Durham Dispatch

On Aug. 30, at Nuestro Barrio Liberation Cafe, about 15 activists gathered to raise money for the Hatuey Project, which sends cancer medicines and medical supplies to Cuba. Attendees listened to presentations about Cuban history and discussed ways to overcome the 60-year US embargo of the island. The Triangle chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) hosted the event as part of its ongoing series of rallies and fundraisers for Cuba. At the ‘Break the Blockade’ event, PSL sold guava pastries and cookies with proceeds going to the Hatuey Project . The project, named for an Indigenous hero, was started by US activists to provide cancer medications and materials to Cuba, with a focus on children suffering from leukemia and lymphoma. Cuba has an excellent health care system and life expectancy that rivals that of the US. However, most countries are restricted from trading with Cuba under long-standing US sanctions. PSL began Saturday's event with a chant of “Abajo, abajo, abajo el bloqueo!” Organizers gave presentations that showed the centuries-old roots of US antagonism to Cuba. One slideshow included quotes from Thomas Jefferson the 1700s advocating the conquest of Cuba, a feat not accomplished by the US until 1898. The embargo is codified 1996 Helms-Burton Act and other federal laws. The law is named for Jesse Helms, a white supremacist who served as North Carolina senator for 30 years. Helms also wielded influence over policy towards Haiti. He played a leading role in overthrowing the democratically elected, progressive government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. To generate discussion, organizers distributed slips of paper with the names of different countries or territories such as Mexico, the US, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Cuba. Each paper outlined the powers and limits of each entity. For example, Mexico was described as being allowed to send food to Cuba but unable to militarily defend the island. Each group was also asked if their country or territory hosts US military bases, provided their people with universal health care, and so on. Under the Trump administration, the embargo has been tightened with Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terror. Cuba has not committed terrorist acts and the US designation is widely considered to be pretextual. During breaks, attendees could order an ‘Old East Durham’ or other types of coffee. They could also purchase The Black Belt Thesis: A Reader or other books from PSL’s mini-bookstore. Nuestro Barrio’s walls are covered with the flags of Global South countries. The cafe used to be on West Morgan Street but recently moved to South Driver Street in the Old East Durham district. In Triangle left-wing circles, PSL is best-known for the extraordinary number of anti-genocide protests it has helped to lead in Raleigh’s Moore Square since October 2023. During Saturday's event, organizers drew the parallels between US support for the 60-year blockade of Cuba and the 20-year siege of the Gaza Strip. In April 2025, PSL held a ‘Noche Cubana’ that raised $2,000 for Cuban relief. The ‘Break the Blockade’ event on Aug. 30 built on that effort and likely netted a few hundred more dollars.

Hayti district house in what is now Heritage Square. The home was demolished in 1966-70. Image credit: Open Durham The Sterling Bay development company has withdrawn its request to rezone the Heritage Square site for a luxury high-rise with lab space, apartments, and retail. The project was opposed by many Hayti residents who demanded more input and feared a repeat of devastating 'urban renewal' policies in the 1960s. The site at 606 Fayetteville Street, also 401 East Lakewood Avenue, is currently a vacant shopping mall. Durham’s development options for Heritage Square and other sites are restricted by state laws, including Umstead Act, a ban on rent control , and various limits on zoning policy. On Aug. 5, the advocacy group Hayti Reborn said in a statement, “ We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep saying it: Hayti is not opposed to development. We’re opposed to any development that excludes, exploits, or erases us ” [ 1 ]. In an interview with ABC11 , Rev. Julian Pridgen, pastor at St. Mark AME Zion Church, sounded a similar note. He said, "It is just difficult for me to accept rezoning this property for more luxury apartments when we have homeless people sleeping on our front porch" [ 2 ]. Sterling Bay initially wanted a ‘by-right’ project, which would not need council approval. Plans for building taller than 175 feet led to the need for a rezoning request [ 3 ]. The council would have likely approved the request had the company had not withdrawn it. Annexation and rezoning requests by developers often result in a 4-3 split. Javiera Caballero, mayor pro tempore Mark-Antony Middleton, Carl Rist, and mayor Leonardo Williams almost always vote yes. Nate Baker, Chelsea Cook, and DeDreana Freeman are less favorable to developer requests, but still vote in favor around two-thirds of the time [ 4 ] . Durham city council annexation and rezoning votes in 2024 Image credit: Bull City Public Investigators From the viewpoint of the council majority, approving requests ensures that developers invest millions in new housing. They sometimes acknowledge the projects can promote sprawl, displace low-income residents, and degrade the environment, but feel compelled to approve them. Their reasoning is that if denied, developers can build less desirable by-right projects anyway. This position is often reinforced by campaign donations from real estate and construction interests. For politicians who oppose the requests, like former councilwoman Dr. Monique Holsey-Hyman, developers can prove to be formidable enemies [ 5 ]. The council minority is less resigned to a future of unaffordable, unsustainable sprawl. Baker, Cook, and Freeman vote to reject about one-third of developer requests. Their ‘no’ votes are a strategic tool to pressure developers into volunteering benefits such as affordable housing. If developers don't offer enough, the council minority can withhold votes. Since the three-member group does not currently have the votes to block requests, Durham approves almost all annexations and rezonings. Several North Carolina towns like Chapel Hill, Davidson, and Manteo use a tool called inclusionary zoning to require affordable housing on new development projects. Chapel Hill’s ordinance requires new projects with five or more housing units for sale (not for rent) to make 10 to 15 percent of them affordable at 65 to 80 percent AMI. Durham has not enacted inclusionary zoning, so the council negotiates