Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Labor

By Tracy Molm

Demonstrators against "Right to Work" amendment fill halls of Mn State Capitol.

St. Paul, MN – Over 1000 union members from all sections of the labor movement packed the Minnesota capitol, March 12, as right-wing legislators jammed a so-called ‘Right to Work’ constitutional amendment through a Senate committee. The proposed amendment needs to pass the both houses of the legislature for it to be placed on the ballot this fall.

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By Daniel Ginsberg

Students for a Democratic Society, others join protest against Governor Walker's

Madison, WI – 65,000 workers and their supporters marched on Wisconsin's Capitol, March 10, marking one year since the fight back against Governor Scott Walker's war on the people began.

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By staff

Supporters rally outside factory during takeover.

Chicago IL – 50 workers at Serious Materials, the window factory formerly known as Republic Windows and Doors, reported to work the morning of Feb. 23 only to be told that today would be their last day of work. Workers talked throughout the day and at 2:30 p.m. they came off the line and told the boss that they were not leaving the factory. They would not let the factory be stripped of its machines and sold piece by piece while they were out of a job.

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By staff

Longview, WA – On Friday, members of the ILWU and the labor community named the Occupy Movement as key to the settlement reached Thursday between ILWU Local 21 and the Export Grain Terminal (EGT). The contract finally provides for the use of ILWU labor in the grain terminal at the Port of Longview. After staging the December 12 port shutdowns in solidarity with Local 21, the West Coast Occupy Movement planned coordinated action together with labor allies for a land and water blockade of the EGT ship in Longview, should it attempt to use scab labor to load. Occupys in states where EGT's parent company Bunge has its growth and operations were also planning actions against the company on the day of the arrival of the ship.

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By J Burger

Indianapolis, IN – The rich and powerful, also known as the 1%, are at it again in Indiana. Under the claim of trying to bring more jobs to Indiana, the Republican majorities in both houses and the governor look to pass a so called ‘right to work’ bill soon. It is straight up union busting. The first week of January, the Democratic caucus remained out of the State House, preventing the union-busting bill from being brought up.

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By staff

Milwaukee, WI – More than one million signatures were filed for the recall of Wisconsin’s Republican Governor, Scott Walker, Jan. 17. The amount of signatures collected is a major victory for the unions and their allies, who conducted a mass mobilization to collect the signatures to fight back against the Republican-led war on the poor and working class.

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By Joe Iosbaker

_Unions representing over 1 million workers take a stand _

Joe Iosbaker

Chicago, IL – In the fall of 2010, 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists across the Midwest were subpoenaed by the FBI to appear before a federal grand jury in Chicago. Ten of us are trade unionists, and most of us had our homes raided by the FBI. Almost all of us had been leaders in the anti-war protest at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in September, 2008 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The raids were investigating an alleged conspiracy to provide “material support” to foreign terrorist organizations in Palestine and Colombia.

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By staff

*Fight Back News Service is circulating the following San Francisco Labor Council resolution that was adopted by a unanimous vote Jan. 9. Readers are urged to support the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 21’s fight for justice.*

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By staff

Rally in support of striking machinists

Thousands of union members and supporters rallied here, Dec. 10 in support of the 200 workers of Manitowoc Crane who are currently on strike.

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By staff

Tampa Florida, August 27-30, 2012

Fight Back News Service is circulating the call to march on the 2012 Republican National Convention. A massive protest that will coincide with the opening of the convention will take place August 27, 2012, in Tampa, Florida. Organizers of the protest have set up the web site: http://marchonthernc.com Demand Good Jobs, Healthcare, Affordable Education, Equality and Peace Say NO to the Republican Agenda Money for human needs, not for corporate greed

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By staff

Columbus, OH – Unions won a major victory in Ohio with the repeal of Senate Bill 5 (SB5). Ohio Governor Kasich lost this round when his union-busting bill stirred thousands of grassroots labor activists and their allies to organize the electoral repeal of the legislation. 2 million Ohioans came out and voted against Senate Bill 5, winning a huge victory for working people. Nearly two-thirds of voters rejected Issue 2, the referendum on the proposed law.

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By Brad Sigal

Protest outside Wells Fargo CEO Jon Stumpf's speech at University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 union activists, as well as OccupyMN participants and others, rallied outside the University of Minnesota’s McNamara Alumni Center on Nov. 8 to protest a speech by Wells Fargo CEO Jon Stumpf.

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By Fern

Far left Graham Picklesimer, GAU Co-Bargaining Chair, Steve Picklesimer, Highlan

Orlando, FL – The Florida Education Association (FEA) held their 2011 Delegate Assembly Oct. 27-29 at the Rosen Centre Hotel of Orlando, Florida, with the theme of “We Are One – Union Strong.” The event opened with the famous IWW Solidarity Forever union song and was attended by more than 600 delegates from all over the state of Florida.

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By staff

NNU first aid station in Chicago just before the arrests Saturday night

Chicago, IL – Registered nurses from across the U.S. today condemned Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel for his decision to arrest nurse volunteers, as well as peaceful protesters, in a late night crackdown, Oct. 22 at the Occupy Chicago protest.

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By linden

Minneapolis, MN – The Hennepin County Government Plaza – known now as the People’s Plaza – sprouted several tents on the evening of Oct. 15. At this writing, dozens are risking arrest to defend protesters’ rights to have safe and warm shelter for overnight stays at OccupyMN. Since the occupation began on Oct. 7, county officials have said that no tents or shelters would be allowed.

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By staff

Boston, MA – Students and union workers met at Dewey Square, Oct 10 and marched, 10,000 strong, all over downtown. All the groups identified as the 99% and had agreed to march together on Columbus Day. The occupiers made a point to call the day Indigenous People’s Day, an acknowledgement of the colonial terror associated with Christopher Columbus.

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By Chris Getowicz

Kerry Green of Women's Student Activist Collective speaking at Occupy Minnesota.

Minneapolis, MN – Over 50 students from around the state gathered at the Occupy Minnesota site here, Oct. 13. They came together to speak to the struggles of students burdened by crippling debts, challenged by inequalities and struggling to get an education in a system corrupted by corporate interests.

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By Mike Gold

SDS marching at Occupy Milwaukee.

Milwaukee, WI – More than 3000 people marched here, Oct. 15, as a part of the Occupy movement, which began about a month ago on Wall Street in New York. At 11:00 a.m. in Milwaukee’s Zeidler Park, protesters gathered to stand against continuing cuts to education and public services carried out by Governor Scott Walker and to stand against rampant corruption in the powerful financial sector.

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By staff

_Occupy Milwaukee begins Oct. 15 _

Police arrest protester at U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s office.

Milwaukee, WI – About 75 protesters rallied outside of U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s office at the Federal Courthouse here. Riot police swarmed inside and outside of the building, refusing to allow the activists to meet their representative. 19 activists who entered the building refused to leave until they were allowed a meeting with Johnson; instead they were arrested, loaded into paddy wagons and hauled off to the first precinct. Each of the demonstrators arrested was issued a $171 ticket for trespassing and released.

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By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution from the 72nd National UE Convention, held Sept. 25-29. The resolution condemns the FBI and grand jury repression aimed at anti-war, labor and international solidarity activists and urges support for the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

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