Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Labor

By Ethan Costello

Milwaukee, WI – Café workers at Wonderstate Coffee located in Milwaukee’s Third Ward have successfully unionized. Workers at Wonderstate are Milwaukee’s as the first coffee shop employees to form a union. These Wonderstate employees are now represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 344, which represents sales and service employees as well as many other workers across the state, including those at UPS.

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By staff

Muscle Shoals, AL – More than 400 members of United Steel Workers Local 200 are on strike against Constellium over unfair labor practices at its Second Street production facility, formerly owned by Wise Alloys and Reynolds.

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By Ali Fuhrman

Hennepin County workers fight for COVID childcare and caregiver leave at full pa

Minneapolis, MN – More than 30 mothers, parents, children and supporters who work for Hennepin County gathered at Painter Park, December 19, to call on Hennepin County Commissioners to hold an emergency board meeting to pass COVID Childcare and Caregiver Leave at full pay until schools and daycares are fully functional.

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – Hennepin County AFSCME is calling on county commissioners to approve fully-paid COVID child care leave for county employees and to extend emergency COVID protections before provisions expire December 31.

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By staff

CTU President Jesse Sharkey and VP Stacy Davis Gates.

Chicago, IL – More than 100 teachers, parents and community members participated in a car caravan, December 12 for safety, equality and trust. Chicago Public Schools has rejected the union’s safety concerns at every turn, refused to bargain to consensus on safety needs, rejected improving its inhumane remote learning program despite months of pleas from parents, students and educators, and fallen woefully short on safety promises they’ve made.

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By Jared Hamil

#Frank posted on the back of a UPS package car in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, CA – December 5 will mark a year since the murder of UPS driver Frank Ordonez. Last year, Ordonez, while delivering on route, was kidnapped by jewel thieves and held hostage in the delivery vehicle. The truck was pursued by police for hours. The pursuit came to a slowdown at a busy intersection, where police opened fire on the vehicle. The police fired over 200 rounds, killing Ordonez, the thieves and a bystander. The bystander, Rick Cutshaw, was a business rep for OPEIU Local 100. A year later, no one has been charged for the murders, and the officers still remain on active duty. And none of the police or police departments have been held accountable for their actions. The entire murder was captured on live television via helicopter.

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By staff

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Chicago, IL – 700 nursing home workers who are members SEIU Health Care Illinois/Indiana (HCII) began a second #StrikeForOurLives on November 23. Strikers walked out at 11 Infinity nursing homes across the state of Illinois. Members of SEIU have been denied adequate staffing, PPE and hazard pay.

#ChicagoIL #Healthcare #PeoplesStruggles #SEIU #Strikes #SEIUHealthCareIllinoisIndianaHCII

By staff

Macon, GA – A hearing officer with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recommended certifying Kumho Tire workers’ organizing victory with the United Steelworkers (USW) and dismissing the company’s objections “in their entirety.”

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By Freedom Road Socialist Organization

El mundo está observando cómo los americanos votan por la derrota de Trump y de la agenda Republicana de racismo, discriminación, y opresión. Por supuesto, el sistema ya engañó a los americanos en 2016. Trump perdió el voto popular pero fue declarado presidente de los EEUU por el sistema elitista del Colegio Electoral. Ahora Donald Trump amenaza con robar las elecciones de nuevo, tratando de mentir, engañar, y robar su camino de regreso a la Casa Blanca.

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By Freedom Road Socialist Organization

The world is watching as Americans vote to defeat Trump and the Republican agenda of racism, discrimination and oppression. Of course, the system already cheated the American people back in 2016. Trump lost the popular vote but was declared U.S. president by the elitist Electoral College system. Now Donald Trump threatens to be at it again, trying to lie, cheat and steal his way back into the White House.

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By staff

Organize the unorganized!

Milwaukee workers march to back union organizing efforts.

Milwaukee, WI – Workers from multiple active union organizing campaigns marched through downtown Milwaukee on October 27 to rally support for the wave of new union organizing. Nearly 100 workers and supporters from the organizing campaigns at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Colectivo Coffee, Wonderstate Coffee, Marquette University and Captel joined forces for an impressive display of union strength. The march took the streets, stopping by several workplaces where union drives led primarily by young workers are ongoing.

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By staff

Pittsburgh, PA – Approximately 500 scientists, educators, art handlers, front staff, gift shop clerks, ushers and other workers from across the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh system today announced Oct. 20 they filed for a union election as they seek to join the United Steelworkers (USW).

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By staff

Striking IAM members in Appleton, WI.

Appleton, WI – On the morning of October 24, the following message was posted on the social media accounts of IAM Local 1855: “After a week-long strike IAMAW Members employed at AstenJohnson in Appleton overwhelmingly accepted a greatly improved contract offer this morning. This offer included locking in insurance plan design and premiums for the next two years among other positive changes. Their solidarity and persistence paid off big. Congratulations to the members of Local 1855 and a special thank you to the Teamsters Local 662 for honoring our picket line.”

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By staff

Members of SEIU on picket line.

Minneapolis, MN – Around 200 technical workers from Allina’s Abbot Northwestern and Saint Francis Hospitals began a two-day strike at 6 a.m. on Monday, October 5. The workers on strike include diagnostic imaging technicians, medical lab technicians, surgical technicians and others.

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By Joe Iosbaker

Union construction workers refuse to cross picket line at UIC.

Chicago, IL -The largest strike since the economic crisis hit came to an end at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), September 24. Last night and this morning, tentative agreements were announced for the 4000 members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, and the 1300 members of the Illinois Nurses Association (INA).

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By Joe Iosbaker

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Chicago, IL – On day nine of the strike by 4000 members of the Service Employee International Union Local 73, September 22, picket lines were dispersed to multiple locations across the medical center campus. Workers gathered by the dock entrances of the hospital, the Outpatient Care Center, the College of Medicine Research Building, the dean’s office of the College of Medicine, the College of Dentistry, and the Clinical Science Building.

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By Joe Iosbaker

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Chicago, IL – On day nine of the strike by 4000 members of the Service Employee International Union Local 73, September 22, picket lines were dispersed to multiple locations across the medical center campus. Workers gathered by the dock entrances of the hospital, the Outpatient Care Center, the College of Medicine Research Building, the dean’s office of the College of Medicine, the College of Dentistry, and the Clinical Science Building.

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By staff

Milwaukee workers rally against Trump's attacks.

Milwaukee, WI – On September 20, union members and frontline workers gathered at Zeidler Union Square in downtown Milwaukee. The purpose for the rally was to speak out about working conditions during the pandemic, the need for extended benefits, the fight for racial justice and the blatant attacks on workers from the Trump administration.

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By Zachary Schultz

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Chicago, IL – On Saturday, September 19, members of SEIU Local 73 continued their strike at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), rallying with community and labor allies. The 4000 workers say they are fighting for UIC to “respect us, protect us and pay us” and have vowed to remain on strike until their demands are met.

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By Zachary Schultz

UIC strikers on the march.

Chicago, IL – Over 1000 University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) workers from SEIU Local 73 and the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) flooded the center of downtown Chicago, September 18, calling for Governor JB Pritzker to support their demands in the largest strike ever at the university.

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