benefits through annexation and rezoning hearings. The city cannot formally demand anything but developers can volunteer benefits like affordable housing to win a vote [ 6 ]. From the perspective of the council minority, their job is to create an environment where developers voluntarily offer as much as possible. This is precisely why Baker, Cook, and Freeman don’t automatically approve all requests. If approvals are guaranteed, developers have no incentive to offer anything. On the other hand, developers retain the right to withdraw annexation and rezoning requests, which limits the council's leverage. Sterling Bay may have withdrawn to wait for the new Universal Development Ordinance (UDO) to come into effect. Under the new upzoning rules, the company would get almost everything it wants without the need for political approval. In 2022, Sterling Bay paid $62 million for the 10-acre Heritage Square site. Since the company owns the land, it's intuitive that Durham has only limited control over the land's usage. Yet, even when the city owns the land for a project, the council still finds itself pressured to rely on the private sector. In August 2024, the city council selected the Peebles Corporation to redevelop the former police headquarters at 505 West Chapel Hill Street. Since the city owns the land, it was able to bypass the state’s rent control ban ( GS 42‑14.1). Durham negotiated with Peebles to require the company to choose between more affordable units or a six percent cap on annual rent increases. The project proposed 380 apartments, with about 90 affordable units. Caballero and Rist joined the council minority in the effort to secure this form of rent control [ 7 ]. Months later, due to changes in market conditions, Peebles increased its request for public subsidies to $78 million. In June 2025, the city was forced to end talks with the developer and start from scratch [ 8 ]. Could Durham cut out the developer, construct new housing, own the building, and charge below-market rents without a means test? For now, such a project would be legal, so long as no funding came from the state or federal level. If money were no object, Durham could buy Heritage Square, build a high-rise with hundreds of apartment units, and charge $750 per month rent to anyone willing to pay with a preference for Hayti residents. Legal barriers appear when state or federal funding is involved. S ince 2017, the Durham Board of Education has sought to build affordable housing for its teachers and staff. The project requires an exemption from the Umstead Act (GS 66-58), a 1939 law that prohibits the state government from operating businesses that compete with the private sector . The Durham Board of Education is part of local government, but they appear to need the Umstead waiver due to state funding for public schools. For eight years, the Republican-led General Assembly has repeatedly denied the request. The GOP position is that a waiver would erode the law [ 9 ] . They are right. If the school board built housing and rented to cafeteria workers at below-market rents, it would be ‘stealing’ a customer from private landlords (if the cafeteria worker was able to pay market rent). While the Umstead Act blocks state funding for many kinds of public housing, North Carolina's 1987 rent control ban safeguards the profits gained from private rental housing. The law was introduced by Democratic state senator Dan Blue, who remains in office. If GS 42‑14.1 were repealed, Durham could have explicitly conditioned the Heritage Square rezoning on rent control for 20 percent of the units at 60 percent area median income. In 2023, Democratic state senator Lisa Grafstein introduced Senate Bill 225 to legalize rent control. The proposal didn’t make it out of a Republican-led committee [ 10 ]. Sterling Bay’s withdrawal of its rezoning petition is Durham's latest divisive episode over development policy. The city council remains divided 4-3 on the use of annexation and rezoning powers to plan the city’s future. The local disagreements are bounded by state laws such as the Umstead Act and the rent control ban that hamper efforts by local government to solve the housing affordability crisis. However, cities and counties in North Carolina do have the legal right to build rent controlled housing on city-owned land. There would be political and financial obstacles in the way of those projects, but not legal ones. Heritage Square shopping small (left) and Sterling Bay development illustration (right). Image credit: News and Observer The Hayti district of Durham was founded after the Civil War by freed slaves working in the tobacco industry. Residents named their community after Haiti, the Black republic born from history’s only successful slave revolt. The choice must have unsettled the tobacco company owners. By the early 20th century, Hayti had developed a robust, self-sufficient economy. The district was home hundreds of businesses, including the NC Mutual Life Insurance Company, which was once the richest Black-owned business in the world. The names of the company’s founders, Merrick, Moore, and Spaulding, are common around Durham as the names for streets, schools, and other landmarks. The major institutions of Hayti included North Carolina Central University, Lincoln Hospital, Mechanics and Farmers Bank, Warren Library, Tubman YWCA, St. Joseph AME Church, and White Rock Baptist Church. In 1935, the federal government ‘redlined’ Hayti. This decision by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation led banks to systematically deny mortgages and loans to Black homeowners and businesspeople in Hayti. The lack of credit contributed to poverty that was then used to justify the community's destruction. Durham labelled Hayti as “blighted” in 1958. Federal laws and funding were then used to demolish about 4,000 houses and 500 businesses. Across a 200-acre area, about 95 percent of buildings were destroyed. Over the course of a 14 year period, the Black population in the area was reduced by half. By 1974, the NC-147 was routed through the heart of Hayti, physically carving it in two. The Heritage Square shopping mall was built in 1985. The vacant shops look out at Lakewood Street. Behind the mall is the Durham Freeway. R-17 project area in 1950 and in 1972. Image credit: Bull City 150 Work Cited Hayti Reborn. (2025, August 5). “Last Night at the Durham City Council meeting. . .”  Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CAJHRfSfm/ Developer pulls request to rezone, build major project in Durham’s Hayti district. (2025, August 4). ABC11 . https://abc11.com/post/hayti-district-durham-city-council-vote-rezoning-request-historic-area/17429773/ Developer pulls controversial Heritage Square rezoning. (2025, August 5). Indyweek . https://indyweek.com/news/durham/durham-heritage-square-hayti-withdrawn/ How Durham City Council voted on development in 2024. (2024, December 17). Bull City Public Investigators . https://bcpi.substack.com/p/how-durham-city-council-voted-on How to destroy a councilwoman: The attack on Dr. Monique Holsey-Hyman. (2024, June 22). Durham Dispatch . https://www.durhamdispatch.com/post/how-to-destroy-a-councilwoman-the-attack-on-dr-holsey-hyman What conditions can be included in conditional zoning?  (2021, November 11). Coates’ Canons NC Local Government Law. https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2021/11/what-conditions-can-be-included-in-conditional-zoning/ Durham City Council seeks rent control as old Police HQ redeveloped. (2024, September 1). Durham Dispatch . https://www.durhamdispatch.com/post/durham-city-council-seeks-rent-control-as-old-police-hq-redeveloped Durham drops developer but remains undecided about future of police building. (2025, June 6). News and Observer . https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article307657741.html Durham leaders hope 2024 will be different for local workforce housing legislation. (2024, May 15). NC Newsline . https://ncnewsline.com/2024/05/15/durham-leaders-hope-2024-will-be-different-for-local-workforce-housing-legislation/ Raleigh City Council members throw support behind rent control bill. (2023, May 17). Indyweek . https://indyweek.com/news/wake/raleigh-city-council-members-throw-support-behind-rent-control-bill/

On Wednesday, August 27, Clean Water for North Carolina released new, interactive maps highlighting drinking water sources threatened by three proposed methane gas pipelines in North Carolina and Virginia. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company’s proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) Pipeline, crossing through densely populated areas in Guilford and Forsyth Counties, poses the greatest threat to NC drinking water of the three. These maps provide the public with valuable information ahead of public hearings on whether the state should approve SSEP’s 401 water quality certification application . North Carolinians and Virginians near any of the proposed routes can use the maps to identify if their drinking water source is at risk of contamination due to pipeline impacts. SSEP Pipeline is a proposed 42-inch diameter high-pressure, methane gas pipeline. It would cross multiple states, starting in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and out to Coosa County, Alabama. 28.4 miles of new pipe are proposed for North Carolina in Rockingham, Guilford, Forsyth, and Davidson counties. It would require the expansion of two gas-fired compressor stations in Iredell and Davidson counties, which would produce air pollution. SSEP’s proposed route puts it close to existing Transco pipelines. In Rockingham County, the pipeline would follow closely along the proposed route for Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate, crossing many of the same waterways, also magnifying the potential for impacts to groundwater. The proposal to install multiple high-pressure, large-diameter pipelines on similar routes has inspired vocal opposition at public hearings. Guilford County passed a resolution citing safety concerns in response. The town of Midway passed a resolution of opposition in May. Community members facing further land seizure by Transco for the SSEP, have expressed skepticism of their safety record and water pollution controls. “I have lived with the three despicable Transco pipelines running through my farm and community for over 60 years. Now, Transco wants to install a fourth pipeline referred to as SSEP.” said, Ron Ray, a resident of Guilford County, “Beaver Creek runs over the pipelines on my farm and has always been a potential source of contamination for water running into the creek, rivers, and waters on to the Atlantic Ocean. The SSEP construction will certainly cause damage to these waterways  during construction and increase the risks of severe damage for generations to come.  I plead that this project be not permitted for the sake of the health and safety of future generations.” Pollution from pipeline construction or leaks during operation can harm rivers, streams, public water supplies, and private wells all along the route. The pipelines are proposed near communities that have already suffered groundwater contamination from coal ash, in order to supply new gas turbines proposed by Duke Energy in Person and Catawba Counties. “ We released these maps to empower residents with information that often stays buried in long permit applications. That way, we can act to protect our communities. Private well users within 1000 ft of the proposed pipelines are at risk of contamination of their groundwater or even a decrease in water supply. These maps can help them identify if their wells are at risk.” said Steph Gans, Assistant Director of Clean Water for North Carolina,  “Clean water is not the only thing on the line. These pipelines would supply new power plants adding to unhealthy air in communities. They will increase already high gas and electric bills. They threaten drinking water supplies, which could raise water bills. Using methane will worsen climate change, which caused damaging storms like Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Chantal. Both storms imposed huge costs on local water utilities and left North Carolinians without clean drinking water for days or weeks.” The maps show the threat to beloved local waterways across three watersheds: the Roanoke, Cape Fear, and Yadkin-Pee Dee. SSEP would cross the headwaters of the Haw River and the Dan River, which are sources of drinking water for NC communities. They show public water supplies from groundwater, some of which are perilously close to the SSEP pipeline’s route. “Projects like this create irreparable damage on our sensitive aquatic ecosystems and pose serious risks for downstream communities that depend on our rivers and streams for drinking water supplies.” said Emily Sutton, Haw Riverkeeper and Executive Director of Haw River Assembly, “These maps help us to demonstrate the unavoidable damage the SSEP project would cause if these permits are approved. This is the opportunity for our communities to show up and have their voices heard to oppose this unnecessary pipeline.” On Thursday, September 4 at 4:30pm, community members and grassroots organizations will hold: No SSEP! Rally to Protect Water in Harmon Park at 152 South Main Street, Kernersville, NC. The rally will take place before a