Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Labor

By staff

Caracas, Venezuela – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) labor delegation met with Sures, a human rights NGO, March 9, to learn about the impact of U.S. sanctions on the Venezuelan people.

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By staff

Milwaukee, WI – On February 25, workers at the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) packed the annual MPM Board of Directors meeting holding signs reading “Silenced” and “Not allowed to speak.”

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By staff

W.Z. Foster.

To mark the Feb. 25, 1881 birthday of the outstanding trade union leader and communist William Z Foster, Fight Back News Service is circulating one of his early important writings. The Principles and Program of the Trade Union Educational League

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By Sean Orr

James P Hoffa.

Chicago, IL – On February 21, in a letter sent to the staff and principal officers of the Teamsters, James P. Hoffa announced that he would not seek re-election as general president and would retire from the union at the end of his term in March 2022.

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By J Burger

Members of Unifor Local 594 standing tall through lockout

Refinery workers in Regina, Canada resist lock out.

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada – An epic fight of refinery workers has unfolded in the city of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada at a unionized refinery. Workers who are members of Unifor Local 594 were locked out December 5, 2019 by a boss that just wants more. The company, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), has hired hundreds of scabs and flies them in via helicopter.

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By staff

Marinette, WI – 300 workers at Aurora Medical Center Bay Area in Marinette, Wisconsin are fighting back against management’s attacks on their right to organize. These attacks include using the expiration of their contract to cease dues check-off, offering poverty wages, and consistently extending bargaining by conveying misleading and inaccurate information to workers. These tactics are a vicious attack on working people and our ability to provide for our families.

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By Ryan Hamann

Madison, WI – Back in December of 2019, the professional nurses working at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Authority (UWHCA) demanded the voluntary recognition of their union from the UWHCA Board of Directors.

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By Sam Martinez

St Paul event to honor MLK, Marcus Golden, and Stolen Lives.

Saint Paul, MN – On January 20, Twin Cities Coalition 4 Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) held an evening event to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Golden, and “stolen lives” of community members lost to police crimes and terror.

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By Tracey Schwerdtfeger

Museum workers are fighting for decent contract in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee, WI – On the afternoon of January 18, unionized workers at the Milwaukee Public Museum held a lively picket during “Museum Week” activities, to demand a decent contract. Over 50 museum workers and supporters, including museum members, donors and elected officials, joined the picket outside the popular natural history museum in downtown Milwaukee.

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By Jim Byrne

Tucson, AZ – The nearly 2000 workers represented by eight unions at Asarco mining operations will soon reach Day 100 of their strike. This comes as a result of years of Asarco failing to offer a new contract, raise wages, or even negotiate. That is why back in October, these unions filed for an Unfair Labor Practice strike on the copper corporation.

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By staff

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Members of Teamster Local 320 on the picket line, January 17, in Ely, on the day three of a strike by workers in the Saint Louis County Public Works Department. The workers, who include the snow plow drivers that clear more than 3000 miles of roads in Minnesota’s largest county, are demanding a decent contract. A major snow storm is expected in northern Minnesota.

#ElyMN #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #strike #Strikes #Snow

By staff

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Duluth, MN – Members of Teamsters Local 320 are standing strong, January 16 as they enter day two of their strike for a decent contract. The strikers who work in the Saint Louis County Public Works Department clear the roads in Minnesota’s largest county, and more snow is expected

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By staff

Minnesota Teamsters on the picket line.

Duluth, MN – Members of Teamsters Local 320, who work for the Saint Louis County Public Works Department, went on strike this morning, January 15, and are fighting to obtain a decent contract. At 533 square miles, Saint Louis County is Minnesota’s largest county. Snow is anticipated over the next several days.

#DuluthMN #PeoplesStruggles #PublicSectorUnions #Strikes #TeamstersLocal320 #SaintLouisCountyPublicWorksDepartment #SnowPlow

By Christina Kittle

Florida teachers rally at Old Capitol Building in Tallahassee,  January 13.

Tallahassee, FL – Well over 1000 educators, school bus drivers, custodians, counselors and other public school workers, dressed in red, rallied at the Old Capitol Building in Tallahassee on January 13 to demand lawmakers invest in public schools during the 2020 state legislative session. The 60-day legislative session begins January 14 and lawmakers will have a sea of red from the previous day to take with them to deliberation.

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By World Federation of Trade Unions

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Jan. 8 statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions.

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By Jim Byrne

Arizona Asarco strikers.

Tucson, AZ – As one of the country’s longest running strikes continues into week 13, educators from Arizona’s RedForEd movement brought food donations to the picket line. The eight unions serving nearly 2000 workers at five Asarco copper mining operations have created a tradition at the Pima Mine: Sunday dinner. It’s a beautiful display of worker solidarity and union power as striking workers and their families come eat a warm meal and enjoy their camaraderie. It is there that a van-full of non-perishable goods from Phoenix-area educators was delivered.

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By Jim Byrne

Picket line of Arizona copper workers.

Tucson, AZ – On day 77 of the Asarco strike of 2000 workers from eight different unions, Teamster International President Jimmy Hoffa Jr. came by to voice his solidarity. “We are with you!” shouted Hoffa in front of the long tables where dozens of strikers and their families ate together on Sunday, December 29.

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By staff

Washington, DC – The United Steelworkers (USW) filed a lawsuit, December 19, in the Southern District of Indiana to protest Alcoa USA Corporation’s terminating life insurance benefits for approximately 8900 union-represented retirees.

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By staff

Teamsters across the country honored co-worker killed by police

Miami, FL – UPS Teamsters across the country are participating in a nationwide moment of silence today, December 9, for #Frank Ordonez, the 27-year-old UPS package car driver killed in a police shootout after being taken hostage by armed robbers. Many Teamsters are questioning the tactics used by police, noting that the officers’ trigger-happy actions were not normal for a hostage situation and resulted in not only the death of Frank Ordonez but the death of union representative Rick Cutshaw and endangered the lives of many others.

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By staff

Miami, FL – The busy holiday season for UPS Teamsters took a deadly turn on December 5 in South Florida. Miramar police shot and killed UPS driver Frank Ordonez while firing dozens of times into the side of a UPS truck he had been taken hostage in. They also killed a civilian who was nearby.

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