Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Labor

By staff

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Minneapolis, MN – Hundreds of workers, members of SEIU Local 26, rallied Feb. 17, as janitors walked off the job in a 24-hour unfair labor practices strike. The janitors clean the skyscrapers in downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul and office buildings throughout the suburbs. The strike comes after months of negotiations in which management companies have refused to budge on key issues for the union. The company wage offer is only 20 additional cents an hour and management is only offering to create part-time jobs. The union is pushing for a $15 minimum for all janitors and full-time work with livable wages.

#MinneapolisMN #SEIU #strike #SEIULocal26 #janitors #Strikes

By staff

Saint Paul, MN – Teachers and staff from the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers organized ‘walk-in’ events at more than 50 public schools in the early morning before school started on Feb. 17. Each walk-in included an informational picket and short rally. Teachers wearing red, the union’s color, were joined by supportive students and parents in a show of collective strength by walking into school together for the day.

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By Joe Iosbaker

Members of the Chicago Teachers Union march against layoffs

Chicago, IL – In response to the announcement of over 1000 layoffs of teachers and staff, the Chicago Teachers Union rallied, marched and occupied the Bank of America (BoA) on LaSalle Street, Feb. 4.

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By staff

Sarah Chambers, member of the Chicago Teachers Union bargaining committee.

Chicago, IL – On Feb. 1, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) rejected an offer from the city. Management claimed their offer was generous to the teachers, but when the 40 teachers and working members of the bargaining committee looked at the language in the offer, they found more attacks on their students.

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By Redacción

Hubert Ballesteros (izquierda con camisa roja)

El siguiente mensaje es una respuesta a una serie de preguntas enviadas a Huber Ballesteros por James Jordan de la Alianza por la Justicia Global. Ballesteros fue detenido cuando estaba trabajando como negociador para el paro agrario nacional de 2013 en Colombia y es acusado de “rebelión”. Él también sirvió en el comité ejecutivo de Fensuagro (Federación Nacional Sindical Unitaria Agropecuaria), la federación de trabajadores agropecuarios más grande de Colombia y la Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), la federación laboral más grande del país. Firme la petición para la libertad de Huber Ballesteros, sindicalista colombiano y preso político Haz clic aquí para ver el video de esta entrevista con Huber Ballesteros

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By staff

Hubert Ballesteros (on left wearing red)

The following message is a response to a series of questions posed to Hubert Ballesteros by James Jordan of the Alliance for Global Justice. Ballesteros was arrested while negotiating for the National Agrarian Strike of 2013 and charged with Rebellion. He was also serving on the executive committees of Fensuagro, the country's largest federation of farm workers unions and the Unitary Workers Center (CUT), Colombia's largest general labor federation.

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By Richard Berg

Rauner itching for a fight with organized labor

Chicago, IL – Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner abruptly broke off contract negotiations with the more than 37,000 State of Illinois union workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31. Rauner refused to negotiate any further, giving workers the ultimatum of a “last, best and final offer.”

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By All-Workers Militant Front (PAME)

Greek workers march in December, 2015 general strike.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) for a general strike by Greek workers Feb. 4.

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By staff

Louisville, KY – Fred Zuckerman announced he will challenge Jim Hoffa for President of the International Brotherhood of the Teamsters. Zuckerman is known in the Teamsters for his outspoken opposition to the “give back” contract negotiated with UPS. Current Teamster President Jim Hoffa and his underling Ken Hall are responsible for that “give back” contract.

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By All-Workers Militant Front (PAME)

Fight Back News Service is circulating the call from the Greek labor organization, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME), for a general strike.

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By staff

Minneapolis, MN – The Supreme Court is set to hear the case Friederichs v. California Teachers Association, Jan 11. The case could weaken public sector unions by forcing the public sector to be ‘right to work’ nationwide.

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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 World Federation of Trade Unions

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Dec. 22 statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).

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By staff

Kohler strikers on the picket lines

Milwaukee, WI – A 32-day strike at Kohler Co. ended Dec. 16, resulting in a partial victory for over 2000 Kohler workers represented by UAW 833.

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By staff

U of M workers marching for raises and respect.

Minneapolis, MN – After six difficult months of contract negotiations with management and a hard-hitting contract campaign targeting the inequality of “Two Universities,” the union of 1500 clerical workers at the University of Minnesota, AFSCME 3800, won a tentative agreement Dec. 10. The clerical workers’ negotiating committee characterized the agreement as a breakthrough for workers which is better than any contract they’ve won in the past decade.

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By staff

Sarah Chambers (center) during 2012 teachers strike.

Chicago, IL – In the face of attacks on teachers, their schools and students, union members in Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) Local 1 are ready to fight.

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By Kas Schwerdtfeger

Striking Kohler workers on picket line Dec. 12.

Kohler, WI – As of last week, Kohler Company and United Auto Workers Local 833 went back to the bargaining table for negotiations amidst a strike now entering its fourth week.

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By staff

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Kohler, WI – Members of UAW Local 833 are picketing the sprawling Kohler plant here, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in a nearly month-long strike against a two-tier wage system that would condemn newer, ‘Tier B’ workers to poverty wages.

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By staff

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Milwaukee, WI – Building solidarity with the more than 2000 Kohler workers on strike, the United Worker Organization, along with many other progressive organizations, have begun a food drive to support the works of UAW Local 833.

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By staff

LaCreshia Birts, Youth Coordinator of Chicago Alliance and Black Youth Project

Chicago, IL – Palestinian icon Rasmea Odeh; Black youth leaders Veronica Morris-Moore and LaCreshia Birts; Black Liberation Movement veteran Frank Chapman and Eric Koene, a striking worker from the Kohler plant in Wisconsin, appeared together on the stage of the 24th Annual People’s Thanksgiving.

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