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42nd Ed: Painting, NIOSH, Workers Memorial, May Day & More!
- Chicago JWJ Team
- May 7
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 3
♥️ Jill's Section♥️
I'm 100% the person that posts on my personal insta all the funny gifs and memes with dumpsters on fire and things like that to describe the current state of our world. But in true Libra form, I'm also the person who will remind anyone who's listening that you can't really be in our line of work without hope. Even on our darkest days, and we freaking have them trust me, I know we get that sad because we know that this world is worth saving and our people are good and we can all do better and have better. Shit's grim and that means we gotta be in community even harder.
Who wants to go roller-skating with me? 😄
Okay so here’s stuff for you!
Our Workers’ Rights Board is holding it's 7th hearing on Tuesday night (May 13) on the cuts to the federal workforce. The hearing will highlight HUD - Housing and Urban Development. Don't miss it. Register for in-person or online at www.chicagojwj.org/events.
Remember you can watch and listen to all previous speak outs on our YouTube and SoundCloud!
Did you hear Angie and I on podcasts the last couple of weeks? No? Well, here ya go then!
Angie on Labor Heritage Power Hour: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-je7j3-188d0ce
Jill on America's Workforce Union Podcast: (I'm on at about 14 min in):
In those episodes we're talking about Worker's Memorial Day and May Day a lot. We also talk a lot about immigration. We try our hardest to bring joy into this revolution because like I say all the time, what's the point in doing all of this if we aren't laughing along the way. But real talk it's heavy stuff. What got me through so far is the community we've built. If you weren't out there with us for May Day what you missed was power in community. Over the last few months of planning the power we built was nothing short of beautiful. We had unions, academics, nonprofits, community members, worker orgs, teachers, nurses, so many movements folks of all races and backgrounds working together to be heard. Sure it had uncomfortable moments but that's good. That means we're growing.
And May Day was just the beginning. We're going to keep going. We made so many new friends and have so much freaking work to do together.
Like look what happened to NIOSH. We need to fight that shit. And we're going to. Together.
What's NIOSH? The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Basically it's the research body that informs OSHA how to enforce workplace health and safety. Look at that org chart. It's terrifying. We can't just let that happen. What that means is that research that went into keeping people safe at work like firefighters, coal miners, warehouse workers, steel workers, YOU, everyone, is decimated. So how will OSHA, an already SUPER underfunded enforcement agency regulate workplace health and safety? Literally no clue. Because let's be real, they're next.
So back to hope for a min. Remember that WE. KEEP. US. SAFE. We look out for each other. Watch out for each other on and off the job. Meet your neighbors at work and at home. Crazy billionaires want us isolated but we all know we're happier, safer, and healthier when we're outside in the backyard cooking out and sharing a meal on the patio together.
For more on how to be a part of our community, how to fight against this billionaire bullshit, and how to learn about what's going on with these federal agencies, keep checking out our website for events, our insta, and our TikTok.
For real, we got you. We're in this together.
🌹What We've Been Up To 🌹 - Angie & Xochitl
Just days after Workers’ Memorial Day, we channeled our grief into purpose. We honored those we've lost to unsafe and unjust working conditions by doing what fuels our movement—organizing, showing up, and raising our collective voice. Turning sorrow into strength was a powerful act of resistance.
On May Day, thousands of us gathered and marched from Union Park to Grant Park, filling the streets with drums, chants, signs, and unstoppable energy. We came together for workers’ rights, immigrant justice, access to healthcare and education, and an economy that puts people over profit. The energy was electric—joyful, fierce, and deeply rooted in love and solidarity.
But our movement isn’t just about one day. In the days after May Day, we brought this spirit to K–12 schools, speaking with young students about solidarity, organizing, and resiliency. We know the future of this movement depends on them, and we’re planting seeds now so the next generation can rise even stronger.
May Day 2025 was a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish together—and we’re keeping that momentum going.
🩺 This Saturday, May 10, we rally to Save the VA. At 11:00 AM, we’ll gather at the Hines VA (Roosevelt & 5th Ave, Hines, IL – Maywood) alongside registered nurses from the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). The VA plans to cut over 83,000 staff positions nationwide, threatening care for veterans at already understaffed facilities.
We’re calling on Secretary Doug Collins and the Trump Administration to stop these devastating cuts and protect the care our veterans have earned.
From mourning to movement—from classrooms to the streets—we’re building power, lifting each other up, and fighting for justice every step of the way. 💥✊🏽🌹🖤
💥And don’t forget—we’re always looking for passionate volunteers to join the movement. Wanna roll with us? Fill out the form & become a Chicago JWJ compa:
Upcoming Events
May 10, 2025, NNU Rally to Save the VA - Hines VA (Roosevelt & 5th Ave, Hines, IL – Maywood)
May 13, 2025, Civil Servants Speak Out #7 HUD - Unity Center (3339 S Halsted, Chicago, IL)
Sunday, June 1, 2-5 pm, DePaul LEC Strength in Solidarity BBQ
June 10-June 13, CFL OI Training Institute
El Chisme
General:
Schools will likely have to lay off social workers and counselors, and college programs designed to train mental health providers may shut down after the Trump administration decided it would stop funding grants created under a bipartisan law passed in response to mass school shootings.
Officials say they don’t use accelerated moving events to clear controversial encampments, but the housing process remains murky — and advocates question whether politics are at play.
Labor:
NIOSH has been protecting workers’ health and safety for 50 years, affecting everyone from coalminers to firefighters
The city’s business department is investigating after Block Club reported the company overcharged riders the city’s $1.50 congestion surcharge for months. “People are mad about this,” one alderman said.
Immigration:
Higher education institutions in Colorado, such as the University of Northern Colorado, are monitoring the impacts of a recent order by the Trump administration that would punish states for programs offering in-state tuition to undocumented students.
President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget would cut nearly $6 billion from K-12 education and consolidate 18 grant programs into a single funding stream that states could spend as they wish.
The eviction case comes as Chicago migrants are facing a triple crisis – homelessness, food insecurity and increased deportations under Trump.
Environment:
As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists are sounding the alarm about an emerging threat: the rapid spread of potentially deadly Aspergillus fungi.
When the MI Healthy Climate conference kicked off earlier this month, anxieties around the nation’s climate policy likely plagued the minds of attendees, with President Donald Trump once again pulling the United States out of the Paris climate agreement and working to dismantle efforts to combat climate change and environmental injustice.
Gender Equity:
In this interview, Ms. Valas shares how transformative solutions can accelerate gender equality, including promoting women’s participation and empowerment in Slovenia’s digital landscape.
Clinics are rebuilding services, patients are returning and Republicans in the state are moving quickly to take protections away — again.
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