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.

The strike includes workers from Cerenity Care at Humboldt, which is owned by the Benedictine Living chain, as well as workers from Estates of Saint Louis Park, Estates of Fridley, Estates of Roseville and Estates of Excelsior, all of which are owned by Monarch Healthcare Management.

The workers are striking for higher wages, safe staffing, better benefits and because that management has not bargained in good faith throughout contract negotiations, for which the union has filed unfair labor practice charges.

Rhonda Little is a striking worker and lead cook who has worked at Cerenity Care at Humboldt for ten years. Speaking on the picket line, Little said, “We want more money. We want safe staffing and we want to keep our PTO. We are bargaining for a new contract and it is not going very well because our management doesn’t want to move, they don’t want to do anything, they want to just stay at 1.5% [pay increases] and we’re worth way more than that.”

Little has been on strike three times in her ten years at Cerenity but says that this time, “The entire management team are different, even corporate are different. So it’s a whole different way of fighting now and their answers to everything is just ‘no’ instead of trying to compromise to a deal. Our strike, I think a lot of it is about respect. Care for your employees as much as we care for the residents. We have been called heroes, during COVID right, we are called heroes because we care for people, we are taking care of human beings, but we are paid like we are dog walkers, so yes it its about money but the bottom line is respect.”

This strike is a three-day strike set to end on Wednesday April 22, however when asked what they will do if management doesn’t come back to the table and bargain in good faith Little said, “Push for another strike and push them for more!”

#StPaulMN #MN #Labor #Healthcare #Nursinghome #Strike #SEIUHCMNIA #SEIU #Featured

Los Angeles, CA – Over 30,000 members of United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), SEIU 99, and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) came together in downtown Los Angeles at a rally on March 16 in a powerful display of unity, demanding the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) shift their budget priorities and agree to a decent contract. If the district does not settle the contract, teachers, school staff and administrators are prepared to strike on April 14.

LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation. The district has had a proposal for a contract for over a year and has not offered any reasonable offer to address union demands. Key issues include increasing salaries, reducing class sizes and improving staffing levels.

According to UTLA, “LAUSD started off the school year with $5.03 billion in reserves. Since 2022, they’ve committed $10 billion to multi-year private contracts.”

“This would be my first ever strike,” commented LAUSD middle and high school teacher Kate Regan. “I love teaching – it is my dream job. I want the district to respect my work and my students by offering a contract that is fair – I am more than ready to strike to make that a reality. Defending public education is incredibly important.”

Centro CSO members rallied in solidarity carrying a large banner with the slogans support public education and support all education workers.

Antonieta Garcia co-chair of the education committee for Centro CSO commented, “We need to unite and support UTLA/SEIU 99, they represent our public education system.”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Labor #UTLA #SEIU #AALA #Strike #Teachers

Brooklyn Park, MN – On a chilly morning, February 7, around 200 union members, union staff and community members assembled in a parking lot in Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis which is home to many immigrant families and union members.

The rally and march were organized by the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, and cosponsored by SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa, as well as the Organization of Liberians, Unidos, and the Minnesota Somali Community Center. Much of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa’s membership in nursing homes are Liberian workers and live in the area.

First a crowd gathered to listen to speeches which took place in front of a food truck provided by Teamsters Local 120. Between speeches the crowd broke into chants of “ICE out” and “Fuck ICE.” Around 10 a.m. the crowd began to march.

The march followed the sidewalk along Brooklyn Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in the area. They chanted loudly as cars driving on the Boulevard honked in support of the march. The sidewalks were icy and the air was cold at the early morning march but that did not dampen the spirits of the marchers.

After about a two-mile march the crowd gathered in another parking lot for closing speeches, and the Teamsters 120 food truck began serving water, chips and hotdogs to the crowd.

#brooklynparkmn #mn #labor #immigratrights #ice #teamsters #seiu

Chicago, IL – On Thursday, January 22, organizers in Anti-War Committee (AWC), Chicago, United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), and BDS Chicago braved the cold to host a press conference demanding that Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs divest state funds from Israel Bonds. They were joined by rank-and-file members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 to announce that they are filing their third ethics complaint against Frerichs for his investments.

“Michael Frerichs, what don’t you understand? We are not going to stop until you divest from Israel,” declared AWC Chicago Co-chair Jae Franklin, addressing the crowd gathered outside the Illinois State Treasurer’s office.

A representative from 73 for Palestine, Gaby Martinez, explained the reason for the complaint. “Treasurer Frerichs needs to be censured in that he is not investing for the people of Illinois, but for his personal political agenda.” The charges submitted to the Executive Inspector General include “abuse of authority, corruption, favoritism, improper use of state time and other resources, and prohibited political purposes and misuse of political assets.”

The state of Illinois currently has $100 million actively invested in Israel Bonds, making Illinois one of the leading state governments supplying material support to Israel. Funds raised from the sale of Israel Bonds are unrestricted. They are transferred directly into Israel’s general budget and can be used for any purpose. “We’ve seen what they do with these resources,” stated Franklin, “mass starvation, occupation, the destruction of schools, hospitals, places of worship.”

Organizers spoke to the repression they have faced from the state treasurer’s office, as well as from the Illinois State Board of Investments (ISBI), who are also under fire from the public for their investments in companies that provide material support to Israel.

Tulsi McDaniels from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) recounted her experience of being forcibly removed from the most recent ISBI meeting. “State police separated us and purposefully brutalized another protester in the room – but not before denying us entrance unless we removed our keffiyehs.” The meeting was also delayed by over an hour, and protesters were left to stand outside in freezing temperatures.

