Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where we are getting ready to make a major announcement.
Air Traffic Controllers' “Sickout” Over Government Shutdown
Despite the government being shut down, air traffic controllers are still being forced to work without pay.
Now, many of them are beginning to “sick out” and not show up for work to protest the shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reports that he has already seen an uptick in air traffic controllers not showing up to work. Many airports across the United States are already seeing an increase in airport delays.
Yesterday, from 4:15 P.M. to 10 P.M., there were no air traffic controllers on duty at Burbank Airport in California.
California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted Trump in a response to a Los Angeles ABC local news tweet, wrote, "Thanks, @realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15pm to 10pm today because of YOUR government shutdown."
TSA Union Leaders Warn “Sickout” Efforts Could Grow
TSA union leaders are also warning that an uptick in worker “sickouts” could be seen if the government shutdown isn’t ended soon.
“It’s probably starting to happen now I think because we are veterans of the shutdown. We went through the last shutdown, which was 35 days,” said AFGE 100 Vice President Joe Shuker on MSNBC, comparing the current shutdown to the longest one in 2018-2019. “People then didn’t know what to expect, they know now. They know that they aren’t getting paid, they know that they are running out of money.”
Help Us Cover the Government Shutdown
By all indications, it looks like Trump is hesitant to cut a deal to solve this government shutdown any time soon. It’s likely that this will go on for a while and how workers fight back will be the key.
Surprisingly, the efforts of workers fighting back against the government shutdown isn’t getting much media attention. This is why we need your support to make sure that the stories of workers are amplified during the shutdown.
55,000 Canadian Teachers on Strike in Alberta
In Alberta, Canada, over 55,000 teachers are out on strike, in the largest such action in the history of the province. The strike is happening despite the fact that teachers aren’t receiving strike pay, but are having their health benefits covered by the union.
"Teachers know that they're not receiving strike pay," union president Jason Schilling told the CBC. "They didn't take this decision lightly...and they're willing to sacrifice some things."
Judge Finds “Likelihood’ That Charges Against Abrego Garcia are Vindictive
A federal judge in Nashville has ruled that the charges against SMART Union member Abrego Garcia are likely “vindictive.” From The New York Times:
Judge Crenshaw indicated how he was serious about getting to the bottom of the issue of vindictiveness. He said he intended to permit Mr. Abrego Garcia’s lawyers to pry, at least in part, into the Trump administration’s process of deciding to bring an indictment in the first place and how the charges related to the deportation case.
Vindictive prosecution motions are exceedingly difficult to win because of the high threshold required to prove that prosecutors acted improperly by filing criminal charges. Under the law, cases can be considered vindictive only if defendants can show that prosecutors displayed animus toward them while they were seeking to vindicate their rights in court, and that the charges would not have been brought except for the existence of that animus.
While Judge Crenshaw has not yet made a final decision on the issue of vindictiveness, the fact that he is even considering doing so in Mr. Abrego Garcia’s case is a hugely embarrassing blow to the Trump administration. From the moment Trump officials acknowledged that they had mistakenly expelled Mr. Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, President Trump and his top aides began a relentless barrage of attacks against him, calling him a violent member of the street gang MS-13, a wife beater and even a terrorist, effectively blaming him for being the victim of their own administrative error.
For more, check out The New York Times.
Chicago NewsGuild Sues ICE over Violent Measures
Finally, the Chicago NewsGuild has sued ICE over violent measures that they have taken to quell protests that have harmed journalists. The union says that at least four of its union members have been hurt in such attacks.
“Federal agents have repeatedly fired less-lethal munitions directly at clearly identifiable members of the press,” the complaint states.
For more, check out Migrant Insider.
News & Headlines Elsewhere
- Canada Post strike causes problems for rural communities
- Is Broadway going on strike? What to know about the recent union negotiations
- UC Workers authorize longer strikes after ‘last, best, final’ offer
- Over 750 workers, across 10 senior centers in Pennsylvania, are planning to go on strike soon
- Amid face-off between U.S. and Venezuela, fishermen in Trinidad and Tobago fear for their lives and jobs
Alright folks, that’s all for today. Keep sending tips, story ideas, comments, and complaints to melk@paydayreport.com
Thanks again for all your help.
Love & Solidarity,
Melk
