Chicago, IL – It was standing room only when radio personalities Cliff Kelly, Monique Caradine and Nate Clay spoke on Thursday, May 9. Community activist Randy Evans hosted the event for Global Reach, an organization at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. The program, held at the Center for Inner City Studies, aimed its fire at Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and the occupation's U.S. backers.
Chicago, IL – Among the 700,000 people who took to the streets here for the May Day immigrants’ rights protest were anti-gentrification activists from the city’s South Side. Members of the Student/Tenant Organizing Project (STOP) carried signs saying, “Black and brown united!”
Chicago, IL – Feb. 6, the center of campus at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) rang with voices. “Tenure for Professor Johnson now!” called out 100 protesters. The group, made up of Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and whites, was calling on the administration to grant tenure to a Black professor.
Chicago IL – One year after Chicago Teamsters Local 743 officials were caught stealing the Local’s officer election, U. S. District Judge Robert Gettleman has agreed to hear a case brought by rank-and-file members of Local 743 against their corrupt union officials.
Chicago, IL – Governor George Ryan has taken a big ax to the state budget. His target is working people. He plans to lay off 3000 employees, and to cut back on services like health care for the poor.
Chicago, IL – They tried to steal the Teamsters Local 743 election and they were caught red handed. Bob Walston, Diane Strickland and the rest of the 743 old guard officers could not win an election on their own, so they resorted to cheating. The election race pitted the rank-and-file New Leadership Slate against the corrupt, mob-tied, old guard.
Chicago, IL – In a stunning upset, members of Teamsters Local 743 voted to send a rank and file slate of delegates to their convention; rejecting the slate dominated by officers, staff and stooges for International President Jimmy Hoffa Jr. The Teamsters International Convention sets policy for the union, and nominates candidates for International Union President and the Executive Board. Conventions are held only once every 5 years.
Chicago, IL – While the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) continued its assault on neighboring communities and minority students, the Minority Student Coalition (MSC) organized to oppose the University actions. A rally on October 21, and a teach-in on November 17, challenged racist UIC policies, and empowered students to reject the bogus claims of the administration.
Chicago, IL – Clerical workers at the University of Illinois – Chicago (UIC) are celebrating after scoring a big victory in contract negotiations. The fight for this contract had dragged on over two years. When the last contract expired in August 2006, management’s team under the new vice chancellor, John Loya, took a very hard attitude in the first bargaining sessions. Management’s proposals included a new formula for wages that called for subtracting anniversary raises that are part of the seniority system for these workers. Willie English, a staff representative for SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Local 73, pointed out that this move “…would have resulted in employees falling behind the cost of living.”
Chicago, IL – The contract fight between 1500 clerical and administrative workers at University of Illinois – Chicago (UIC) has seen hundreds of workers on picket lines in recent weeks. Members of Local 73 SEIU (Service Employees International Union) voted overwhelmingly (94%) in January to authorize a strike if negotiations fail to reach an agreement. Since then, the campus has not stopped hearing the sounds of marching feet.
Chicago, IL – From Jan. 15 to Jan. 23, hundreds of clerical and administrative workers at UIC (University of Illinois – Chicago) turned out for a strike authorization vote. 94% of them supported the call from their elected bargaining committee to walk out of work if negotiations fail to reach an agreement.
Chicago, IL – Clerical and administrative workers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) will be taking a strike authorization vote in early January. Over two years have passed since their last raise, and the 1500 employees, including workers at sites in Rockford and Peoria, are fed up. The workers are members of SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Local 73. Management presented a settlement offer to their bargaining committee on Nov. 14. According to Jeff Dexter, lead negotiator for Local 73, that offer falls short of what the workers need.
Chicago, IL – “They want us to learn to live with less.” That’s how Denise King sees it. King had just finished marching outside the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois on Nov. 14. She was one of 22 workers from UIC (University of Illinois – Chicago) who had traveled to the university’s Springfield campus to confront the Board of Trustees.
Chicago, IL – Demetris McKinley, a customer service representative, came to work on Thursday, Aug. 16, even though it was a vacation day for her. She came to work to picket.