Noura Ebrahim from the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) summed it up, “Frerichs is clearly more comfortable engaging with representatives of Zionist organizations and supporters of genocide than with the people whose money he manages—a profound breach of public trust.” Michael Frerichs still has not publicly addressed any calls for divestment.

Protesters were also joined by state senator and candidate for Illinois comptroller Karina Villa, who represents the 25th District of Illinois. She spoke to the connections between these atrocities overseas, and the violence being committed by ICE within the United States itself, both of which are funded by taxpayer dollars stating, “These monsters that are wreaking havoc at home or abroad, this Donald Trump regime, understands one thing: he understands money. We understand money, too. This is Illinoisans’ dollars.”

Organizers attempted to deliver a copy of the ethics complaint to the state treasurer’s office but were denied entry. They were told that a representative from the office would come down to receive the papers, but no one ever arrived to do so. Eventually, the papers were handed off to the state police officer managing the entrance, who said that they would be delivered.

Call Frerichs’ office and sign the letter to divest!

Organizers are urging the public to call Michael Frerich’s office and demand for him to divest from Israel Bonds, starting with two bonds with a total value of $15 million that are set to expire on February 1.

Illinois residents can also sign the letter to divest as an individual or endorse as an organization to join the divestment network. For updates about the campaign and further calls to action regarding divestment, follow @uspcn, @bdschicago, and @antiwarchicago on Instagram.

#ChicagoIL #IL #AntiWarMovement #Divest #Palestine #Labor #SEIU #BDS #USPCN

Chicago, IL – on Friday morning, January 23, nearly 100 people packed into Casa Michoacan for a press conference and rally. In solidarity with the broad coalition shutting down the Twin Cities that same day, speakers demanded the conviction of Jonathan Ross for murdering Renee Good, ICE out of Minnesota, and no more federal funding for ICE.

Speakers connected the crimes of ICE in Minnesota with the terror they have inflicted across the country, specifically mentioning the murders of Keith Porter Jr in Los Angeles and Silverio Villegas Gonzalez in Franklin Park, IL.

“It’s about time that we recognize in our neighbors faces that we are part of one body of one nation. And if one of us is missing, then all of us are missing,” declared Marién Casillas-Pabellón, executive director of the West Suburban Action Project (PASO).

“Minnesota, we stand with you. We have cried with you, and we will not let the tears be the end of it. Because we have power.” Casillas-Pabellón added.

Like the actions in Minnesota, the press conference represented a wide coalition of organizations that fight for working and oppressed people. Representatives shared actions they would be taking to bring the demands to local elected officials and branches of corporations.

“Outrage alone does not change conditions. Organizing does,” said Genie Kastrup, president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1.

Kobi Guillory, a middle school science teacher and executive board member of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), spoke about actions CTU, SEIU, and other organizations would be taking against Target that afternoon.

“Our siblings in the Minneapolis Federation of Educators are protesting Target for their complicity with ICE abductions in their stores. We will be out at ten different Targets around the city today,” Guillory explained. Target in particular is under fire after two Target employees were kidnapped from a Target store in Minnesota while the corporation refused to protect them.

“There’s power in this room and there’s power in the streets. We won’t stand idly by as they separate families,” affirmed Veronica Castro, Deputy Director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). Castro and other speakers encouraged listeners to take action by joining organizations in preparation for further ICE escalation.

“If CBP tries to come in thousands then our response has to be just as organized, just as widespread, and just as ready,” said Any Huamani, immigration defense coordinator with Brighton Park Neighborhood Council.

Organizers affirmed their commitment to fight to abolish ICE, defeat the Trump agenda, and create a better world.

“We won’t let Trump take us back to 1850, nor will we go back to 2015. We will keep fighting until our children have the safe, just, fully funded communities they deserve,” Guillory proclaimed.

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #Labor #CTU #SEIU #ICIRR #PASO #ReneeGood #AlexPretti

Minneapolis, MN – With wind chills bringing temperatures below zero, 15,000 Minnesotans took to the streets in Minneapolis on Saturday to demand ICE get out. The protest was organized by a large coalition of immigrant rights groups and unions in response to an upsurge in attacks by ICE in the past month in the greater Twin Cities area. Many of these attacks have focused on the Somali community after Trump’s racist call for mass deportations of Somali Minnesotans.

Community members have witnessed ICE agents drag a pregnant woman through the streets, shoot pepper balls and tear gas at responders, smash car windows and kidnap people in broad daylight. During the coldest and darkest time of the year, the people have been chasing these federal agents all over the Twin Cities, militantly fighting back, letting them know they are not welcome here.

The march was organized by a large coalition that included unions and immigrant rights group such as Minneapolis Federation of Educators Local 59, SEIU Local 26, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), UNIDOS, Comunidades Organizando el Poder y La Acción Latina (COPAL), Minnesota 8 (MN8), Immigrant Defense Network (IDN), Council on American-Islamic Relations, among others.

The march included three trucks with multiple speakers from different organizations and unions. The front truck included fiery chants and speakers led by MIRAC members. MIRAC speaker Myrka Zambrano said, “We march here so they know that there is resistance. Here and all across the country, we want ICE out of our cities and we will scream it as loud as we need to!”

Emcees kept the energy high for the nearly one and a half mile march, with chants uniting the crowd against ICE. Protesters marched below a freeway bridge and echoes of “Chinga la Migra” boomed as they neared a Somali mall.

