Chicago, IL – 2449 members of SEIU Local 73 who work at Cook County Health in Chicago began an open-ended strike on Friday, June 25 at 6 a.m. The SEIU members have been in bargaining with Cook County for over nine months and decided the only way to get the contract they deserve is to fight for it. The facilities that are striking include Stroger and Provident Hospitals; clinics and mental health services at Cermak; Cook County corporate offices and clerk’s office, and the county jail. Members at all of these locations will strike indefinitely until they win a contract that they feel is adequate to return to work.
Chicago, IL – On June 23, over 150 people from the movement to stop police crimes and end police impunity rallied outside of Chicago City Hall before the city council meeting. “This should have been a meeting where ECPS would be voted on, where we are turning the people’s ordinance into the law of this city,” Kobi Guillory, co-chair of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) explained, “but what happened on Friday is that certain alderpersons, acting at the behest of the mayor of this city, blocked our substitute ordinance from being put in, which stopped it from being voted on.”
Chicago, IL – At 7 a.m. on Thursday, June 24 nurses represented by National Nurses United (NNU) In Chicago, Illinois began a 24-hour strike against Cook County's health facilities’ management. The nurses are striking to end chronic staff shortages which they say have been undermining care for patients and the communities.
Chicago, IL – About 25 Palestinian community organizers, members and allies, led by the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), filled Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's office, June 10 to demand she support HR 2590, the Palestinian Children and Families Act. If passed, the bill would end U.S. military aid to Israel used for the imprisonment of children, the demolition of homes or annexation of Palestinian land.
Chicago, IL – On June 11, 100 activists gathered in front of the Facebook offices in Chicago to demand an end to digital apartheid. The social media company has repeatedly found reasons to censor Palestinian people who use the social media platform. Most recently, Facebook banned the use of hashtags denoting locations in Palestine, or advancing demands of the Palestinian people. Facebook insultingly claims that they are the names of terrorist organizations or forms of hate speech.
Chicago, IL – Teachers and staff at the Urban Prep Academies’ three campuses in Chicago won their strike after two days, reaching a tentative labor agreement. The schools serve a predominantly Black community and are all-boys schools, which significantly shaped the demands of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and underscore the importance of this victory.
Chicago, IL – Educators at three campuses of Urban Prep Charter Schools in Chicago began a strike on June 7. The strike was authorized by a unanimous strike vote. The three striking campuses are the West, Englewood and Bronzeville campuses.
Chicago, IL – On May 27, rank-and-file teachers represented by Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) voted by a unanimous vote to strike at three Urban Prep charter schools. They plan to set a strike date soon. Additionally, they filed an unfair labor practice charge against Urban Prep management for multiple unfair labor practices including hiding crucial financial information that would affect bargaining.
Chicago, IL – The murder of George Floyd and the massive rebellion and protest that followed are the most remembered images of 2020. Unfortunately, images of Black people being lynched and murdered by white people in and out of uniform have been the most haunting images of American history. But the images of rebellion in 2020, of millions of people throughout the USA and the world rising up against racist police repression – and the system of oppression that police tyranny serves and protects – have inspired new hope and courage in the struggle for Black liberation.
Chicago, IL – The Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP) led 25,000 marchers into the streets of Chicago’s central business area, the Loop, May 16, to demand a halt to Israeli violence and an end to the displacement of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. The death toll from the Zionist air strikes, artillery and rubber-coated steel bullets nears 200.
Chicago, IL – The Coalition for Justice for Palestine in Chicago rallied and marched to the Israeli Consulate in Chicago May 12. 10,000 people from the Palestinian community and their supporters chanted, “Free, free Palestine!” And “Netanyahu, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide!”
Chicago, IL – The movements for immigrant rights, against police crimes, and the labor movement of essential workers united today to mark May 1, International Workers Day in Chicago. Banners read “Legalization for all,” “Stop police crimes” and “Justice for essential workers.”
Chicago, IL – 300 protesters showed up for the first in-person city council meeting in a year, April 21, to demand passage of an ordinance called Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS). Coming out of nine years of efforts by over 100 community organizations, labor unions, churches and other faith-based groups, the ordinance is a merger of two bills: CPAC (Civilian Police Accountability Council, proposed by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression), and one proposed by GAPA (the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability). ECPS combines elements of the CPAC and GAPA bills to create the most democratic police accountability system in the country.
Chicago, IL – More than 5000 people took to the streets, April 16, in response to the police murder of Adam Toledo. As demonstrators approached the home of Mayor Lightfoot, Chicago police formed a line in the street. More protests are expected, and support for community control of the police is growing.
Chicago, IL – Over the weekend of April 11, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) was in bargaining with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) over the reopening of high schools in Chicago. The areas of disagreement revolve around accommodations for vulnerable teachers, scheduling to keep staff and students safe, remote work, and access to vaccines for students and family.
Chicago, IL – Last week, Black labor leaders representing seven unions with a combined membership of 126,000 members, most of whom live in the city of Chicago, published a statement, “Community and Faith Leaders Support the Empowering Communities for Public Safety Ordinance (ECPS).”
Chicago, IL – Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has acknowledged that cases on COVID-19 are on the rise again in Chicago, yet she is sticking to her plan to reopen Chicago high schools in two weeks, without addressing ongoing safety concerns from teachers and from the community.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by the #ByeBrannigan campaign.
On Tuesday, April 6th, 2021, the #ByeBrannigan campaign, led by Arab community organizers of the southwest suburbs of Chicago, mobilized hundreds of Palestinians, Yemenis, and other Arabs to the polls to defeat the racist Sharon Brannigan, who lost the race for Palos Township Assessor in a landslide to incumbent Robert Maloney.
