of students, faculty, campus workers and supporters gathered on the steps of the capitol building just off of State Street in Madison, to protest the continued attacks against public education. These attacks predate Governor Scott Walker's administration but have intensified significantly since he took office in 2011. People came from Steven's Point, Eau Claire, Kenosha, Oshkosh (represented by UW-Oshkosh Students for a Democratic Society), Madison and elsewhere.

Milwaukee, WI – On May 12, the people of Iraq will be casting ballots for the Council of Representatives, their national legislature, for the third time since the 2003 U.S. invasion. Recent events have further proved that the U.S. failed to establish a new, pro-American order, and instead have emboldened the Iraqi masses to drive imperialism from their land.

Jacksonville, FL – The “Protect and Serve Act” is new federal legislation introduced this week that looks to strengthen the Trump era mandate for a stronger police state. The legislation seeks to classify cops as a protected class and create another layer of protections and privileges for police officers, even though they already exist at certain state and local levels. Backed by police unions and introduced by pro-cop legislators like Orin Hatch from Utah in the Senate and John Rutherford, a congressman and former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office top cop, this legislation seeks to codify promises Trump made during his election to be back police and be the ‘law and order’ president.

The Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) is the second-largest party supporting Nicolás Maduro for president in the May 20 elections. In this piece published in their party newspaper Tribuna Popular, the PCV Central Committee lays out their position of the electoral process, the need for communist agitation, and the future of the country. It is provided below in English, translated by Fight Back! News staff.