Speakers highlighted support for Somali neighbors amidst racist attacks from the Trump administration. Jaylani Hussein of CAIR-MN addressed protesters, “You showed up today! You came out today knowing it was going to be cold! You showed up for your neighbors, for your friends, for your teachers, for your union brothers and sisters. You came out today to show that Minnesota will not let ICE divide us!”

Tracy Molm of the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump (PACAT) said, “In PACAT we believe our struggles and fights against the reactionary and racist policies of the second Trump administration must be met with action. While we have many different struggles, we are united in our commitment to fight back and shut it down!”

MIRAC emcees concluded the march by inviting protesters to shop at the many immigrant-owned businesses on Lake Street that have been struggling due to the recent attacks on their community. Their call to action invited the crowd to show up and take the streets with MIRAC for their 20th anniversary May 1 march in 2026.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #MIRAC #PACAT #ICE #CAIRMN #MFE9 #SEIU #MN8 #UNIDOS #IDN #COPAL #CJC #Feature

On Wednesday, a group of more than 600 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners held a one-day strike against their employer, Minneapolis-based Allina Health. The primary and urgent care providers work at over 60 clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin and are organized with Doctors Council SEIU Local 10MD.

The Doctors Council said this event is the largest private-sector strike among healthcare providers in United States history, as well as the first ever in Minnesota. Matt Hoffman, family medicine physician at Allina, explained: “After 20 months of bargaining, we are striking for a primary care system where doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants have the time and resources to give our patients the best possible care.”

Allina Health has divested from its primary care network in recent years. In September of 2024 the nonprofit health conglomerate sold its outpatient laboratories to Quest Diagnostics, a for-profit company, for $230 million. On November 1, Allina closed four locations in Maplewood, Oakdale, Inver Grove Heights and downtown Minneapolis, with another location in Chaska set to close on February 1 of next year. These decisions have reduced access to care and slowed down test results.

Meanwhile, according to Dr. Hoffman, “Allina has not addressed burnout or inadequate staffing levels, and is trying to cut pay for our providers” at the bargaining table. Despite the company’s public projections of financial hardship, public tax records indicate that Allina Health CEO Lisa Shannon made over $3 million in 2023.

Allina’s behavior is part of a larger nationwide trend in healthcare, with increasing consolidation, cost cutting, and corporate influence making it harder for providers and other healthcare employees to serve patients well. These Doctors Council members are charting a new path and showing healthcare providers everywhere how to fight back against this dynamic. “We are trying to create a system where healthcare providers can focus on taking care of patients, and will not stop fighting as long as our patients are suffering,” Dr. Hoffman said.

The providers will be back in negotiations with Allina early next month.

#Labor #Healthcare #Allina #SEIU #Feature

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

Los Angeles, CA – On August 30, at 3 p.m., Chicanos, impacted families of police brutality, people raided by ICE and the FBI, along with supporters will in East Los Angeles, for a march, marking the 55th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium.

The march will begin at Sounds of Music record store, the site of what was once the Silver Dollar; a bar where many including LA Times reporter Ruben Salazar took refuge after LAPD and Los Angeles sheriffs mercilessly beat and attempted to disperse participants in the August 29, 1970 Chicano Moratorium. Salazar was killed by LA sheriffs. The moratorium’s demands were ending the Vietnam occupation and equality for Chicanos.

Tomorrow, a large coalition will be commemorating the 55th anniversary of this event and uplifting current demands such as stand with Palestine, ICE out of LA, Chicano self-determination, community control of police, and defend public education.

The coalition is made up of Centro CSO, Union del Barrio, Black Lives Matter: Los Angeles, Jewish Voice for Peace, About Face LA, UTLA, Teamsters, SEIU, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and United Families for Justice, which consists of police killing impacted families of Jeremy Flores, Francisco Núñez and Hugo Cachua.

“I believe it is important to commemorate the 55th Chicano Moratorium, because we once again find ourselves, as a people, in a crucial moment, where staying silent is complicity,” says Centro CSO member and security lead Derek Mejia, “People should be out in the streets on Saturday August 30, standing up against the ICE raids and with Palestine! It is important that we continue and maintain the long history of the Chicano struggle.”

The 55th commemoration will begin at 3 p.m. at the Sounds of Music record store, where attendees will begin marching, and ending at Salazar Park for a rally and entertainment starting at 4:30 p.m. That part of the event will take place at the Whittier Boulevard/Alma Avenue side of the park. The family-friendly event will have free food, water and entertainment.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Chicano #ChicanoMoratorium #ImmigrantRights #OppressedNationalities #CentroCSO #UniondelBarrio #BlackLivesMatter #JVP #AboutFace #SEIU #Teamsters #UTLA

Stillwater, MN – More than 80 healthcare workers at HealthPartners Stillwater clinics have been on strike since Tuesday, July 8. The workers are represented by the Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Heather Eggers is a medical assistant in family medicine with HealthPartners Stillwater. Eggers said, “We’re out here because there have been seven bargaining sessions, and the employer has come back with less than adequate compensation. We’re fighting for our wages over the next three years to be 5.75%, 5% and 4% and for better teaming benefits, floating benefits and other things that would help us do our jobs better.”

Workers decided it was time to show management how serious they are and took a strike vote. Voter turnout was extremely high and resulted in a 99% vote to strike. The union then filed a legally required ten-day notice of their intent to strike and began on July 8. The workers decided they would strike for four days, ending at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 11.

At the center of the dispute are wages. The union workers say that management has refused to come to the table with raises that respect their work. As the strike continues, HealthPartners is bringing in temporary replacement workers. The scab workers are paid significantly more than the workers on strike to do the same work.

