Los Angeles, CA – On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which fell on January 15, Teamsters across the country joined the national action to demand that UPS “Deliver on the Dream” by pressuring the company to make MLK Day and Juneteenth paid holidays in the upcoming national contract.

Alexandria, VA – Transit workers employed by the French multinational rail and transit company Keolis took strike action on January 1, in Loudoun County, Virginia. The ATU Local 689 members had no choice but to take this drastic action in view of company stonewalling at the negotiations table, and in view of the shameful labor relations practices of Keolis. Like many union fights, there are many details and episodes that go unrecorded and unreported (although Labor Notes has a recent article on this struggle). What follows are a few of those background details that will add to our knowledge and improve our ability to continue – and hopefully expand – the work we do to organize the unorganized.

Rockville, MD – A supermajority of quality assurance workers at Microsoft’s ZeniMax Studios have indicated January 2 that they wish to join ZeniMax Workers United/CWA, either by signing a union authorization card or voting via an online portal. In accordance with its stated labor principles, Microsoft has recognized the union.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the influential Greek labor organization, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME).

New York, NY – On December 30, nurses at eight hospitals, including New York City’s largest, representing approximately 16,000 members submitted their ten-day notice to strike beginning January 9. As of Monday, January 9, all but three hospitals have reached a tentative agreement. This means that nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) are beginning their strike at four different locations.

Milwaukee, WI – The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals (WFNHP) Local 5000 held a rally and picket outside of the Milwaukee home of Bernie Sherry, the CEO of Ascension Wisconsin, one of his many houses. The January 4 action was in response to the abrupt announcement of the December 23 closure of St. Francis Hospital’s Labor and Delivery (L+D) Unit.

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, December 31, well over 200 people held a boisterous rally in downtown Minneapolis to support of Trader Joe’s workers who recently formed a union. The rally was made up of Trader Joe’s workers, members of other unions, customers and community members.

Milwaukee, WI – More than 60 workers and union members from Ascension St. Francis Hospital (SFH), together with community supporters, gathered outside Milwaukee’s city hall on the evening of December 20. The event was called for by the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (WFNHP) Local 5000, the union which represents nurses and technical and service employees at the hospital. The purpose for the rally was to raise awareness around the services being cut at the hospital, specifically management’s decision to close down the labor and delivery department.

Racine, Wisconsin – On December 17, union members and supporters rallied in support of UAW Local 180 members who have been on strike at Case New Holland Industrial (CNHi) since May. The Racine workers are demanding the large multinational agricultural equipment corporation give workers a better contract as the company hauls in record profits.

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, December 13, rail workers and labor supporters held rallies across the country calling for sick time and other improvement to conditions for rail workers. It was a cold, rainy afternoon when around 200 people gathered in Northeast Minneapolis near a large rail yard. Similar rallies were scheduled to be held in 11 other U.S. cities on the same day. The rallies were organized by members of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) union.

Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, December 13 Rail Workers who are represented by the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) will hold rallies in at least 12 cities across the United States calling for solidarity with rail workers.

Seattle, WA – On December 8, workers at Seattle sandwich chain Homegrown won their National Labor Relations Board election to join UNITE HERE Local 8, a food service and hospitality union. With a vote count of 59-11 for their union, workers clearly showed they wanted a seat at the bargaining table. This election, representing 130 employees at ten different cafes, came after a separate vote by distribution drivers at Homegrown-owned company Catapult NW, who also voted to join the union.

Berkeley, CA – Wednesday, November 23, around 100 people came to support the academic workers’ strike at the University of California, Berkeley. University of California’s 48,000 academic workers have been on a statewide strike that is now heading into its fourth week.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

On Monday, President Joe Biden publicly called on Congress to force union rail workers to accept the sub-par contract terms he helped craft. This is shameless union busting and pre-emptive strike breaking on behalf of the billionaire railroad bosses.

On Monday, President Joe Biden publicly called on Congress to force union rail workers to accept the sub-par contract terms he helped craft. This is shameless union busting and pre-emptive strike breaking on behalf of the billionaire railroad bosses.

St Paul, MN – On November 20, the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) livestreamed their announcement that around 15,000 Minnesota nurses in hospitals across the state will hold a strike authorization vote. The vote to authorize another strike came after their three-day strike in September. Since then, they have been unable to obtain a contract offer that meets the nurses’ demands.

San José, CA – Thousands of University of California students and workers are currently on strike across the state. In late October, the United Auto Workers union which represents 48,000 academic workers, called a strike authorization vote. In a historic vote, 98% of the 36,558 people who participated voted yes to strike. This is the largest academic workers’ strike in the history of the country.

Milwaukee, WI – On November 16, nearly 50 members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 998 and their supporters marched from their union hall to the Milwaukee County Courthouse, raising the demands for greater security on their buses, better healthcare, and an overall decent contract. Chants of “Who are we? ATU!” and “Who moves this city? We move this city!” could be heard as the demonstrators marched through the streets of downtown Milwaukee. At least one on-duty MCTS bus driver along the route opened her window with a beaming smile and voiced her support for the action.

Milwaukee, WI – On November 10, the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals – AFT Local 5000 held a press conference to call attention to the unsafe working conditions in hospitals in the context of what public health experts are calling a tridemic – of the Flu, COVID-19 and RSV this winter season.