News and Views from the People's Struggle
I wish to convey my sincerest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of my friend and legal counsel William Ramsey Clark who passed away last April 9, 2021. I have the highest regard for him as a champion of human rights, a staunch defender of the people’s right to national and social liberation, a fierce advocate of just peace and a resolute opponent to the imperialist policies and wars of aggression of the US.
Chicago, IL – Over the weekend of April 11, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) was in bargaining with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) over the reopening of high schools in Chicago. The areas of disagreement revolve around accommodations for vulnerable teachers, scheduling to keep staff and students safe, remote work, and access to vaccines for students and family.
On March 30 voting ended for Amazon workers who were hoping to join the Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union (RWDSU) at the Bessemer Alabama Distribution Center. While the mail-in vote ended on March 30, the vote count took over a week to complete, and included hundreds of challenged ballots, mostly from Amazon challenging the vote. In the end, the union lost the vote by more than a two-to-one margin, with 738 workers voting to unionize and 1798 voting not to.
Chicago, IL – Last week, Black labor leaders representing seven unions with a combined membership of 126,000 members, most of whom live in the city of Chicago, published a statement, “Community and Faith Leaders Support the Empowering Communities for Public Safety Ordinance (ECPS).”
Oshkosh, WI – On April 12, people from the city of Oshkosh came out in outrage against the murder of 20-year-old Daunte Wright at the hands of Kim Potter, a police officer from Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The shooting that occurred took place less than ten miles from the location where Derek Chauvin, a police officer from Minneapolis, murdered George Floyd. Chauvin’s trial is ongoing.
Brooklyn Center, MN – More than 1500 rallied in front of the police station on the evening of April 12, demanding justice for Daunte Wright, a young Black man murdered by police. Authorities, fearing another rebellion, have deployed the National Guard to the area, declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew in three Twin Cities metro area counties.
#BrooklynCenterMN #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #DaunteWright
Tampa FL – On Saturday April 10, a crowd of 40 people gathered at Curtis Hixon Park to fight back against the Florida anti-protest bill (HB1/SB484). The bill bypassed one state senate sub-committee hearing and it passed the Appropriations Committee on Friday.
Los Angeles, CA – El 8 de abril, se llevó a cabo una conferencia de prensa con familias inmigrantes y Centro CSO pidiendo al presidente Joe Biden que avance con un plan para otorgar estatus legal a a los más de 12 millones de indocumentados que viven y trabajan en los Estados Unidos. Residentes indocumentados con miembros del Centro CSO se les unió Tanya Lozano, con la delegación del Derecho a la Familia de Chicago. Es hija de Emma Lozano, quien lanzó las mega marchas de 2006. También habló en la conferencia de prensa la activista por los derechos de los inmigrantes de Chicago, Elvira Arellano. Hace años, Arellano se refugió en una iglesia de Chicago para oponerse a su deportación y ayudó a iniciar el movimiento santuario en los Estados Unidos. Carlos Montes, un activista de derechos humanos Chicano local de Boyle Heights, habló y pidió marchas masivas y unidad para exigir la legalización para todos. Montes también denunció los homicidios policiales de Afro-Americanos y Chicanos, especialmente por parte del departamento del alguacil de Los Ángeles con sus letales pandillas de agentes.
Los Angeles, CA – On April 8, a press conference was held with immigrant families and Centro CSO calling on President Joe Biden to move forward with a plan to grant legal status to the over 12 million undocumented living and working in the U.S.