Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of January 31, more than a dozen activists gathered together at the call of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, and in response to a National Day of Action, to protest the inaction of Target around ICE. The protesters marched together into the store located in West Milwaukee singing “Which side are you on, Target, which side are you on?” before gathering near the entrance to read a letter addressed to Target’s CEO.

Chicago, IL – Leaders and rank-and-file members of the Chicago Teachers Union were joined by community supporters on Tuesday January 27, as they celebrated recent and historical victories won by CTU and the movement to defend public education. They also recognized the need to build ongoing struggles against ICE, racist policing and for fully funded public services.

Seminole, FL – On the morning of January 29, around 20 union members and community supporters rallied outside of Representative Anna Paulina Luna’s office in Seminole, Florida. The Florida AFL-CIO organized the event to demand justice and accountability for Alex Pretti, a Veterans Administration nurse and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union member who was murdered by Border Patrol in Minneapolis.

New Orleans, LA – On January 26, nurses and community members gathered in freezing temperatures outside of Senator Bill Cassidy’s office. They demanded that he vote against increasing funding for ICE in a spending bill that is up for consideration in the Senate.

New York, NY – The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) led a Midtown Manhattan rally and march of thousands through the bitter cold in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis, January 23. Many major local labor unions endorsed and attended the action, as well as many other progressive organizations.

Tacoma, WA – Over 1000 people gathered in Tacoma’s Firefighters Park, January 24, to protest the racist Trump administration. Protesters waved signs reading, “Fight for workers and immigrants’ rights” and “ICE out of Tacoma” while chants of “One struggle, one fight: immigrant justice, worker’s rights!” filled the air.

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.

Tampa, FL – House Bill 995 is the most recent attack on public sector unions currently going through the legislature in Florida. This bill may be the most recent anti-union bill, but it comes with a history of bills destabilizing public sector unions.

Chicago, IL. – On Thursday, January 15, 300 United flight attendants and supporters participated in an informational picket outside the United Airlines corporate headquarters, the Willis Tower, in downtown Chicago. It was 18 degrees out in the windy city, yet United flight attendants, flight attendants from other airlines and members of local unions still showed up to demand a contract and show solidarity.

Caracas, Venezuela – On January 14, massive rallies led by trade union members demanded the immediate return of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady and National Assembly deputy Cilia Flores.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statemen from the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) statement condemning military invasion of Venezuela.

On Saturday, January 3rd at 2 am, the United State Air Force, under the direction of the President and not Congress, invaded Venezuela. While details are still coming out, it appears Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife were also kidnapped by U.S. Armed Forces. All this was done without provocation, approval from Congress, or any other legitimate method of engagement. Instead, the president of the United States of America acted in dictatorial fashion to impose regime change.

Carcass, Venezuela – The Venezuelan Ministry of Work hosted a videoconference with leaders of Venezuelan trade unions and international labor representatives on January 8 to share their thoughts about the attack on January 3 and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady Cilia Flores.

Lancaster, TX – At midnight on Friday, December 19, roughly 300 warehouse workers at United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) officially joined Teamsters Local 745, marking a major step forward in their fight for better conditions and real voice on the job. The vote reflects months of organizing and frustration, and it adds momentum to a growing wave of unionization among distribution and logistics workers.

By Vanessa Christaldi

Oviedo, FL – Workers from the Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) at the Oviedo Starbucks store on Mitchell-Hammock Road joined the nationwide Red Cup Rebellion strike on December 11, taking to the picket line to fight for a decent contract from the multi-billion dollar corporation.

Caracas, Venezuela – On December 17, the Constituent Assembly of the Venezuelan Working Class welcomed international delegates to share in their historic achievement of integrating the trade union movement into the national plan of resistance and advancing the cause of the working class in the national democratic Bolivarian Revolution.

Englewood, CO – On December 10, the Sheridan Educators Association (SEA) held a press conference outside of their district’s administration building to demand that the district resume recognition of the longstanding teachers union, a contract, and an end to union-busting tactics.

Chicago, IL – On December 20, over 175 people gathered in the Chicago Teachers Union Hall to stand in solidarity with Gustavo Petro and the people of Colombia as their country faces an intensification of U.S. aggression.

Petro has had his visa revoked by the Trump administration, and the country is seeing attacks in the form of sanctions, tariffs and military threats. These attacks have been because of his un-fearful stance against U.S. imperialism, from calling out the U.S./Israel’s genocide in Gaza to defending the sovereignty of Latin American nations. Petro is a popular and progressive internationalist.

Caracas, Venezuela – Dozens of Venezuelan trade unions representing public and private sectors ranging from national oil company workers to educators to motorcycle taxistas joined together in the Constituent Congress of the Working Class on December 15-17 in Caracas. They gathered as the culmination of over 22,000 assemblies of workers throughout the country involving nearly 67,000 elected delegates from October to December.

Caracas, Venezuela – Venezuelan trade unions gathered on December 15 to discuss plans and proposals to expand their participation in the defense of the country and the goals of the working class. The Congress of the Working Class invited international delegates to join them in solidarity.

This past year, horrifying accidents and the government shutdown have put many of us on alert about travel risks. It’s made more people reflect on how important flight attendants are. Their primary job, after all, is keeping passengers safe. As the year comes to an end, let’s put a spotlight on some working conditions that affect their own safety.

Physical injuries

Despite gendered stereotypes about being a flight attendant, the job causes serious physical strain. Strain manifests in several parts of the body, most consistently in the shoulders and back. The job requires lifting your own luggage, working aircraft doors (many of which are old and have levers that require lots of muscle to push and pull), and maneuvering beverage carts that can weigh up to 300 pounds. Even stepping out of tall crew vans in heels can be a fall or concussion risk.