Chicago, IL – Voting instructions will arrive in the mail as soon as Sept. 10, for over 200,000 Teamsters affected by the proposed 5-year National Master UPS Agreement. The only two UPS locals not in the agreement are Local 705 and Local 710, which are currently still in negotiations.

Chicago, IL – Members of the U.S Palestinian Community Network from Chicago (USPCN) reported, August 24, on their summer delegation to Palestine. Bassem Kawar stated at the beginning of the event that their purpose was “to take our leading members and organizers to get a firsthand understanding of the occupation and the resistance on the ground.” They met with over 20 Palestinian organizations in the different “Fronts of Struggle,” which was the title of their talk.

Chicago, IL – Mickiel Ward and Kenneth Williams have been found guilty of the murder of Hadiya Pendleton, and the battery with a firearm on Sebastian Moore and Lawrence Sellers. The news media are rejoicing with the family of the slain 15-year-old honor student who marched in President Obama’s second inauguration parade. Pendleton’s mother appeared after the verdict on television saying that she and her family intended to “celebrate” after the verdicts.

Organizers firm in calling for Sharon Brannigan’s resignation

Chicago, IL – On Monday, August 13, the #ResignBrannigan campaign organized its 14th protest in Palos Township, marking a milestone in this anti-racist movement led by Arabs and Muslims, as residents protested not only Trustee Sharon Brannigan, but also the Nazi Congressional candidate Arthur Jones and his supporters, forcing them to leave the meeting. Jones was there to defend Brannigan and her racist hate speech.

Chicago, IL – Representatives of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) met this morning, August 8, with Maria Rincon, Consul General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Chicago, IL – Hundreds of thousands of UPS Teamsters received a robocall, July 28, from UPS management announcing a “Town Hall” conference call to sell the tentative five-year agreement by UPS and Teamsters national negotiating committee.

Chicago, IL – Over 500 people rallied and marched for a third night in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood, July 16, where Harith “Snoop” Augustus was murdered by a Chicago police officer on Saturday evening. The protest was called by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and Black Lives Matter-Chicago.

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and Black Lives Matter-Chicago are calling for a protest Monday, July 16, 6 p.m., at 71st and Jeffrey to demand Justice for Harith Augustus, who was shot in the back Saturday afternoon by a Chicago police officer.

Interview with Bassem Kawar, of the Campaign to TAKE ON HATE

Fight Back! interviewed Bassem Kawar, national coordinator of the Campaign to TAKE ON HATE, a project of the National Network for Arab American Communities.

“The combination driver will create animosity in the work place” —Teamster Central Region International VP Robert Kopystynsky

Chicago, IL – Teamster Chief Negotiator Dennis Taylor and UPS shook hands on a tentative agreement, June 22, which will include a new driving position called Full-Time Combination Drivers (Combo Driver). Full details were released July 10. UPS Teamsters across the country are calling the new position a two-tiered concession that spells doom for future package car drivers.