public hearing on SSEP’s water quality certification application held by the NC Department of Environmental Quality. The hearing starts at 6 p.m. in the Kernersville Municipal Council Chambers, 134 East Mountain Street, Kernersville, NC. Private well users along the route welcomed the maps. “I’m glad this information will be available as I am definitely impacted by the proposed pipeline.” said Diana Garrison, a Guilford County resident, “I live in a neighborhood close to the pipeline, so all the homeowners’ wells are impacted by any leakage or seepage of toxins. Williams says they check to make sure their pipeline is safe, but we have yet to see anyone walking along pipeline in our area.” To view interactive maps of the SSEP, MVP Southgate, and T-15 pipeline routes visit cwfnc.org/nc-pipelines . The maps use data from a variety of public sources, including FracTracker Alliance , a non-profit organization educating the public about the risks from oil and gas projects. The maps show public water supplies, land within 1000 ft of the proposed pipelines, the potential blast zone in the event of a pipeline accident, and drinking water sources at risk of pollution from all three pipelines. This article was first published by Clean Water for NC .

By Aidan P. and Carl H. Rooftop solar at Lyons Farm Elementary Right now, people in Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Hillsborough, as well as in Alamance and Chatham counties, are recovering from the severe and costly flash flooding  brought on by Tropical Depression Chantal. We know that the climate crisis is making weather disasters more frequent and more intense, and our region is now threatened  by supercharged floods, heat waves, and hurricanes. Even areas that were thought to be relatively safe are at risk. For example, North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains, once seen as a refuge due to the cooler climate and inland location, were hit hard by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Entire districts of Asheville were destroyed , tens of billions of dollars in damages were sustained , and many rural mountain communities were devastated . But even though climate change is now a manifest reality, our leaders have utterly failed to meet the moment. At the federal level , investments and incentives for renewable energy are systematically rolled back, public lands are threatened, environmental regulations are aggressively slashed, and proper forecasting equipment and personnel are thrown to the wayside with deadly consequences. At the same time, big tech’s extremely dangerous and ecologically costly gamble on a mass buildout of deregulated nuclear plants  to power AI datacenters  continues to accelerate. State leadership is hardly any better. Duke Energy, with the help of politicians on both sides of the aisle, continues to drag its feet on cutting emissions, instead investing in new fossil gas infrastructure. Most recently, the state legislature overrode  Governor Josh Stein’s veto and dropped North Carolina’s interim 2030 decarbonization goal, removing incentives for Duke Energy to shift to renewables and encouraging continued use of fossil gas. According to an analysis  by NC State professor Joseph DeCarolis and his colleagues, this destructive bill will lead to a 40% increase in fossil gas generation in our state between 2030 and 2050. This is only the tip of the melting iceberg when it comes to Duke Energy’s disastrous activities, which also include greenwashing  and mass deception, systematic subversion  of democracy, and an allegedly cavalier attitude  towards nuclear safety, among others. Besides emitting greenhouse gases, burning fossil fuels also emits a huge quantity of toxic pollution  harmful to natural ecosystems and human health, causing asthma, cancer, and heart disease. Furthermore, as anyone who lives near one of Duke Energy’s coal ash deposits  knows, the ecological and human costs don’t end with emissions, also including the leaching of heavy metals linked to cancers, reproductive harm, and heart and thyroid diseases into soil and groundwater. In addition to the impacts on our communities and our health, the climate crisis compounds the more general ecological crisis as animals and plants struggle to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. In contrast to burning fossil-fuels, solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity, avoiding greenhouse gasses and other toxic emissions. Increasing solar electricity generation is an important step in the transition to renewable energy and a sustainable economy. The Triangle region receives abundant sunlight, an average of 4.5-5.4 hours  of peak sun per day. Thanks to technological advances, solar panels today are efficient, long-lasting, and low-cost compared to other ways of producing electricity. Renewable energy sources like solar also stabilize energy prices , as they are not prone to the periodic severe price shocks  experienced by volatile fossil gas markets. While it is possible to fund solar installations through regular budget measures, this creates a false conflict between money for solar and money for other important public services. A bond resolves this, helping to facilitate the large scale solar projects necessary for a swift and comprehensive energy transition. The solar bonds we are advocating would borrow money specifically to fund solar installations on public buildings like schools, libraries, public housing, and government buildings. Any renewable energy installations funded by these bonds should be publicly owned, and money saved that previously went towards paying Duke Energy's high electricity rates should, after paying off the bond, instead be allocated to improving public services or helping to raise the wages of sanitation workers, teachers, support staff, and other low-wage public sector workers. These bonds are also a climate resilience measure. The importance of a climate resilient grid cannot be underestimated: this can be a matter of life and death during a climate disaster. For example, when combined with infrastructure hardening and the development of localized microgrids , the solarization of public buildings can ensure that our most critical public facilities stay on during the power outages that often accompany weather emergencies. Depending on the specific needs of each county or city in the Triangle, these bonds could also fund other critical resilience, renewable energy, and energy efficiency measures. For example, a broader bond referendum could be used to fund efficient HVAC systems for our schools, improve stormwater infrastructure for our towns and cities, or even acquire property for new public