Folks,
Greetings from Rio de Janeiro, where I am wrapping up my last week of reporting and getting caught up on labor news from back in the U.S.
Donate to help us wrap up our last week in Brasil.
Brazilian Supreme Court Won’t Allow Trump Envoy to Visit Bolsonaro
Yesterday, Payday published a report on how the Trump Administration is planning to interfere in the Brazilian Presidential election this year. Trump has requested that Lula label two groups as “terrorists,” which Lula has resisted.
We also reported that the Brazilian Supreme Court was allowing top Trump envoy Dennis Beattie to be allowed to visit Jair Bolsonaro in prison. Now, the Brazilian Supreme Court has decided to revoke Beattie’s visit to Bolsonaro.
Beattie was granted a visa to Brasil to participate in a conference about rare earth minerals and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said his visa request did not include asking to visit Bolsonaro.
"The visit of Darren Beattie, requested in these proceedings by Jair Messias Bolsonaro's defense, is not part of the diplomatic context that authorized the granting of the visa and his entry into Brazilian territory, and was not communicated previously, to the Brazilian diplomatic authorities, which could even lead to a re-evaluation of the visa granted,” wrote De Moraes.
Currently, the Brazilian government opposes Beattie being allowed to visit Bolsonaro in prison. It would be a publicity stunt that could give international recognition to Bolsonaro, who is serving 27 years in prison for attempting to assassinate Lula and overthrow the democratically elected government of Brasil.
“A visit by a foreign state official to a former President of the Republic during an election year could constitute undue interference in the internal affairs of the Brazilian state” said Brazilian foreign minister Mauro Viera in a statement.
For more, check out our story “Trump Interferes in Brazilian Presidential Election by Labeling Groups ‘Terrorist.’”
Chicago Teachers Union Backs General Strike
Earlier this year, Payday reported that unions were warming to the idea of backing a general strike on May Day. Now, the 30,000-member Chicago Teachers Union has become the largest union to date to back a general strike on May Day.
“If we still want to have democracy in the midterms this November, public schools that provide our students with quality education, and unions to defend workers’ rights, then it is up to every Chicagoan to stand up for what we believe in and show the authoritarian billionaire in Washington that when he breaks every rule, we will not go along with business as usual,” said CTU Vice President Jackson Potter in a statement.
For more, read the full statement here.
Donate to Help Us Track May Day General Strike
To build support for the General Strike, it’s crucial that we begin to track unions supporting it. If you hear of a labor group supporting it, email us melk@paydayreport.com
Payday has a long track record of tracking strikes and helping to build momentum for them. For example, in January, we tracked over 300 solidarity actions during the Minnesota General Strike, last year we tracked “Days Without Immigrants” Strikes in 120 cities, and we tracked 3,000 strikes during the pandemic.
Terrorized by ICE & Unable to Pay Rent, Minnesotans Organize Rent Strike
In Minnesota, thousands of immigrants were unable to work due to ICE raids in the region. As a result, many are now unable to pay rent. Now, tenants, both immigrants and non-immigrants, are organizing a rent strike to force landlords to reduce rents for affected communities. From Shelterforce:
Labor unions may be key to building that buffer. While Minnesota’s labor and housing movements have a history of working together, unions’ willingness to back a rent strike represents a new height of coordination.
To help make the rent strike a reality, UNITE HERE Local 17 plans to phone-bank members and recruit potential leaders, according to Geof Paquette, the union’s lead internal organizer. A majority of UNITE HERE Local 17’s members are immigrants and/or people of color who have already been deeply affected by the Trump administration’s deployment of thousands of armed, masked federal agents to the state.
In January, the union launched a massive food distribution program to deliver weekly groceries to hundreds of members hiding in their homes, and it’s even been possible to provide some members with rental assistance. “But if 100 workers need their rent paid for one month, that’s going to wipe out the hardship fund,” Paquette says.
For more, check out Shelterforce.
Kaiser Therapists to Strike Over AI
Finally, In California, next week, Kaiser mental health therapists plan to strike over the use of AI to evaluate patients.
“Kaiser’s overhauling of its mental health triage system shows that it is moving away from human-centered care,” Sophia Mendoza, president of the NUHW told Capital & Main. “Patients seeking care through Kaiser’s website are asked to fill out questionnaires, so artificial intelligence — not human therapists — can determine whether patients need urgent appointments or should be sent outside Kaiser for therapy.”
For more, check out Capital & Main
Alright folks, that’s all for today. We will be back with regular newsletter updates next week when I return to the United States. Keep sending tips, comments, and complaints to melk@paydayreport.com
