News and Views from the People's Struggle
Riverview, FL – On November 9, around 60 Maximus call center workers, Communications Workers of America (CWA) members, and community supporters picketed in front of the Maximus call center in Riverview, Florida. The one-day strike called by CWA took place at Maximus calling centers around the country, and advanced demands for $25 an hour, affordable healthcare and an end to anti-union tactics.
Late on Wednesday, October 25, the United Auto Workers (UAW) at Ford Motor Company reached a tentative agreement for their next contract. This agreement comes after 41 days of “Stand Up” strikes against Ford, GM and Stellantis, otherwise known as the Big Three. The tentative agreement will still need to be voted on to go into effect, however, UAW says the strike at Ford will end while they are waiting for the members to vote whether to accept the deal.
Milwaukee, WI – Trade union leaders welcomed the chairman of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog, to Milwaukee, October 4 and 5. The KMU is the largest and most militant labor coalition in the Philippines. Its name translates to May First Movement, a reference to the revolutionary workers’ holiday of May Day.
Grand Rapids, MI – Health insurance workers of Blue Cross Blue Shield, organized with the United Auto Workers (UAW), walked out on strike four weeks ago after new contract negotiations fell through.
Orlando, FL – On October 7, more than a dozen striking member of the United Auto Workers were picketing the Stellantis Parts Distribution Center in Orlando. The day's picketing marked the third week the Orlando workers had been on strike, and nearly a month since the UAW strikes began this September.
Ontario, CA – On Tuesday morning, more than 100 individuals from various unions including the United Auto Workers (UAW), the Teamsters, the Writers Guild, SAG-AFTRA, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), gathered at the Stellantis parts distribution center in Ontario, California for the Big Three Solidarity Rally. The rally brought together workers from different industries who are using the strike and strike threat as a tool to win strong national contracts.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution, adopted by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO Executive Board on October 2, 2023.
Resolution in Solidarity with Organized Labor in the Philippines
WHEREAS, legislative and violent attacks on organized labor in the Philippines have resulted in the country being ranked among the world’s deadliest countries for trade unionists, where over 70 workers have been murdered since 2016, and;
WHEREAS, unions and labor activists are frequently targeted with forced union disaffiliation, intimidation, harassment, aggressive surveillance, torture, imprisonment, and killings, and;
WHEREAS, thousands of workers have been arrested on false charges in an attempt to silence their voices, including Anne Krueger, who was working to organize call center workers and hosted two delegations of Communications Workers of America (CWA) members to the Philippines, (1) and;
WHEREAS, in April 2023, Alex Dolorosa, a union organizer whose work was funded by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), was violently murdered, and no effort has been made by the authorities to investigate his murder, (2) and;
WHEREAS, in the face of legislative attacks, violent repression, and human rights violations committed by the repressive Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regime, unionists in the Philippines continue to organize a vibrant and growing labor movement that merits great respect and solidarity, and;
WHEREAS, the government of the Philippines is by far the largest recipient of US military aid in the Indo-Pacific, having received $1.14 billion in US military aid since 2015, (3) and;
WHEREAS, on May 1st, 2019 the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Congress to end military aid to the government of the Philippines, and;
WHEREAS, in June, 2020 the AFL-CIO issued a statement calling on Congress to pass the Philippines Human Rights Act (1), which would suspend US military aid to the Philippines, (4) and;
WHEREAS, The Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO, The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), and the AFL-CIO Executive Council have issued resolutions and statements calling for Congressional action to address ongoing human and labor rights violations by the government of the Philippines, and;
WHEREAS, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO, representing nearly 20,000 union members, believes fundamentally in the power of worker solidarity, and actively supports trade unionists and all people of conscience working to stop attacks on labor and democratic rights.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO reaffirms our solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the labor movement of the Philippines, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO demands accountability from the Philippine government and supports international calls for a comprehensive investigation of the killings in the Philippines, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO calls for the urgent passage and signing of the Philippines Human Rights Act.
#MilwaukeeWI #MALC #AFLCIO #Unions #LaborCouncil #Philippines #Labor #InternationalSolidarity
Denver, CO – On Friday, September 29, United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 186, along with the AFL-CIO and other unions, held a rally at the Chrysler/Stellantis Parts Distribution Center where workers have been holding a picket line for the past week – since the auto workers strike expanded to the two Denver facilities.
Milwaukee, WI – Outside the Mopar Parts distribution center in the Bay View neighborhood, striking workers of UAW Local 75 were joined in solidarity by a crowd of hundreds to aid in their contract fight against Stellantis. On the afternoon of September 27, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC) rallied workers, community members, and union leaders to the strike line. Representatives of this broad coalition included members of the CWA, Ironworkers, Teamsters, Educators, Laborers, UFCW, AFSCME, USW, and ATU, among other unions.
Milwaukee, WI – On the evening of September 27, one year after the publication of his book Fighting Times, author Jon Melrod joined a discussion led by a panel of workers in an event organized by the Young Workers’ Committee (YWC) of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC). A noted labor activist and lawyer, Melrod spoke with the young unionists, community activists and students regarding the importance of the unions and their place in building a revolutionary movement.