housing. We encourage anyone familiar with the needs of their community to contact us  and share what similar measures they would like to see included in local bonds. Many cities and counties in North Carolina and across the South have already passed bonds to fund sustainability measures, including solar installations on public buildings. In 2020, Buncombe county, the city of Asheville, and Asheville’s Isaac Dickson Elementary School agreed to collectively spend $11.5 million  on solar facilities capable of generating seven megawatts of power, mostly for public buildings -- schools, community colleges, community centers, and fire stations, among others. The majority of this money ($10.3 million) came from a bond issued by Buncombe county, approved unanimously by Buncombe county commissioners. Even Republican county commissioners voted to approve the bond, citing the cost savings, which more than covered each year’s bond payment. A 2024 initiative  in San Antonio, Texas, provides a second example. Here, a total of $30.8 million was raised ($18.3 million from bonds, $10 million from Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, and $2.5 million from the State Energy Conservation Office), partially to solarize a variety of municipal facilities, such as municipal building rooftops and parking lots. San Antonio expects to pay off all debt within 10 years using savings accrued through the project, which also makes substantial progress towards the city’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Locally, a 2022 Durham County schools bond  included funding to solarize Lyons Farm Elementary School, which now supplies about 20% of its electricity from rooftop solar.  While we encourage local governments to adopt renewable energy measures through their regular budget proceedings, as Democratic Socialists we wanted to bring the issue directly to voters -- giving regular people a real say in important and economically consequential decisions brings us a step closer to the democratically organized economy we ultimately envision. Currently, our goal is to get solar bonds on the ballot for Orange, Durham and Wake Counties, as well as for our smaller municipalities (Carrboro and Chapel Hill) and our larger cities ( Durham  and Raleigh)  But make no mistake - a solar bond is only the beginning. Powerful forces stand in the way of the comprehensive energy and sustainability transition our society needs, especially in North Carolina. To overcome these forces we need to build a mass movement that centers the multiracial working class and all the oppressed and colonized peoples of this land. One of the core goals of the mass movement must be to establish an energy system owned and planned by and for the people, an energy system that puts our interests and our planet over corporate profit. We invite you to join us. Interested in helping? Triangle DSA’s Solar Bond Campaign Committee meets every other Tuesday at 6:00pm online , and is open to the general public. The committee has already reached out to potential coalition partners, and plans to build support through tabling and canvassing campaigns. The committee is also in the process of meeting with elected leaders to advocate for the bond. You can reach out to us directly to join in this important effort by contacting nctdsa.solarbond@gmail.com , or you can simply show up to a committee meeting! This article was first published by NC Triangle DSA's Left Angles .

Left to right: UE 150 members Greg Moss, Chris Benjamin, Nichel Dunlap-Thompson, Sekia Royall and Tim Hunt. From April 25 to May 10, five members of UE Local 150 traveled to Cuba as part of the International May Day Brigade. The brigade, organized by the National Network on Cuba, consisted of approximately 100 people from across the U.S. After visiting a meatpacking plant and meeting with the Cuban Federation of Unions, local union trustee and Durham sanitation worker Chris Benjamin said he was impressed to learn that “women can retire at age 60, and men at age 65 and receive full retirement benefits and a pension. The next day they can return to work while earning a second wage and start earning a second pension.” Local 150 members learned about the economy of Cuba and the blockade enforced by the U.S. government, which prevents most countries in the world from being able to conduct any trade with Cuba. They learned that this blockade is the primary reason people in Cuba are struggling, with no access to many manufactured and raw goods produced around the world, including food, medical supplies, car parts, and machine parts. UE150 members in front of newly painted mural at the camp celebrating 50 years since the successful Carlota Operation, when Cuba sent military personnel and tanks to help liberate Angola from apartheid South Africa in 1975. Sekia Royall, a state worker for the Department of Health and Human Services in Goldsboro and former president of the local, said, “I learned how much we in the U.S. take for granted, and how much we waste. It was a really humbling experience to see the Cubans struggling economically, yet they still have a great perspective on life. As workers, in their unions, and in their communities, they decide how their country will be run. Sixty years after their revolution, they still decide every day to live on their feet, rather than dying on their knees.” In addition to meeting with Cuban workers, members of the brigade participated in voluntary work at several community gardens and food production centers to help the Cuban revolution feed its people. They helped weed, haul dirt and rocks, move mulch piles, and harvest vegetables. Local 150 members also brought full luggage bags of medical supplies as a gift to the Cuban people. Despite the blockade, the Cuban people have been able to self-organize to take care of themselves. They provide universal free health care, housing for all workers, and food rations. In Cuba education is free from kindergarten through college, including advanced medical degrees like studying to become a doctor. Students are provided with not only free tuition, but room, food and books. Sixty-six percent of the Cuban people have higher education degrees, the highest rate in Latin America. Local 150 members visited the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) which provides free medical degrees to poor and oppressed people from around the world. The Cubans have a particularly deep solidarity with the continent of Africa; there are currently students from over a dozen African countries studying at ELAM. Local 150 members were greeted at a seminar by medical students from Niger, Benin, Palestine, Columbia, the Philippines and