Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Network to Fight for Economic Justice on the important victory on by bus drivers in Alabama.

Tuscaloosa, AL – After a week in and out of work and negotiations, Crimson Ride bus drivers at the University of Alabama have successfully achieved their first contract with First Transit. The agreement was reached at approximately 2:30 a.m. on March 8, after several hours at the bargaining table. The negotiating process has stalled several times, which led to the Crimson Ride drivers’ strike on March 1. After a few hours on the picket line, First Transit agreed to come back to the table, but once again these negotiations went nowhere. On March 7, they returned to the table once more, threatening the drivers with a lockout and scab buses if no agreement was reached.

Minneapolis, MN – About 500 union members, students, and faculty, came together for a spirited rally and march here, March 4. Organized by the Chop From The Top Coalition and the Save Our School Campaign, protesters first gathered at the central administration building, Morrill Hall, where Phyllis Walker, president of AFSCME Local 3800 was among those who addressed the crowd.

San Bruno, CA – Hundreds of Skyline College students left class and gathered on the campus quad for their Day of Action protest against budget cuts, on March 4. The action was organized by Skyline Against Cuts, which grew out of the students’ struggle against budget cuts last fall. After a short song, Skyline Against Cuts leader Michelle Araica led off the march. As student marshals held open doors, led chants and stopped traffic, nearly 500 students and a dozen or more faculty and staff supporters marched through almost all the buildings on campus, chanting “Hey hey! Ho ho! Budget cuts have got to go!”

Chicago, IL – There was a forceful protest of over 250 people at the University of Illinois-Chicago who came out to defend education and to fight for fair contracts, March 4. Chanting, “Chop from the top!” and “Whose university? Our university!” students, members of SEIU Local 73, the Graduate Employees Organization and faculty joined in unison against the administration placing the budget crisis on their backs. Earlier in the day, there was a forum by several professors speaking on the budget crisis, followed by a rally and march through the campus to the administrators’ building. The day closed with a soup kitchen provided by SEIU to demonstrate for a fair contract.

Thousands of students, workers and faculty at over 100 campuses in at least 39 states participated in a national day of action March 4. One demand was that administrators and chancellors must quit raising tuition and fees. Another demand was that theycut the salaries of the highest-paid administrators instead of the lowest-paid staffers on campus. Many of the protests opposed layoffs. Actions ranged from walkouts and marches, to occupations and shut-downs, to teach-ins and movie showings.

Tuscaloosa, AL – Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1208 went on strike here, March 1. After a successful day on the picket line, First Transit called them back to the table for further negotiations. They made the agreement that if they went back to the table, then the strike would end and the drivers would return to work. So on Tuesday, March 2 the drivers went back to their job. After a few hours of negotiating, the company still refused to agree to a fair contract for the union.

Los Angeles, CA – The fight for public education at UCLA began early this morning, March 4. By sunrise the campus had transformed. A walkout and rally is planned for 11:30 a.m. this morning where students, workers and faculty will join together at Bruin Plaza to denounce the budget cuts. Picket lines led by the unions, AFSCME, UPTE and UWA have sprung up all over and their chants can be heard all from almost everywhere on campus, “Whose university? Our university!” The administration will not be allowed to lay off workers and raise tuition without a fight! Things are expected to heat up as the day goes on, with teach-ins and marches and sit-ins.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Network to Fight for Economic Justice. We urge you to distribute copies of the statement at March 4 rallies for the right to education.

Tuscaloosa , AL – On March 1, the University of Alabama Crimson Ride shuttle bus drivers began a strike in order to gain a living wage, benefits, job security and respect on the job. At 5:00 a.m., the drivers formed their picket line in front of the local First Transit headquarters and Crimson Ride bus yard. Students quickly mobilized to support the drivers, making signs and a massive banner reading, “Students support the strike!” They held signs reading, “Walk or bike, respect the strike!” and “Safety and dignity for drivers now!” Chanting, “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Right now!” the drivers and their supporters stood as the sun rose and waited for any possible strikebreakers.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Network to Fight for Economic Justice.