In addition to across the board raises, the workers are seeking compensation for duties beyond their normal work when required. The workers are asked to perform “teaming,” which means that when a particular provider in the system is short-handed the extra work is performed by these workers in addition to their normal workloads. They believe they should be paid extra for this work as they are doing more than one person’s job. Similarly, they would like to be paid extra when they are required to float to areas other than where their normal job is based.

Fight Back! joined the HealthPartners workers on the picket line on Thursday. The picket was well attended, and community and labor supporters showed solidarity with the striking workers. It was a hot and humid day, and a local ice cream truck set up across the street from the picket line and was giving out free ice cream in support of the strike. Many cars passing by on the street honked, as people cheered and waved at the workers in support.

At 11 a.m. on Thursday July 10, an announcement went out across the picket line that management called and wants to go back to the bargaining table. The union and management will meet on Friday, July 11 to resume bargaining.

Eggers had a message for management, “Look at our support out here. We have had numerous people from the community coming by and supporting us, our patients coming by and supporting us. We’re here for the community so let’s listen to them and pay us what we are worth.”

The strike will continue on the sidewalks of HealthPartners Stillwater on Friday even as bargaining resumes.

#StillwaterMN #MN #Labor #Strike #SEIU #Healthcare #Feature

About 300 people gathered at City Hall. Rank-and-file members from WFSE 1495, SEIU 925, UAW 4121 were present, along with members of Students for a Democratic Society and Pierce County Immigration Alliance.

Gregory Ramirez, deputy director of SEIU 6, said, “We stand side by side with David in insisting that immigrant rights are workers’ rights.” The crowd rallied with chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, deportations have to go!” as the program ended.

#SeattleWA #WA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #SEIU

Minneapolis, MN – On Monday, June 9, hundreds of members, officers and supporters from unions across Minnesota came together for a rally at the Minnesota State Capitol demanding the immediate release of SEIU United Service Workers West (SEIU USSW) President David Huerta.

SEIU USSW represents around 45,000 members, including people who work as janitors, security, airport workers and in other property services jobs, which are jobs performed primarily by immigrants. SEIU represents around 2.1 million workers across the U.S., in property services, healthcare, public sector and Starbucks coffeeshops.

Huerta was arrested on Friday, June 6 when he joined with community members in Los Angelos who were protesting a violent and militarized ICE raid in a Home Depot parking lot located in a heavily immigrant neighborhood of LA. During the arrest Huerta received a head injury and was taken to the hospital for immediate care. He was released from jail on Monday, June 9, after being charged with a felony, which can carry up to six years in prison, for “conspiracy to impede an officer.” Huerta was arrested while standing up for rights of immigrants, who make up a significant portion of SEIU’s membership nationally and in Los Angelos.

The Monday Saint Paul rally was called at the last minute over the weekend in response to the violent arrest of Huerta. The main demands were the immediate release of David Huerta, and an end to ICE raids. The rally started with SEIU Local 26 raising the call and was joined into quickly by SEIU Healthcare MN & IA, SEIU Local 284, and the SEIU Minnesota State Council, as well as the Minnesota AFL-CIO.

Members, union staff, elected officers and supporters chanted, “Free David Huerta! End ICE raids!” from the steps of the state capitol. Many unions were represented at the action and the crowd was boisterous.

The national AFL-CIO released a statement before the rallies. In the statement Liz Schuler, president of the AFL-CIO and Secretary Treasurer Fred Redmond said, “The nearly 15 million working people of the AFL-CIO and our affiliated unions demand the immediate release of California Federation of Labor Unions Vice President, and SEIU California and SEIU-USSW President, David Huerta.” Labor rallies were held Monday across the country with the same demands, centered by SEIU and the AFL-CIO.

Huerta was released from jail with a $50,000 bond and a felony charge. Now that he is released, the next demand is that the unjust charges against him be dropped.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Labor #ImmigrantRights #SEIU

Tacoma, WA – On May 23, labor unions and Filipino community groups rallied with a unified message: “Free them all and shut it down!”

As the Trump administration continues escalating attacks against immigrant communities, the working class is drawing closer together to defend itself and fight back. The coalition is demanding the immediate release of a Filipino union member known lovingly as “Kuya Max.” Maximo Londonio immigrated to the U.S. as a 12-year-old boy and is now 42. He was detained at the Sea-Tac airport on his way back home to Olympia from a family trip to the Philippines.

Unions such as the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) united with community groups Tanggol Migrante, Bayan WA, La Resistencia, and more to make it clear that they will not tolerate these attacks.

Londonio is a member of IAM, and his union siblings began organizing as soon as he was taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They are also demanding the release of the other immigrants, many of them workers, held by ICE.

“I’m afraid how far this is going to go. How far it's gone already is not ok. But I'm glad we're here sticking up for the people who can't stick up for themselves. When this place goes – you know the contract is up next year, then we should definitely do the work to get rid of it. It doesn't belong here,” said Latasha Palmer, who is running for Tacoma City Council Position 6.

“It's disgusting what he is doing to immigrants. He is enacting terror on them, and it's coming really close to home,” explained Haze Leviathan, a member of Teamsters Local 174, referencing Trump’s attacks.

Despite the fear of repression, people are showing up right outside the Northwest Detention Center in protest against for-profit corporations like GEO Group, which operates the facility.