China, all studying in Cuba for free. In addition to ELAM, Local 150 members visited community hospitals, maternal health clinics, and schools and see how the Cuban system works for the people. Cuba has an infant mortality rate significantly lower than the U.S., and many of the hospitals UE members visited reported that not a single mother or newborn baby has ever died in their facility. In addition, Cuba was the first country in the world to stop transmission of HIV from mothers to newborn children. They have developed a drug to alleviate the effects of dementia and Alzheimer's, conditions that the U.S. healthcare system has not invested in treating. [Editor's note: It is too broad to claim that the U.S. healthcare system does not invest Alzheimer's and dementia research.] Every worker in Cuba is in a union. In Cuba, the unions have an official role in helping to shape overall government policies, including housing, food and wages. Local 150 members left excited to build on the relationships they established with members of the Cuban Federation of Trade Unions, who were present at many meetings they attended. Nichel Dunlap-Thompson, a former special transit bus driver for the City of Charlotte and former local recording secretary, called her experiences in Cuba “life-changing.” She contrasted what she saw on the trip — “the effects of a socialist society that actually works” — with the way Cuba is portrayed in the U.S. media. The U.S. has put Cuba on a list of “state sponsors of terrorism,” and in 2024, the U.S. government approved $50 million to support deceptive media campaigns against the Cuban Revolution. Brigade members participate in voluntary work at Cuban university. Dunlap-Thompson recalled being told that former Cuban President Fidel Castro was “a terrorist, a tyrant, someone that is an enemy to the USA. I remember those media reports as a child. Thinking Fidel Castro is the worst individual ever in life... It was all a lie.” Local 150 members plan to collect more material aid for the Cuban people and to fill a container ship in the coming months to be sent to the island. Additionally, Local 150 plans to continue its fundraising efforts to send more workers to Cuba on the 2026 May Day brigade, and to continue to build international connections and solidarity with workers across the world. Benjamin, Royall, Hunt and Dunlap-Thompson were joined on the trip by Greg Moss, a young state employee in Raleigh, and UE staff members Troya Wright and Dante Strobino. Brenda Hines from Black Workers for Justice, a close ally of Local 150, also traveled on the brigade. UE150 plans to organize a trip next year, we hope you’ll join us! This article was first published by UE Local 150 .

Image obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request showing a weld that failed during hydrostatic testing on MVP in Bent Mountain, Virginia in May 2024. On June 3, 2025, reporter Mike Tony of the Charleston Gazette-Mail  broke the story of a federal wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a welding inspector formerly employed by Mountain Valley Pipeline. The complaint , originally filed in Monroe County Circuit Court, claims the inspector, Michael Barnhill, “was terminated, in whole or in part, for raising concerns with and making complaints to Defendants related to safety issues including improperly welded pipelines and quality of pipes as well as other PHMSA regulations.” Considering the 303 mile length of the pipeline, now pumping methane gas under high pressure, and the steepness and instability  of the route terrain, Mike Tony’s ongoing coverage  again sets off alarm bells about the integrity of the entire pipeline. “In his complaint, Barnhill says he discovered corrosion in three separate sections of pipeline joints on Nov. 15, 2023, that was significant enough to make them noncompliant with construction specifications and federal regulations.” These revelations did not surprise longtime MVP construction monitors, advocates, and directly impacted landowners, and only served to escalate ever present concerns about pipeline safety and the lack of meaningful enforcement our communities have experienced throughout the long saga of MVP opposition. While this is a civil matter aimed at addressing the alleged wrongful termination, it surely comes at great personal risk to the complainant, Michael Barnhill. Taking on powerful and wealthy fracked gas corporations and their armies of lawyers is challenging and commendable. The question is, will anyone at the federal oversight level actually do anything about these allegations?  Looking at you, United States Congress. Virginia Delegate Sam Rasoul, D-38th District, shared his concerns about pipeline companies in an interview with WSLS :  “These companies are out to make a profit, and I know a lot of people can understand that, but what can’t be compromised is our safety.” Monroe County landowner and unstoppable advocate Maury Johnson has knocked on a lot of doors in Washington, DC to try to get a response from elected officials. He wrote about his concerns in Common Dreams : “If the allegations contained in the lawsuit are true, it demonstrates a willful endangerment of citizens and a gross violation of federal laws and policies. It is imperative that this does not get swept under the rug by Mountain Valley Pipeline with some sort of out of court settlement and a nondisclosure agreement. Congress, PHMSA, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) each must conduct investigations to determine if public safety has been compromised and if officials with MVP broke federal law.” Roanoke Times reporter Laurence Hammack picked up the coverage on June 15, 2025 focusing on lingering problems with restoration  work inside the MVP right of way: “Many sections of the pipeline built on more level terrain already have grass and shrubs growing on the right-of-way. But on places like Poor Mountain, returning the land to its original condition and covering erosion-prone slopes with grass has proven to be more difficult.” Tina Badger, a longtime MVP opponent and relentless pipeline construction monitor had this reaction when the news of this lawsuit broke: “We watched and fought for a decade knowing it was up to us to protect the land, ourselves, and our neighbors. This lawsuit is just one more piece that may join the stack of evidence that this project should never have been approved much less completed and put in service. Hearing about this lawsuit was no surprise to those of us that have witnessed this boondoggle over the years. Infuriating but not surprising. We hope justice prevails as it should have from the start.” This article was first published by POWHR .