Tuscaloosa, AL – Alabama bus drivers are on strike. At the University of Alabama, bus drivers, students and supporters picketed First Transit headquarters the morning of March 1. The Crimson Ride Shuttle Drivers, part of ATU Local 1208, decided to strike after First Transit offered the workers crumbs from the table. At last week’s negotiation, First Transit refused to offer a living wage, job security and decent health care benefits. The Alabama bus drivers, who make $9.50 an hour, decided they had had enough.

Universidad de Illinois (Chicago) – Los Empleados de Posgrado de la Universidad de Illinois votaron contundentemente anoche para autorizar una huelga. El contrato para 1400 de los empleados de posgrado y asistentes de catedra se vencio en agosto del año pasado. La Organizacion de Empleados de Posgrado (GEO por sus siglas en Ingles) ha estado en negociaciones desde abril del 2009, pero la actitud de la administracion sigue dirigida al “retraso del contrato” de acuerdo a la pagina de internet del GEO en Enero de este año. Esto ha sido asi por la duracion de todo el proceso de negociacion y por supuesto, la universidad ha usado la crisis presupuestaria del estado como pretexto de inaccion.

Chicago, IL – University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) graduate employees voted overwhelmingly Feb. 15 to authorize a strike. The contract for the 1400 graduate and teaching assistants at UIC expired in August. The GEO has been in negotiations since April of 2009, but management’s attitude at the table has been “all about delay, delay, delay…” according to a GEO blog site in January. This has been true for the entire length of the bargaining process, and of course, the university has been using the state budget crisis as further excuse for inaction.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Network to Fight for Economic Justice urging support for the Crimson Ride bus drivers.

Tuscaloosa, AL – Over the last month, students and bus drivers have been working together in order to win a living wage for the Crimson Ride shuttle drivers at the University of Alabama. The bus drivers are not state employees, but are contracted by FirstGroup PLC, a multinational corporation notorious for unfair labor practices.

Fight Back New Service is circulating the following statement from the Workers Party of Belgium (WPB) on the dramatic victory won by Belgian workers at Anhauser-Busch InBev, who defeated a restructuring plan that would have resulted in layoffs.

Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, Feb. 6, about 40 people gathered at the Minneapolis Labor Center to train for civil disobedience in support of the janitors of SEIU Local 26. The janitors clean the downtown office buildings of some of the richest banks and corporations in the country, but they have low pay and bad work conditions. Since the janitors' union contract expired on Jan. 8, a strike of the 4000 janitors – mostly Latino and East African immigrants – could begin at any time. The janitors are demanding “good, clean, green jobs” along with full-time work at a decent wage, safe and environmentally friendly cleaning chemicals and day jobs instead of overnight shift. Their employer is refusing to move in negotiations.

Tuscaloosa, AL – Bus drivers, with the support of students at the University of Alabama (UA), are organizing a union campaign to win a living wage. The bus drivers shuttle students, football fans and others around the UA campus. Student activists are riding the buses to sign up student supporters for the bus drivers. The 62 Crimson Ride Shuttle Bus drivers work for FirstGroup PLC, a huge British multinational corporation. The union drivers and students are exposing the British company’s big ripoff of Alabama workers and taxpayers.

Minneapolis, MN – On Jan. 30, hundreds of janitors, mostly Latino and East African immigrants, held a spirited meeting at the Minneapolis Labor Center and voted nearly unanimously to authorize a strike. When the strike vote was taken, the multinational crowd chanted and held up signs reading “Yes! Sí! Haa! Ee! Oui!” ('Yes!' in English, Spanish, Somali, Oromo and Amharic). With the strike authorization vote, the workers can now strike if the union’s negotiating committee decides a strike is necessary to win their demands.