Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Labor

By staff

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Los Angeles, CA – More than 30,000 striking teachers, along with supporters, parents and students rallied at City Hall, January 18, to press for a decent contract and oppose attempts to privatize public education.

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#LACA #PeoplesStruggles #teachersStrike #Strikes #UTLA #TeachersUnions #UTLAStrike

By Tom Burke

Women's March in Grand Rapids, MI.

Grand Rapids, MI – About 500 people rallied and marched thru Grand Rapids, January 19, to build resistance to Trump during the 2019 Women’s March. The women’s movement in West Michigan hosted leaders from the immigrant rights, African American freedom, student and labor movements.

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By Carlos Montes

UTLA strikers rally.

Los Angeles, CA – Day five of UTLA teachers strike started with citywide enthusiastic picketing at all LAUSD schools, January 18. The night before, parents held a protest outside the home of former Wall Street banker and school Superintendent Austin Beutner. Parents were angered that the LA police department showed up in full force to protect the representative of the super rich. Beutner is pushing a plan to “reimagine LAUSD” – a cover for dismantling and privatizing LAUSD. Leading a misinformation campaign, Beutner has misled parents about student absences. In the media, Beutner is making proposals while belittling the mass protest that has brought the country’s 2nd largest school district to a standstill.

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By Carlos Montes

Strikers and supporters line the streets of LA.

Los Angeles, CA – Citywide, UTLA teachers and parents continue the strong momentum and LAUSD politicians are feeling the pressure. Negotiations have restarted today, January 17. The UTLA strike is getting national attention and the newly elected California Governor Gavin Newsom is calling on LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti to continue with negotiations. Newsom is bringing both politicians in to negotiate at LA City Hall. UTLA has the strength and momentum to win for fully-funded, public, community schools.

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By Carlos Montes

Day 3 of the LA teacher strike

Los Angeles, CA – On day 3 of the UTLA teachers strike, seven regional rallies were held citywide, resulted in major street shutdowns. In East LA, East Area UTLA teachers held a loud enthusiastic rally at Soto Street in front of the LAUSD East Area offices. The rain did not put a damper on the loud, enthusiastic teachers and community supporters numbering in the thousands.

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By staff

Pittsburgh, PA – As the partial government shutdown continues with no end in sight, federal workers across the country are facing the reality of missed paychecks and the impact that will have on their lives, their families, and their communities.

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By Sol Márquez

UTLA strikers rally against school privatization.

Los Angeles, CA – Arriving at 4:30 a.m. to confront scabs, a large crowd of teachers, parents, students and allies showed up for the picket lines at Breed Street Elementary, January 15, day two of the UTLA teachers strike. Rain and wind did not stop the passionate and determined teachers. The day focused on the fight against privatizing education

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By staff

Members of UTLA and supporters march in LA.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

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By Sol Márquez

Striking UTLA members and supporters at City Hall.

Los Angeles, CA – At 6 a.m., January 14, over 50 teachers, students, parents and supporters joined the picket line at Breed Street Elementary. Breed Street Elementary, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, is under attack by the mega-charter corporation Kipp Charter. Kipp Charter is trying to build a new charter school only one block away from Breed Street.

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By Communist Party of the Philippines

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Jan. 8 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines.

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By staff

Milford, MA – Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) union voted overwhelmingly, January 7, to ratify a new six-year agreement with National Grid, ending a nearly seven-month lockout imposed by the utility company last June.

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By staff

Car doors inside an auto plant.

Washington, DC – The UAW filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, January 2, against General Motors for breach of labor contract. The suit requests that the court order GM to transfer seniority union members to the Fort Wayne, Indiana Assembly Plant in keeping with the contractual agreement between the parties. GM is currently circumventing the agreement by using temporary employees.

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By Carlos Montes

Conferencia de prensa y protesta contra Kipp mega charter en Boyle Heights

Los Angeles, CA – Los residentes del vecindario de Boyle Heights, acompañados por familias de estudiantes de escuelas públicas locales, anunciaron, en una conferencia de prensa el 5 de enero y piquete, la presentación de una demanda en el Tribunal Superior contra la ciudad de Los Ángeles y la escuela “charter”  KIPP Promesa para detener el mega proyecto. KIPP Promesa quiere construir una gran escuela “charter” en el antiguo Hospital Lincoln en Boyle Heights.

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By Carlos Montes

Press conference and picket against Kipp mega charter school in Boyle Heights

Los Angeles, CA – Residents of the Boyle Heights neighborhood, joined by families of students of local public schools, announced, at a January 5 press conference and picket, the filing of a lawsuit in Superior Court against the city of Los Angeles and KIPP Promesa charter school to stop the mega project. KIPP Promesa wants to build a large charter school at the former Lincoln Hospital in Boyle Heights.

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By World Federation of Trade Unions

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

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By staff

Washington D.C. – On December 31, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch (KCNF DC) sued the federal government on behalf of AFGE members and federal employees being forced to work without pay. The lawsuit alleges that the federal government is violating the law by requiring some federal employees to work without pay during a shutdown.

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By staff

Los Angeles, CA – The union made up of LA educators, United Teachers of LA (UTLA), is blasting plans by the LA Unified School District (LAUSD) to hire temporary replacement teachers in the event of a strike.

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By staff

Milwaukee, WI – After the electoral victory of Democrat Tony Evers over Wisconsin's incumbent Republican governor Scott Walker, the Republican state senate has taken unprecedented steps to grab power back from the governor's office. Over the course of the past few weeks, the GOP-dominated state legislature held an extraordinary session at the capitol, swiftly ramming through a laundry list of powers to be transferred away from the governor's office. In short order, they passed a package of several bills which will undermine the abilities of the incoming governor and the new Democratic State Attorney General Josh Kaul, and further strengthen the GOP-controlled state senate.

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By Sol Márquez

50,000 people In marched in support of the UTLA December 15 downtown LA.

Los Angeles, CA – This morning, December 19, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) joined by parents, student and supporters, announced they will strike on Thursday, January 10, 2019. Centro CSO urges parents and students to join the picket line at their local school to stand united with our teachers.

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By staff

Striking charter school teachers.

Chicago, IL – Chicago teachers Union (CTU) teachers and paraprofessionals in the Acero/UNO charter network have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new contract that will dramatically improve teaching and learning conditions in the charter network’s 15 campuses across Chicago. The wins were achieved after a historic five-day strike that saw hundreds of union educators and paraprofessionals take to the streets to demand a fair contract, joined by parents, students and allies calling for change at schools run by Acero. Growing numbers of elected officials joined in the call for a decent contract and accountability from charter executives.

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