“We are all going to have to stand together. Immigrants’ rights are real close to workers’ rights. Who are most of the workers? A lot of them are immigrants. Not so long ago, my family were immigrants also. Max is one of my coworkers. That hurts in our shop, having him out. Not only for his family, but on the floor. He is our friend. We want to stand together and get everyone back up and going, to lead their best lives”, stated Richard Howard, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 695.

A rank-and-file Teamster with Local 117 stated, “On the international observers mission that ICHRP did this month, we were able to talk to steel workers, steel process workers, teachers and other workers that are organizing under the most intense repression. We heard conditions of steel workers that are working 12-18 hour shifts seven days per week. And they were emphasizing these were the conditions that forced them to go abroad in search of work, to the U.S., to Canada, to Saudi Arabia. Those are the same conditions that create their detainments. Even when they become union members in the U.S., they are still being detained in Tacoma and all around the country.”

#TacomaWA #KuyaMax #MaximoLondonio #IAM #SEIU #ICHRP #Feature

Atlanta, GA – Labor organizers, students and community members gathered for a May 4 panel commemorating May Day and bridged the gap between organized labor and the fight against deportations. Reflecting on the origins of May Day in the Haymarket Affair and its subsequent revival in the U.S. with the 2006 Day without Immigrants mega marches. Attendees left the event charged up and ready to fight the anti-worker and anti-immigrant agenda of the Trump administration, both on the shop floor and in the streets.

Panelists spoke extensively on the interconnected nature of their movements. Adelina Nicholls, the executive director of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) said, “Immigrants are workers as well. When attacks happen to our communities, we cannot stand fragmented. A blow to immigrant workers is a blow to all workers.”

The use of detention and deportation as a means to repress and intimidate communities is happening regularly now. Unions have stepped up to defend their rank and file against these attacks like in the case of Rümeysa Öztürk, a SEIU member whose union launched several national days of action in their defense.

The panel concluded with a call to action, urging attendees to carry forward the spirit of May Day through advocacy, education and community organizing.

The panel was hosted by the Atlanta Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression and joined by the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, the Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council, Malaya Movement, Asian Americans Advancing Justice and members of the Amazon organizing committee of Teamsters Local 728.

#AtlantaGA #GA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #Teamsters #SEIU

St. Paul, MN — Over 7000 people took to the streets from the Minnesota State Capitol, May 1, to commemorate International Workers Day 2025. Attendees of the protest rallied and marched for over three hours in rainy weather to demand an end to attacks on immigrants and workers, to fight Trump’s billionaire agenda, and for legalization for all.

The event was organized by a coalition made up of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Minnesota Workers United (MWU), Minnesota Immigrant Movement (MIM), and Asamblea de Derechos Civiles (Asamblea). It was endorsed by over 50 local community organizations and unions, including the Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Federation of Educators, SEIU local 26, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Indigenous Protectors Movement, Minnesota 8, and MN Anti-War Committee.

Beto Villanueva of MIRAC stated, “Immigrants are essential. We contribute to the economy. We help keep this country alive. And we’ve been doing it while being targeted more and paid less – while being disrespected and undervalued. The systems are built to divide us. They want workers to blame immigrants. They want to pit trans people and women against each other. They want poor folks to fight poorer folks. It’s all a game to divide us. But we see through that. We stand together.”

Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants CWA, AFL-CIO spoke to the long fight for workers’ rights. She said, “100 years ago workers didn’t have legal rights, they organized and built them through solidarity.” She also stated that we must stand together, “No one is born with racism, sexism or bigotry in their heart. These are the tactics from the boss to keep us from exercising our power and gaining our fair share.”

Rachel Dionne-Thunder of the Indigenous Protector Movement grounded protesters by saying, “Today is a reminder of the power of the people. These borders crossed us, we did not cross these borders. This country is built on an illusion of power, but the true power is with the people. Now is the time to say enough is enough!”

Marcia Howard of the Minnesota Federation of Teachers Local 59 spoke in strong support of immigrant students and colleagues. She urged listeners to stand up in solidarity, saying: “I need you to think about your neighbor. The immigrants we are talking about are your neighbors. They are your coworkers. They are your students’ classmates. I need you to pick a side and if you’re standing here, you better not be on the side of any billionaire.”

During the rainy march, the crowd was energized by a group of young people. The middle schoolers, who organized a walkout at their school, led chants like “No one is illegal, all power to the people!”

At a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric is rampant, the people of Minnesota stood up to send a clear message that they stand united in solidarity with workers and immigrants across the country.

#StPaulMN #MN #Labor #ImmigrantsRights #MIRAC #AFACWA #MWU #MIM #Asamblea #MFE #SEIU

By staff

San José, CA – On MLK Day, upwards of 600 San José residents came out to protest Trump's inauguration and fight back against his anti-immigrant agenda.

The protest mobilized a broad array of progressive organizations in the South Bay, all united against Trump. The Silicon Valley Immigration Committee and Papeles Para Todos coordinated the rally and march.

The rally began at 4 p.m. at the intersection of Stevens Creek and Winchester Boulevard, a commercial center where many gather to shop. Before the protest started, a mass of people had already gathered on the sidewalks with Mexican flags, pickets featuring the Virgin Mary, and Huelga flags. Together the crowd chanted, “¡El Pueblo unido, jamás será vencido!” meaning “The people united, will never be defeated!”

Sebastian Salinas, a community organizer with the Silicon Valley Immigration Committee, kicked off the protest with a series of chants shoulder to shoulder with SEIU 2015 union members. Together they chanted, “Who’s got the power? We got the power! What kind of power? Union power!”, alternating the final phrase with chants of “people power” as well.