Image credit: @clairebyphotos Around 100 protestors gathered in CCB Plaza on Wednesday evening to oppose the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the Durham County Courthouse earlier in the day. After speeches in the square, the crowd marched to the courthouse. The demonstration was led by groups including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, El Futuro Es Nuestro, Siembra NC, Somos Durham, and the Autonomous Brown Beret Party. Several local officials attended the rally in CCB Plaza. The diverse, younger crowd included more Latine participants than typical for left-wing events in Durham. Members of PSL in red shirts and keffiyehs stood at the front of the crowd. Volunteers held a banner reading, “The People United Will Defend Immigrant Families”. Some attendees waved Mexican flags, including one who wore it as a cape. Present were Durham officials Javiera Caballero, Carl Rist, Nida Allam, and Nate Baker, along with candidates Andrea Cazales, Elijah King, and Pablo Friedman. Many of these officials, as well as Natalie Beyer and Jillian Johnson, also attended a protest that morning when ICE agents were still at the courthouse [ 1 ].  After 7 p.m., organizers warmed up the crowd with call-and-response chants: “We want justice, you say how, ICE out of Durham now!” “When immigrants are under attack what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” Leticia Zavala from EFEN, a reform group within the farmworkers’ union FLOC, addressed the recent death of Jaime Alan í s Garcia  during an ICE raid in California.  She said, “Hearing the story of what happened to our companero, we understand that it’s something that has been happening for a long time. Workers are dying. Dying to provide food for us and it’s not the first time. EFEN has been fighting against the deaths of farmworkers since COVID began. Of the H-2A workers that come here, since 2020, 27 bodies have been sent back. COVID, heat, accidents on the job, and it keeps happening. We understand as immigrants that ICE is an accomplice in that system.” It was unclear whether the statistic referred to bodies sent back to Latin America as a whole and whether the deaths occurred in North Carolina or nationwide. The hazards facing H-2A farmworkers in North Carolina were illustrated by the death of José Arturo Gónzalez Mendoza in September 2023. He collapsed while harvesting sweet potatoes in 96-degree heat index conditions without adequate breaks or shade. The employer, Barnes Farming, failed to call 911 or provide first aid but received only a moderate fine and no jail time . José  was from Guanajuato, Mexico [ 2 ] . Mexico is the largest country of origin for US immigrants. Beginning in the 1990s, NAFTA severely harmed Mexican campesinos by undermining small-scale agriculture. The neoliberal treaty flooded Mexican markets with subsidized US crops, particularly corn, driving many small farmers into poverty and spurring mass migration to the US. When farmworkers organize with groups like EFEN to demand better conditions, employers can retaliate by calling ICE. Many agribusiness owners in North Carolina, such as Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler, are right-wing Trump supporters. Barnes Farming  is  owned by the husband of Republican state senator Lisa Barnes. “ICE is just a strategy to keep us more exploited”, continued the Zavala. “We need to keep on our toes and we need to keep fighting, OK? When worker rights are under attack, what do we do?”  “Stand up, fight back!” the crowd responded. Leticia Zavala from EFEN. Image credit: @clairebyphotos Signs in the crowd included “Plenos Derechos Para Todos Los Inmigrantes”, “Justice for Jaime”, “Defender A Las Familias Inmigrantes”, “La Vivienda Es Un Derecho Humano”, “No Te Rajes”, “Defeat Trump’s Billionaire Agenda”, and “Nobody Is Illegal”. Members of PSL canvassed attendees about their reasons for protesting and asked for ideas on the next steps for the pro-immigrant movement. In front of the Marriott Hotel, an activist appealed to passing drivers with a megaphone in one hand and picket sign in the other. Many drivers honked in support. A PSL speaker said, “In Trump’s budget bill is $160 billion dollars allocated to ICE.”  “Shame!” shouted the crowd. She continued, “Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands or millions of Americans are being stripped of food stamps and Medicaid. Remember those numbers the next time they tell you there is no money for healthcare and education!” Andrea Cazales, a NICU nurse and Ward 1 city council candidate, also spoke at Wednesday’s event. The incumbent in Ward 1 is DeDreana Freeman, known for progressive stances on annexation and rezoning cases, city workers issues, and a Gaza ceasefire resolution  [ 3 ]. Cazales said, “Even after working 12 hours at a hospital, taking care of families, I show up. We show up. As I cared for babies and their families in the NICU in Durham, ICE agents were stationed earlier today at Durham County Courthouse, just blocks away. That’s why we are here today, and not just today, but why we’ll continue to be here every single day.” She continued, “I am the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Even as I pour my heart into taking care of growing families here in Durham, I live with the fear that my own family, my loved ones, could be taken away at any moment.” Cazales ended her remarks with the chant, “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” Andrea Cazales, candidate in Ward 1. Image credit: @clairebyphotos The slogan, which means “the people united will never be defeated”, echoed down Corcoran and Blackwell Streets as the crowd marched to the courthouse. Aside from Cazales, no elected officials joined this part of the march. The marchers cut behind the Aloft