Memphis, TN – Members of AFSCME and other unions, along with civil rights activists, marched in Memphis, April 4, the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. King was in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers, members of AFSCME Local 1733, at the time of his 1968 murder.

Tucson, AZ – Thousands of red-clad educators, parents, youth and community members poured into the downtown area April 4, during rush hour. Several marches from nearby schools convened on the street corners outside of the Arizona State Building to send a message to Governor Doug Ducey and the legislature to increase teacher pay and restore the missing $1 billion from the state public education budget.

México City, México – Fight Back! interviewed leaders of the militant teachers union in Oaxaca, México – the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) Section 22. The interview was done on March 5, during the 18th Congress of the World Federation of Teachers Unions (FISE) in Mexico City. In this interview, CNTE Section 22 leaders talk about the history of militant teachers’ struggle in Oaxaca and their current struggles to stop neoliberal education reform while confronting serious state repression.

Minneapolis, MN – It may have been Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, but the sea of green in downtown Minneapolis was not a display of holiday revelry, it was a sign of an important labor struggle, as over 200 AFSCME Hennepin County Medical Center clerical and technical workers, along with supporters, picketed to demand a decent contract.

‘Strike fever’ hits the Garden State as teachers push back to protect health care

Jersey City, NJ – On March 16, public school teachers in Jersey City, New Jersey went on strike after months of frustrating contract negotiations with the city’s Board of Education. Their union, the Jersey City Education Association (JCEA), announced the strike to their nearly 4000 members late on the night of March 15.

Glasgow, Scotland – As of March 17, for the last month, lecturers across the United Kingdom have been on strike in response to changes in their pension plans. The employers’ organization, Universities UK (UUK) are attempting to abolish the lecturers’ existing pension plans, which guarantees retirement based on their salary. They want to replace this pension scheme with one that would be determined by the stock market, which is highly unstable and does not guarantee retirement. The University and College Union (UCU) has argued that this new scheme would make lecturers lose over £10,000 a year, and £200,000 by the time of retirement – equivalent to about $280,000.

Panama City, Panama – The World Working Women’s Congress of the World Federation of Trade Unions was held in Panama City March 8 through 10. Militant women trade union leaders from around the world gathered under the slogan, “We fight for equal rights at work, in society and in life.”

México City, México – ¡Lucha y Resiste! entrevistó a Ibai Redondo, un representante del sindicato de maestros que forma parte de la federación sindical Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak (LAB) en el País Vasco. La entrevista fue realizada el 5 de marzo 2018 durante el 18 congreso de la Federación Internacional de la Enseñanza (FISE) en la Ciudad de México. En la entrevista Redondo habla sobre porque hay una lucha en el País Vasco por la independencia de España, su perspectiva sobre la Unión Europea, y algunas de las luchas del sindicato de maestros.

México City, México – Fight Back! News interviewed Ibai Redondo, a representative of the teachers union that’s part of the union federation Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak (LAB) in the Basque Country. The interview was done on March 5, 2018 at the 18th Congress of the World Federation of Teachers Unions (FISE) in Mexico City. In this interview, Redondo speaks about why there is a struggle in the Basque Country for independence from Spain, his perspective on the European Union, and some of the struggles that the teachers union is waging.

México City, México – On March 5 the World Federation of Teachers Unions (FISE) successfully concluded its 18th Congress in México City. Militant teachers and education workers from around the world gathered to strategize how to resist regressive ‘education reform’ proposals that capitalist governments are pushing forward in country after country to corporatize and privatize public education.

Los Angeles, CA — An event commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the East L.A. Chicano walkouts was held at the Benjamin Franklin Library on March 3, 2018. Organized by adult librarian Patty Alvarado and Centro CSO, dozens attended the historic commemoration. Among those in attendance were Sal Castro’s son Gilbert Castro. Sal Castro was a Chicano public-school teacher who helped organized the walkouts.

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

México City, México – Militant teachers and education workers from around the world gathered to strategize in México City, March 4, the opening day of the 18th Congress of FISE (International Federation of the Education Sector). FISE is the education sector organization of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), an international union federation with more than 92 million members worldwide that is based on class struggle unionism, union democracy, internationalism and anti-imperialism.

Chicago, IL – Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emmanuel has a pro-capitalist, neoliberal agenda and it's no secret that his priority in this city are the wealthy residents of posh lakefront neighborhoods like the Gold Coast, Lincoln Park and Lakeview. He works for the banks and the multi-billion-dollar corporations like Boeing, who are getting fat off of government welfare that comes out of our pockets. Rahm never met a racist, killer cop he didn't love. He going to have a tough time getting re-elected, and his only real competition right now is the reactionary ex-top cop Garry McCarthy, so he wants smooth sailing and no problems from struggling Chicago Transit Authority workers or militant Chicago Public School teachers.

Los Angeles, CA – Labor unions and supporters rallied at the steps of LA County USC Medical Center, Feb. 26, for workers’ rights. On Feb. 26, the U.S. Supreme Court began to hear the Janus v. AFSCME case. The case is a right-wing attack on labor unions.

St. Paul, MN – Around 1000 union members and supporters held a rally at the state capitol building, Feb. 24, to defend union rights in the public sector, which are under attack from a right wing funded lawsuit intended to weaken the labor movement. The lawsuit is called Janus vs AFSCME. The goal of the lawsuit is to eliminate fair share fees in unionized public sector workplaces. Under current law, if the workers have organized, the union is required to spend resources representing every worker at that workplace even if they choose not to join the union. Because the union is required to spend members’ dues money representing those non-union workers, it has long been held that if a particular worker does not want to be part of the union they may choose not to, and instead of paying dues, that worker instead pays a fee for only the amount of money that the union spends representing them. This is called a “fair share” fee.