The program began with the Raging Grannies Action League’s anti-Trump song reaffirming civil rights in the United States. Shortly after, José Rubén from the Comité de Solidaridad con la Lucha de los Inmigrantes Detenidos shared his experience of participating in a labor and hunger strike while being detained in a for-profit prison.

“On the 18th day of the hunger strike, we had a visit from ICE and GEO dressed in military gear, in riot gear, with deadly weapons,” Rubén recalled. Rubén asked to speak to his lawyers,but ICE officials responded by dragging Rubén and throwing him on to the ground. In 2023, Rubén gained his freedom. “It was possible because of the support of the community that I was able to be liberated,” he stated.

The program included moments that reflected on what MLK Day is about and Martin Luther King Jr.’s radical legacy. Allie Yixuan from San José Against War spoke about MLK Jr.’s opposition to the Vietnam War. Yixuan stated, “It is clear that if Dr. King were around today, he would agree that spending enormous amounts of our tax dollars on military aid to bomb civilians and children in occupied Palestine is unacceptable!”

A community organizer with Papeles Para Todos, Verónica Avendano Ibáñez, soon followed, stating, “I have spent 25 years here and have spent more than a decade organizing my community here.” Ibáñez continued, “I learned that it is important that our community is united and that we fight for our solidarity to achieve our goals,” adding, “Everyone has a right to visit their countries of origin and return to their home in the United States of America, because we have grown roots in this community.”

Uriel Magdaleno of the Silicon Valley Immigration stated, “As President Trump is sworn in, many sanctuary cities are wavering on their support for their immigrant communities and pledge to work with ICE, which is why it is important for San José to reaffirm as a sanctuary city, and it will not cooperate with ICE.”

Magdaleno closed by reading an excerpt of the Legalization for All Network’s statement, “It is through the peoples’ struggle and the peoples’ movements that we will resist Trump and the racist institutions that he will try to use to attack us. Our rights and our place in these lands were not given to us, but won through protracted and sharp struggle. Whether we were born here or if we came here as immigrants, we have every right to exist here.”

After the speeches, Sebastian Salinas prepared the crowd to march into the streets. The attendees followed, with SEIU union members leading with their banner and chants. As the march started, cars passing by honked in support. The crowd chanted, “Whose streets? Our streets!” After a block, the march headed directly into the center of Santana Row, one of San José’s busiest shopping centers. The crowd continued to chant, “What do we want? Justice! How are we gonna get it? People power! If we don't get it? Shut it down!”

The march included a number of different contingents including a Filipino contingent made up of Malaya South Bay, PAWIS South Bay and the League of Filipino Students at San José State University.

After the march, Misrayn Mendoza with Amigos de Guadalupe continued the program, stating, “As you have seen during the last couple of weeks, months and years, we have been under attack by the presidency administration that will be entering today.” Mendoza continued, “Beyond the fear that they want us to feel, there's an unbreakable resiliency, courage and valor to continue in community with one another without fear we'll walk together and change the fear for love and justice.”

Tarentz Charite, of the San José State University chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, told the crowd, “Dare to struggle, dare to win!” Charite described their experience as a student activist on campus “constantly in battle of reactionary ideology on campus.” They condemned the university's tolerance of the reactionary group Turning Point USA on campus.

After Charite, Héctor Rincón from La Voz de los Trabajadoresbegan by saying, “Long live the working class struggle, long live the women's rights struggle, long live the trans rights struggle and long live the struggle of all oppressed peoples!”

John Duroyan from the San José district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization ended the program, saying, “Today marks a moment of vital importance, for many reasons. Firstly, on this day, we honor the memory of a titan, and a hero in this nation’s long legacy of activism.” Duroyan continued, “What better representation of those evils exists than the wretched reactionary Donald Trump, and his gang of bigots and greedy businessmen! Today, Trump was sworn in, an insult to the legacy of Dr. King! Let every organization here, no matter their personal mission, stand united in declaring that the far right’s hatred and greed is not welcome here! And that so long as we have anything to say about it, Trump’s administration will not lay so much as a hand on the people without us fighting back with all our rage and fury!”

#SanJoseCA #Trump #Inauguration #FRSO #MLK #MLKday #TransRights #WomensRights #SDS #SJSU #TurningPointUSA #TurningPOint #SJSUSDS #MALAYA #ImmigrantRights #Legalization4All #SEIU #UnionPower #SiliconValleyImmigrationCommittee #PapelesParaTodos

San José, CA – On MLK Day, upwards of 600 San José residents came out to protest Trump's inauguration and fight back against his anti-immigrant agenda.

The protest mobilized a broad array of progressive organizations in the South Bay, all united against Trump. The Silicon Valley Immigration Committee and Papeles Para Todos coordinated the rally and march.

The rally began at 4 p.m. at the intersection of Stevens Creek and Winchester Boulevard, a commercial center where many gather to shop. Before the protest started, a mass of people had already gathered on the sidewalks with Mexican flags, pickets featuring the Virgin Mary, and Huelga flags. Together the crowd chanted, “¡El Pueblo unido, jamás será vencido!” meaning “The people united, will never be defeated!”

Sebastian Salinas, a community organizer with the Silicon Valley Immigration Committee, kicked off the protest with a series of chants shoulder to shoulder with SEIU 2015 union members. Together they chanted, “Who’s got the power? We got the power! What kind of power? Union power!”, alternating the final phrase with chants of “people power” as well.

