News and Views from the People's Struggle
Minneapolis, MN – A row of chairs reserved for the University of Minnesota Board of Regents sat empty while university unions held their own public hearing on university budget, June 8.
Lincoln, RI – Nearly 400 food and beverage workers at Rhode Island’s Twin River Casino announced Wednesday afternoon, June 7, that they have voted to authorize a strike. The vote followed a rally in the Rhode Island state house last week, where Twin River workers announced their readiness to strike. The workers are members of UNITE HERE Local 26. The union’s bargaining committee announced that the results of the vote were 327 voting to authorize a strike to just 5 ballots cast in opposition.
_Fight Back News Service is circulating the following June 2 statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU). _
The World Federation of Trade Unions strongly condemns the death of more than 40 refugees, 20 of them children, crossing the desert of northern Niger to Libya and probably to Europe.
“The UPS operations manager held a meeting and asked who wanted to pray. After we raised our hands, he said that he would replace all of us”
Minneapolis, MN – The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) today announced the filing of a lawsuit in state court, June 1, against UPS Mail Innovations and Doherty Staffing Solutions for firing multiple Muslim employees who wanted to pray during their break times, after previously having allowed them to pray.
Providence, RI – Over 100 Twin River Casino workers gathered inside the Rhode Island state house on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 30. The workers, who are members of UNITE HERE Local 26, gathered there to announce that they are prepared to strike if necessary to win a fair contract. The union represents nearly 400 food and beverage workers at the Lincoln, Rhode Island casino.
Chicago, IL – Union educators at Passages Charter School signed off on a tentative agreement Wednesday night, May 24, for their first contract since unionizing a year ago, narrowly averting what would have been the first strike of a charter operator in U.S. history.
St Paul, MN – Hundreds of trade unionists, supporters of immigrant rights, and other progressives have been filling the halls of the Minnesota State Capitol building today, May 24, after a Republican move that placed a host of anti-worker and anti-immigrant measures in finance bills. At one point more than 100 protesters assembled outside the office of Governor Dayton chanting “Veto everything.”
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following May 18 call from the Labor Party of Turkey (EMEP), Central Executive Committee.
Let’s unite our forces and raise the struggle for a democratic constitution and a Parliament!...
Chicago, IL – Union educators at Passages Charter School announced that they will formally strike – and hit the picket lines, on May 25, if they are unable to reach a decent contract agreement with charter management by midnight, May 24. Teachers voted unanimously to strike on May 4, but held off from setting a date in the hopes that management would move from a hardline stance that includes rock-bottom wages, elimination of maternity and paternity leave, opposition to greater financial transparency, and insufficient resources to support classrooms.
Salt Lake City, UT – 50 union members and supporters picketed the AT&T store, May 21, in South Jordan, Utah in support of the Communication Workers of America’s three-day strike. CWA members discouraged AT&T customers from crossing the picket line, asking that they support their fight for good jobs and return tomorrow when the strike would be over. Strikers and supporters had a high energy throughout the rainy day. They played union songs and chanted “No contract, no peace!”