Struggle for contracts continues

Chicago, IL – 2700 workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago were poised to strike Aug. 23. Last minute meetings between the officers of the union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 and the university president resulted in an agreement to call off the strike.

Chicago, IL – As Fight Back! goes to press Teamsters are getting ready to count the ballots in the showdown between the slates of incumbent International President Hoffa and the reform challenger Local 206 President Tom Leedham. The Tom Leedham Strong Contracts, Good Pensions slate, with extremely limited resources, took out a message of rank and file power to challenge employer greed.

¡Lucha y Resiste! entrevistó a Richard Berg (RB), candidato a vicepresidente de la Hermandad Internacional de Teamsters para la Planilla de Contratos Fuertes y Buenas Pensiones de Tom Leedham. Berg es también un líder clave en la lucha contra la corrupción en el Local 743 de Chicago. El resultado de la elección de los Teamsters es vital para todos los trabajadores Teamsters e impactará la dirección del movimiento de trabajadores.

¡Amnistía ahora!

Chicago, IL – En Chicago, julio 19 la voz de Emma Lozano se quebrantaba cuando hablaba a miles de marchantes para los derechos de los inmigrantes en Grant Park. “Estoy aquí para tocar la campana para un moratorio inmediato a las deportaciones y a las autorizaciones de las redadas en empleadores.” El fundador de Pueblo Sin Fronteras terminaba de ayudar a conducir en una marcha de tres millas y media a más de 20,000 personas en una temperatura de 90 grados de calor. El evento era una continuación de movilizaciones para los derechos de los inmigrantes que comenzó esta primavera por el movimiento de Chicago en marzo 10.

En todo el país los ricos están agarrando terrenos y desplazando los pobres y la gente de color a los suburbios o a las calles. En Chicago esto ha significado la destrucción de comunidades enteras, la demolición de alojamiento público, violaciones de los derechos de inquilinos, conversión de apartamentos a condominios, y desplazamiento de la clase obrera. Pero, quienes creen que el ciclo de deterioración y desplazamiento es inevitable están despertando por el ruido los pies en marcha y el coro de voces que rechazan el silencio. Los inquilinos del Proyecto de Organización de Inquilinos y Estudiantes (STOP) están tomando acciones en contra la deterioración y el desplazamiento causado por oficiales municipales como el alcalde Daley, empresas privadas como East Lake Management, y grandes instituciones como la Universidad de Chicago.

Richard Berg estuvo empleado en el Hospital de la Universidad de Chicago (HUdeCH) como parte del departamento de limpieza por 16 años. En el 2004 fue despedido por una petición del corrupto jefe principal del sindicato Local 743 de los Teamsters, irónicamente el sindicato al que pertenecía Berg. En dos ocasiones en ese mismo año encabezó las listas del Nuevo Liderato de Reformistas (New Leadership Slate-NLS) y ganó ambas elecciones, pero su triunfo le fue negado por el robo masivo de votos por parte de la pandilla de Watson. Entonces, los pandilleros decidieron eliminar de una vez por todas a su oponente. Sí, Richard no trabajaba en el hospital no podría ser miembro del sindicato Local 743. Por lo tanto, no podría nunca ser candidato para el liderazgo del sindicato otra vez.

El 31 de diciembre, cinco miembros del Local 743 (Teamsters) que fueron los ganadores de las últimas elecciones, entraron a las oficinas para recibir las llaves de sus oponentes, los cuales perdieron las elecciones. El anterior presidente Richard Lopez sabía que había sido derrotado y que podría ir a la cárcel.

Chicago, IL – Students and youth at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) have hit the campus strong in the first days of classes in anticipation for a hard struggle this fall semester. Targeting University of Illinois President Hogan for his nearly $230,000 raise, members of the campus Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) disrupted convocation on Aug. 22 and sent a clear message to the several thousand incoming freshman, parents and relatives in attendance.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Network for to Fight for Economic Justice.

“We’ve decided to strike if we can’t get contracts.”

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following commentary by Joe Iosbaker, a leader of SEIU Local 73.

Chicago, IL – 300 people rallied at the Cook County Courthouse, at the corner of 26th Street and California Avenue, July 29. They demanded an end to deportations, and said no to SB1070, Arizona’s racist, anti-immigrant law.

Chicago, IL – As part of strike preparations at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), a leadership group from all three committees met at the famed DuSable Museum of African American history on July 23. Nine out of ten SEIU members at UIC are Black or Latino, and Local 73 had waged a decade long struggle in the 1990s to win pay equity with the employees at the University’s campus in Urbana, where the workforce is mostly white. UIC was compelled to raise workers’ salaries because of the fight that Local 73 waged, and because of a broad coalition that was built with Black and Latino forces on campus and in the community.

Chicago, IL – Between July 30 and August 2, 800 service and maintenance workers and 400 technical workers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) will take strike votes. Bargaining for the two contracts has gone on since February and ground to a stop in the past several weeks.

Chicago, IL – 50 immigrant rights activists and community members gathered outside of the Illinois Republican Party offices here, July 21, show solidarity with undocumented youth who were arrested in Washington D.C. the day before. On July 20, many youth, including nine from Chicago, were arrested as they staged a sit-in inside the capitol’s lobby and at several representatives’ offices. The youth were demanding the passage of the Dream Act, which would legalize undocumented students.

Chicago, IL – Activists took part in the International Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Day of action by holding a demonstration at the offices of the Chicago Sister City Program, July 9 to demand that the Chicago drop ties with the Israeli city of Petach Tikva.

Chicago, IL – On June 11, the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE) won – actually swept, with wide margins – an election victory in the Chicago Teachers Union. With President Karen Lewis at the head of the slate, the reformers won every seat: all four officers, nine citywide offices, and 23 vice-presidencies for elementary and high schools. The old-guard leadership, of the United Progressive Caucus, with presidential candidate Marilyn Stewart, went down, with only 8300 votes against CORE’s 12,000.

Chicago, IL – Larry Davis, the new president of Teamsters Local 743 in Chicago, fired five staff members on May 28. Davis had been installed by International President Jim Hoffa on May 14.

Chicago, IL – “One, two, three, four – Petach Tikva – no more! Five, six, seven, eight – take away their dinner plate!” The chant came from protesters outside the Hilton Hotel June 2 as the Chicago Sister City International's Consular Corps Ball was happening.

Chicago, IL – More than 3000 people gathered here, June 1, to picket the Israeli consulate in Chicago and to express outrage over the Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.