The program began with the Raging Grannies Action League’s anti-Trump song reaffirming civil rights in the United States. Shortly after, José Rubén from the Comité de Solidaridad con la Lucha de los Inmigrantes Detenidos shared his experience of participating in a labor and hunger strike while being detained in a for-profit prison.

“On the 18th day of the hunger strike, we had a visit from ICE and GEO dressed in military gear, in riot gear, with deadly weapons,” Rubén recalled. Rubén asked to speak to his lawyers, but ICE officials responded by dragging Rubén and throwing him on to the ground. In 2023, Rubén gained his freedom. “It was possible because of the support of the community that I was able to be liberated,” he stated.

The program included moments that reflected on what MLK Day is about and Martin Luther King Jr.’s radical legacy. Allie Yixuan from San José Against War spoke about MLK Jr.’s opposition to the Vietnam War. Yixuan stated, “It is clear that if Dr. King were around today, he would agree that spending enormous amounts of our tax dollars on military aid to bomb civilians and children in occupied Palestine is unacceptable!”

A community organizer with Papeles Para Todos, Verónica Avendano Ibáñez, soon followed, stating, “I have spent 25 years here and have spent more than a decade organizing my community here.” Ibáñez continued, “I learned that it is important that our community is united and that we fight for our solidarity to achieve our goals,” adding, “Everyone has a right to visit their countries of origin and return to their home in the United States of America, because we have grown roots in this community.”

Uriel Magdaleno of the Silicon Valley Immigration stated, “As President Trump is sworn in, many sanctuary cities are wavering on their support for their immigrant communities and pledge to work with ICE, which is why it is important for San José to reaffirm as a sanctuary city, and it will not cooperate with ICE.”

Magdaleno closed by reading an excerpt of the Legalization for All Network’s statement, “It is through the peoples’ struggle and the peoples’ movements that we will resist Trump and the racist institutions that he will try to use to attack us. Our rights and our place in these lands were not given to us, but won through protracted and sharp struggle. Whether we were born here or if we came here as immigrants, we have every right to exist here.”

After the speeches, Sebastian Salinas prepared the crowd to march into the streets. The attendees followed, with SEIU union members leading with their banner and chants. As the march started, cars passing by honked in support. The crowd chanted, “Whose streets? Our streets!” After a block, the march headed directly into the center of Santana Row, one of San José’s busiest shopping centers. The crowd continued to chant, “What do we want? Justice! How are we gonna get it? People power! If we don't get it? Shut it down!”

The march included a number of different contingents including a Filipino contingent made up of Malaya South Bay, PAWIS South Bay and the League of Filipino Students at San José State University.

After the march, Misrayn Mendoza with Amigos de Guadalupe continued the program, stating, “As you have seen during the last couple of weeks, months and years, we have been under attack by the presidency administration that will be entering today.” Mendoza continued, “Beyond the fear that they want us to feel, there's an unbreakable resiliency, courage and valor to continue in community with one another without fear we'll walk together and change the fear for love and justice.”

Tarentz Charite, of the San José State University chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, told the crowd, “Dare to struggle, dare to win!” Charite described their experience as a student activist on campus “constantly in battle of reactionary ideology on campus.” They condemned the university's tolerance of the reactionary group Turning Point USA on campus.

After Charite, Héctor Rincón from La Voz de los Trabajadores began by saying, “Long live the working class struggle, long live the women's rights struggle, long live the trans rights struggle and long live the struggle of all oppressed peoples!”

John Duroyan from the San José district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization ended the program, saying, “Today marks a moment of vital importance, for many reasons. Firstly, on this day, we honor the memory of a titan, and a hero in this nation’s long legacy of activism.” Duroyan continued, “What better representation of those evils exists than the wretched reactionary Donald Trump, and his gang of bigots and greedy businessmen! Today, Trump was sworn in, an insult to the legacy of Dr. King! Let every organization here, no matter their personal mission, stand united in declaring that the far right’s hatred and greed is not welcome here! And that so long as we have anything to say about it, Trump’s administration will not lay so much as a hand on the people without us fighting back with all our rage and fury!”

#SanJoseCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #Labor #WomensMovement #Trump #FRSO #SEIU #SVIC

Duluth, MN – At 4 p.m. on a blustery January 15 in Duluth, workers from Essentia Health-Deer River pulled up in a bus in front of the Essentia Health-Duluth hospital and began a solidarity picket in front of the main entrance to the hospital.

The Deer River Essentia workers are represented by the Service Employees International Union, Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa (SEIU HCMNIA). January 15 marked their 38th day of an open-ended strike at their hospital and nursing home.

The healthcare workers are striking over pay, saying that cost of living has gone up and they need real raises to keep paying the bills. After 38 days on strike, they decided to take their fight to Essentia headquarters in Duluth, nearly 100 miles from Deer River.

The small hospital and clinic in Deer River, Minnesota was bought up by the rapidly expanding Essentia system, which has purchased many of the hospitals in the northern half of the state.

The striking workers were joined at the solidarity picket by members of the Minnesota Nurses Association and the United Steel Workers, who both represent large numbers of workers at the Duluth Essentia hospital, as well as by supporters from the AFL-CIO and the surrounding community.

Around 100 union members and supporters picketed for two hours from 4 to 6 p.m. It was cold, and high winds off of Lake Superior buffeted the crowd. Picket signs could be seen blowing off of sticks and taking to the wind, but the picketers were undeterred, with loud chanting and warm coffee and hot chocolate donated from supporters.

