Los Angeles, CA – A candlelight memorial took place on March 20 for 118 Japanese elders who died of COVID-19 at Pacifica Kei-Ai assisted living facility in Lincoln Heights, which is rated the worst in California. The event was organized by Save Our Seniors, a broad coalition of Japanese American groups. The vigil also brought attention to the alarming threat of evictions of these elders from Sakura Gardens which is located in Boyle Heights.
Lansing, MI – On Saturday, March 20, hundreds of protesters gathered in southwest Lansing to unite against police crimes, eviction, ICE detention centers, military intervention and capitalism. 17 groups hosted the event in Risdale Park.
Bessemer, AL – A March 20 solidarity caravan made up of delegations from three Tennessee city Labor Councils – Chattanooga, Memphis and Nashville – traveled to meet Amazon workers who have joined the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) in Bessemer, Alabama, where they held a rally at the union hall before going to the gates of the Amazon center to hold up pro-union signs and interact with workers entering and exiting the plant.
Saint Paul, MN – On March 20, around 60 people protested outside the Whipple Federal Building, which houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to demand an end to the war on immigrants. The protest was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) to mark two months since President Biden was inaugurated.
Tallahassee, FL – On March 20, activists from across the Tallahassee community gathered in front of City Hall to remember and to honor the life of Mychael Johnson, a Black man murdered by the Tallahassee Police Department one year ago.
Grand Rapids, MI – Over 300 people rallied to denounce the racist and woman-hating murders in Georgia of six Asian American women and two other men. Speakers and organizations representing people of Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese and Pacific Islander descendent spoke at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids on March 20.
San José, CA – For more than a year Asian Americans have seen a rising tide of violence aimed at individuals of Asian descent. Starting with a vicious knife attack on a father and his two sons, aged six and three years in Midland, Texas in March 2020 and now the murders of eight people, six of whom were Asian American women, near Atlanta, Georgia, thousands of attacks have been reported in the last year – and many more have not.
East Los Angeles, CA – On the afternoon of March 14, East LA Sheriffs shot and killed David Ordaz Jr., 34, when the family called for mental health support. Ordaz, father of three children, graduated from the local Garfield High School where he played football. As a young man he was an altar boy and lector at the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic church. His large working-class family is devastated from witnessing the brutal killing of David in front of their home.
Madison, WI – Nurses at Meriter Hospital in Madison represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are coming to what could be their final bargaining session with management from UnityPoint Health.
Chicago, IL – An historic agreement has been reached by forces in the fight against police crimes in Chicago. Legislation for the strongest police accountability system of any city in the country has been negotiated between the coalition of forces led by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), backing the Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC), and the ordinance backed by the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA).
On March 20, the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS) will be launching its six-week long global campaign to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Paris Commune of March 18 to May 28, 1871. The “Paris Commune at 150” campaign (PC150) will be a global mass commemoration to refresh, revitalize and sustain interest in the Paris Commune: its historical context and impact in the past 150 years, its lessons and continuing validity for the current era.
Grand Rapids, MI – Since January, delegate elections have been taking place at UPS as part of the Teamsters union international election cycle. This convention and election cycle are critical because Teamsters members who work at UPS are fired up after the imposition of the previous contract. UPS Teamsters had voted to reject the contract, but were overridden by Teamsters leadership under Hoffa, who used a little-known antiquated rule to override the will of the members.
Lansing, MI – A group of 40 stagehands from across Michigan gathered at the State Capitol building in Lansing, March 17. The IATSE union stagehands are marking one year without work and demanding the extension of unemployment benefits until it is safe to return to their jobs.
West St. Paul, MN – On March 11, in West Saint Paul, dozens of union members with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) along with supporters from unions and the community braved heavy rain and winds to rally in front of an AT&T store that is set to close along with around 100 other stores in the retail chain. These closures come after nine of these stores were closed last year in Minnesota.
Over the past year, Freedom Road Socialist Organization has undergone a period of dramatic growth, and we have emerged as one of the largest revolutionary organizations in the United States. We have been in the forefront of the fight against police crimes. We have systematically developed our work in the labor movement. And we have worked hard to build the movements for African-American and Chicano liberation. We have hundreds of cadre who are working day and night to build the people’s struggle and we will soon have more than 1000 members. FRSO is truly national in scope.
Appleton, WI – On March 8, Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis-based police officer, began his trial for the brutal killing of George Floyd. On this same day, Michael Mattioli, a Milwaukee-based police officer, began his trial for the murder of Joel Acevedo.
$1.9 trillion COVID relief is badly needed, but more needs to be done
San José, CA – This past week, on March 11, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and White House passed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue law without the support of a single Republican in the House or the Senate. The law provides much-needed relief for millions of people whose finances have been wounded by the pandemic. Yet much more needs to be done, especially in the fight against the growing economic inequality.
Grand Rapids, MI – Over 100 protesters rallied for a “Breonna Taylor: Say Her Name Louder” march on Saturday, March 13. The one-mile march in downtown Grand Rapids commemorated one year since Louisville, Kentucky police murdered Breonna Taylor in her own home.
Chicago, IL – In late January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its annual report on union density for 2020. The report’s finding includes some interesting facts – namely, that the union membership rate (the percentage of workers who belong to unions) went up for the first time since 2008, rising half a percent to 10.8% of the working class.