the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
May 1, 2023
Here are some strikes that are currently going on or have recently taken place in the U.S. While these strikes remain isolated and separated, they show that some workers are ready to fight today. And any strike always brings the possibility of a wider and more generalized fight that starts in one place and spreads. That is what is needed!
Over 350 workers of UNITE HERE Local 11 are on strike since April 10 against Flying Food Group at LAX International Airport. The workers prep in-flight meals. On April 29 they held a 50-car caravan through LAX with signs alerting passengers to FFG’s unfair labor practices. They have worked without a contract since June 2022. A worker with 12 years’ time is still stuck at $18.04. Workers also demand that management cease harassment of women workers.
Teamsters Local 830 is on strike against Liberty Coca-Cola in Philadelphia. The 450 drivers and warehouse workers went out April 16 after the company offered them only yearly 3% raises over 5 years. Coke has raised its store prices and makes record profits. The local sheriff is protecting the temp drivers that the company is using to try to break the strike.
Teamsters Local 667 in Memphis unanimously accepted a new contract on April 23, after striking Republic Services waste management since April 12. The five-year deal is reported to raise the average pay by about 13% and add one more sick day to the 7 they had. The 88 Teamsters had no contract for over a year. They struck after a 30-year seniority worker was killed at a Republic landfill.
Staff at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont, ended a 28-day strike for higher pay and more time off. The tentative agreement is yet to be voted on. It’s reported to be a 1-year deal with 5.75% raises for staff making under $20, and 3% raises for those making more than $20. Other details are not yet public. The 28 staff of UAW Local 2322 had worked over 1 year without a contract before the strike.
Staff at New York’s Hispanic Society of America Museum and Library have been on strike since March 27. A year and a half of talks on a first contract with museum management got nowhere. The 19 workers need health care and a living wage. Organized with the UAW in 2021, the workers are the first museum employees to walk off the job since 2000, when employees at the Museum of Modern Art went on strike for 134 days.