Sarah Jo Roberts, a certified surgical technologist at the Deer River Hospital for over 14 years stated, “What we are asking for is fair sustainable wages for our members. We are the lowest paid Essentia Health workers in the entire state of Minnesota and that is just not acceptable. Cost of living goes up every year and what we are asking for is a fair livable wage. Essentia is saying ‘nope we can't afford to pay you any more because you are in a small community’ but why is it that our Essentia CEO is one of the highest paid in the state of Minnesota and gets a $1.1 million bonus, which was tripled from the prior year? How is that ok but you can tell us, the ones that are doing the work, that you can't pay us more? That's not ok.”

When asked about what is coming next, Roberts said, “We will be meeting management at the bargaining table on the 22nd and we hope to get an agreement, but if we don't, we're gonna stay on the line til we get a contract that is sustainable for us.”

#DuluthMN #MN #Labor #Strike #Healthcare #SEIU #Feature

Chicago, IL - On November 13, 1800 members of the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) went on strike against University of Illinois Health for continuing to refuse to negotiate a decent contract. Since June, the union has had 47 bargaining sessionswith UI Health, to no avail. In August, a week-long strike was held, but this did not stop management’s greed. The union wasleft with no choice but to go on an open-ended strike.

The workers are striking for higher wages, safety for nurses (and by extension, their patients), as well as family leave that lasts at least 12 weeks. UI Health has offered a measly 2% pay increase.

On the cold November day, 500 nurses and supporters ralliedoutside of the UI Specialty Care Building. They picketed, marched, chanted and listened to speeches starting at 7 a.m. When the overnight shift of nurses began to walk out of the UI Hospital, the waiting strikers broke out in cheers and applause.

Kathy Bollinger of the Illinois Nurses Association stated, “Who always has time for a break? Management! But do we have time to pump breast milk to feed our children? No! I had to switch to formula at just four months!”

Many drivers came by honking their horns to express solidarity. Supporters joining the rally and picket line included workers from other unions, such as at UPS, postal service workers, workers from the Chicago Transit Authority.

Jackson Potter, of the Chicago Teachers Union stated, “Who would we be as educators and nurses if we didn’t fight for other people to have those things?”

Joe Iosbaker, a retired member of the Service Employees International Union Local 73, spoke about the 2020 strike in the depths of the COVID pandemic. 4000 members of Local 73 joined 1300 INA members for nine days until management caved in. Iosbaker read the names of nurses Joyce Pacubas Le Blanc, Maria Lopez, and surgical technician Juan Martinez, all of whom died of COVID in May 2020. “Management told our members not to wear masks unless they were in a COVID ward, because it would scare the patients. They failed to protect us because they don’t care about us except to make profits!”

At midday, strikers started marching to the Dorin Forum one mile away on the east side of campus, and they kept the militancy up the entire time. People were chanting “No contract, no peace!” and “If we don’t get it, shut it down!”

For about an hour, nurses protested outside the Forum buildingwhere the board of trustees were meeting.

They then marched back to the west side of campus, where the negotiators came out to tell the strikers that the turnout is making management start to finally bend to the will of the workers.

One striker said, “I’m out here striking with the nurses, showing solidarity with my coworkers and my friends, fighting for a safe contract for us and the patients.” He continued, “We’re the ones who take care of this hospital and take care of the patients, and they’ll hear us loud and clear.”

“We’re fighting against workplace violence, we’re fighting for comparable wages to help us keep up with inflation, and we’re also fighting for patient safety,” said another striker.

The picket lines will continue every day and support from students and community is essential and helpful.

#ChicagoIL #INA #IllinoisNursesAssociation #UofIHealth #Nurses #Strike #CTU #SEIU #Feature

Philadelphia, PA – During the North American SEIU convention on May 21, around 50 union members and staff led a walkout against Vice President Kamala Harris. The International hosted around 4000 people including delegates, guests and staff.

About ten minutes into Harris’ speech, about 50 delegates, guests and staff stood up and started chanting “Free Palestine!” Harris paused and stuttered for a moment, and some delegates broke out into “Four more years.” Protesters soon overshadowed them. They walked to the entrance and pulled out hidden cloth signs, reading “Workers of the world unite” and “Free Gaza.” They chanted “Harris, Harris you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” and sang the union anthem Which side are you on? .

Chants continued for five minutes during the Harris speech. Members left singing Solidarity Forever before joining a rally outside.

“As members of Starbucks Workers United, we have made our stance on Palestine clear, and we did not feel comfortable sitting through a speech from the current administration. Kamala and Biden are directly responsible for the deaths of over 35,000 people, this is an emergency, and working people have a responsibility, and power, to make sure not a single cent more goes to genocide,” said Abbey Lodwig, a SBWU organizer and member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

“As a collective, we passed a resolution essentially saying, ‘No to genocide,’ but our union continues to endorse an administration, with $200 million, that has denied the existence of the genocide and continues to provide arms money to Israel. It is hypocritical,” said a delegate with the committee of interns and residents.

On Monday, a resolution was passed in support of Palestine, but some felt it did not go far enough.

Local 1000 member Sam Lieu, who helped organize the interruption of Harris, stated, “The principled and accurate resolution on Palestine submitted by SEIU Local 1021 was blocked by the ossified IU leadership and a watered down version was adopted through less than democratic means on May 20, 2024. A small but class-conscious group of delegates and attendees met afterwards to organize a demonstration that not only spoke to the inefficient resolution but also to heighten the contradiction of the IU adopting a resolution on Palestine and then the very next day to invite Genocide Joe’s second-in-command to speak to the delegation.”

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #Labor #Biden #Harris #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SEIU #SBWU #Feature