Is management at fault?

Milwaukee, WI – On June 20, Eugene Gates, Jr. collapsed from a heat stress-related illness and died while delivering on his route in Dallas, Texas. Gates was a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 132 whose president, Kimetra Lewis, said that Gates “was at the point where he could retire.” He had joined the USPS in November 1987 and had worked for the company for over 30 years.

Los Angeles, CA – Workers at a local McDonald's went on strike June 9, as part of a weeklong struggle by employees to bring to light the heinous working conditions they have been forced to endure. The strikers called for an end to harassment from management, for union representation, and justice for Berta Montes, a McDonald's employee whose death many coworkers attribute to management's negligence and overall lack of interest in their worker's health and safety.

Los Angeles, CA – The largest union in the state of California, representing more than 96,000 state workers, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 held a spirited rally in downtown this morning, June 22. Rank and filers, union representatives, and supporters numbered 100 people. A large sound truck adjacent to Spring Street and in front of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Los Angeles office, provided a stage for speakers.

Tampa, FL – Since national negotiations started in March, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has reached many tentative agreements in their national contract with United Parcel Service. These agreements that will benefit Teamsters include but are not limited to better cooling systems in package cars, strengthened grievance procedures, and the creation of more union jobs.

Members of Wyeth Philippines Progressive Workers’ Union (WPPWU) and their supporters mounted a series of mass protests and other activities to demand the reinstatement of 140 workers who were illegally dismissed by Wyeth-Nestlé Philippines on May 18, 2023 and five other workers who were fired earlier, reported Ang Bayan, official organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines, on June 7, 2023.

Seattle, WA – On June 8, at the University of Washington-Seattle, over 100 people confronted the UW board of regents and University President Ana Marie Cauce in the morning prior to their meeting regarding their targeting of international workers. Organized by the UAW 4121, the workers lined the entrances of Suzzallo Library, and the UW administration was forced to deal with the consequences of their union-busting actions.

Seattle, WA – On June 7, postdoctorates and research scientists and engineers (RSEs) at the University of Washington Seattle, members of the UAW 4121 went on strike. Over 700 workers, students and community members turned out to picket lines in support. While postdoctorates and RSEs have separate bargaining committees, they are united in their fight for a strong contract.

Status quo in the labor movement rejected

Denver, CO – Steve Vairma, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 455 in Denver, attended his last meeting as a Teamster before his May retirement. Vairma is retiring following an unsuccessful run for General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) in the 2021 International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) elections. Vairma ran alongside running mate and former Teamster Ron Hererra as part of the Teamster Power (TP) slate which was backed by the outgoing incumbent James “Jimmy” Hoffa Jr. Hoffa did not seek reelection after twenty-three years in office.

Seattle, WA – On Saturday, June 3 Homegrown workers and community supporters held a picket in front of the Queen Anne location of Homegrown Sustainable Sandwiches, amidst their fight for a first contract with UNITE HERE Local 8.

Tampa, FL – Early in the morning June 5, over 40 Maximus employees, Communications Workers of America (CWA) members, and other supporters rallied in front of Maximus, a federally contracted call center, in Riverview, Florida. The rally was part of a nationwide one-day strike put on by the CWA in response to hundreds of layoffs nationwide and to demand a living wage.

Hartford, CT – This past Saturday, June 3, striking long-term care workers and SEIU 1199 New England union members rallied at the at the State Capitol building in Hartford. The nearly 2000 striking workers are demanding a pathway to $25 per hour, affordable healthcare and a pension that allows workers to retire.

Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of May 31, nearly 100 union members and their supporters gathered outside the entrance to the Master Lock factory on Milwaukee’s North Side to call on the company to keep the plant open. The rally came in response to a sudden announcement that the shop was going to be closed, a course of action that will leave more than 400 people out of work. A number of other unions were represented by the different participants at the rally and picket, including United Steel Workers, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, and others.

Seattle, WA – Around 100 postal service workers and supporters gathered at Westlake Park on May 29 as the National Association of Letter Carriers continues negotiations for a new contract with USPS. The rally was hosted by NALC Branch 79. Postal workers and supporters spoke about the need for a strong contract that includes a higher starting pay, an end to the two tiered system, and an end to mandatory overtime.

Despite overall gains, capitalists killed two important bills for basic workers’ rights, and the legislature failed to advance police accountability

Saint Paul, MN – The 2023 Minnesota legislative session ended on May 22, and it’s one for the history books. A wide array of progressive measures that working class and oppressed peoples’ movements in Minnesota have demanded for years and even decades became law, as the Republicans howled from the sidelines but didn’t have the votes to stop it.

Seattle, WA – On Thursday, May 25, members of UAW Local 4121 rallied in front of Drumheller Fountain as research scientists and postdoctorates prepare to go on strike at the University of Washington. At the rally, a strike date of June 7 was announced, and over 100 members of the union demonstrated their willingness to fight for a strong contract.

Dallas, TX – 30 people rallied at the Inwood and Willow Starbucks in North Dallas, May 28, for a sip-in to show solidarity with unionization efforts at the location. During the sip-in, attendees left supportive messages on cash tips using post-it notes, gave names like “Union Strong” when ordering drinks, and left messages of support like “Union organizing is a right” and “Solidarity with Starbucks workers!” on a poster board to be hung in the Starbucks break room.

Commerce City, CO – On Friday, May 19, rank-and-file Teamsters working at the UPS hub in Commerce City, a part of the Denver metro area, organized a parking lot meeting early in the morning before the sunrise shift. This event comes just 11 weeks before the expiration of the Teamsters contract with UPS, and it is especially significant as it was the first event at the Commerce City hub, one of the largest UPS buildings in the United States, led exclusively by rank-and-file workers.

Atlanta, GA – Over 100 Delta employees, trade unionists and community supporters rallied at the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport May 25 to show support for the ongoing unionization effort at Delta Air Lines.

New Orleans, LA – On May 22, workers at Starbucks on Poydras Street won their union election in an 11 to 5 vote. This is the second Starbucks to unionize in the state of Louisiana and the first with a majority-Black workplace. Baristas complain of unpredictable schedules, insufficient hours, lack of seniority-based promotions, and unsafe working conditions. On Mardi Gras day, a customer reached across the bar to punch a barista. Corporate only approved that customer’s ban after the union drive began, months later.

Madison, WI – The OPEIU Local 39 union workers, 500 strong, started their strike against CUNA Mutual Group, now formally rebranded as TruStage, this past Friday, May 19. The action is making history not only as their first strike in their 80-year long relationship with TruStage, but also as being the largest strike in the city of Madison since the Act 10 protests on the capitol a dozen years ago. After over 400 days of stalled bargaining processes, refusal to provide information, retaliation against union leaders, and TruStage’s bargaining in bad faith, workers were left with no other option but to strike.