Hotel, crossed South Mangum Street, and streamed into the courtyard. Speeches resumed beneath the thick, gray columns of the Durham County Courthouse. A farmworker advocate said, “The work that my parents did brought food to people’s tables. We have always had a huge impact in this country and COVID only made that clearer in terms of how much this country depends on farmworkers where 99 percent of farmworkers are Latino. We do not deserve to get the death penalty for trying to bring food to the table, trying to provide. That is unfortunately what happened to Jaime [Alanís Garcia] and nobody deserves to die on the job.” On July 10, Garcia fell 30 feet from a greenhouse roof while trying to escape an ICE raid in California. The ICE agents that raided the farm were disguised in balaclavas and rode in unmarked trucks with no license plates. The day after his fall, on July 11, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction barring ICE from arresting suspects solely on the basis of skin color or language. Jaime succumbed to his wounds on July 12 [ 4 ]. He was from Mitrocan, Mexico. A member of the Autonomous Brown Beret Party said, “It’s not a crime for our people to want to be here and it’s not a crime to be proud of our heritage. I see people flying their flags and there is nothing wrong with it. I want to quote MLK real quick, ‘We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. We must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force’. We must learn not to fight hate with hate, for there are brothers of ours here from all races fighting alongside us for our freedom.” In 2024, when Trump was reelected, a Gallup poll showed that 55 percent of Americans wanted lower levels of immigration. That figure has dropped to 30 percent in 2025. The same poll reported that 64 percent of Americans viewed immigration as “a good thing” in 2024. In 2025, that share had risen to 79 percent  [ 5 ]. Image credit: Gallup Work Cited ICE agents at Durham Courthouse spark alarm, protests. (2025, July 23). Indyweek . https://indyweek.com/news/durham/ice-agents-at-durham-courthouse-spark-alarm-protests/ Scientists call for using more accurate metrics to gauge extreme heat after farmworker’s death in Nash County. (2024, March 19). North Carolina Health News.   https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2024/03/19/scientists-measure-extreme-heat-migrant-worker-death-barnes-nash-county/ After progressive stands, Freeman faces multiple challengers for Ward 1 Durham City Council seat. (2025, July 11). Durham Dispatch. https://www.durhamdispatch.com/post/after-progressive-stands-freeman-faces-multiple-challengers-in-ward-1-durham-city-council Farmworker dies fleeing an immigration raid in southern California. (2025, July 14). New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/us/immigration-raids-farmworker-death.html Surge in U.S. concern about immigration has abated. (2025, July 11). Gallup . https://news.gallup.com/poll/692522/surge-concern-immigration-abated.aspx

An aerial view of Durham shows widespread flooding on July 6. Heavy rain brought even more flooding later the same week. Image credit: News & Observer Tropical Storm Chantal, and the downpour that swamped the upper Neuse and Haw River basins on July 6, was a symptom of much larger problems: climate change and global warming. “This is what global warming looks like: more frequent and severe rainstorms, leading to more challenging flood events,” said Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop. “Floods challenge our stormwater and wastewater infrastructure, making it more likely that our waterways and other resources are being polluted. For example, Hillsborough experienced several sewage spills due to being inundated from Sunday’s heavy rains.” Five to 8 inches of rain delivered by the first tropical storm to make U.S. landfall this hurricane season. With it, came record-breaking flooding: water levels on the Eno River crested at 25 feet — higher than the Eno saw during Hurricane Fran more than 29 years ago — while the Haw River crested at 32 feet. The Eno River is a tributary of Falls Lake in the Neuse watershed. On Wednesday, more heavy rain — this time unaffiliated with a tropical system — delivered more urban flooding in Durham and surrounding areas. The sign reads: “The Eno River rose to the level of this sign post during Hurricane Fran on.” The rest of the sign is underwater due to Tropical Storm Chantal flooding. Image credit: North Carolina Weather Authority Some responsibility for Chantal’s historic flooding in central N.C. can be attributed to land use in urban areas. Fifty percent of rain falling on land with natural ground cover soaks into the ground; 40% of it evaporates or is taken in by plants; and 10% becomes stormwater runoff. When rain falls on areas with 75% or more impervious surface such as pavement, parking lots and rooftops, 30% is evaporated or taken up by water from plants; only 15% soaks into the ground; and 55% becomes stormwater runoff. “We can mitigate flooding by protecting our forests and wetlands, which act as nature’s sponges,” Samantha said. “We can also build with less pavement — the more pavement we lay on the ground, the less the landscape can absorb stormwater. When it can’t be absorbed, stormwater flows into our creeks, overtops our riverbanks and floods our homes and communities.” In response to Sunday’s flooding, Riverkeeper organization Haw River Assembly is doing well-water testing for those impacted by Tropical Storm Chantal. Free E. coli testing kits are being handed out at multiple locations this week: Thursday, July 10, 1:30 – 6 p.m., at Steel String Brewery (Alamance County) and Duke Campus Farm (Orange County); Friday, July 11, 1:30 – 5:45 p.m. at Chatham County Public Library (Pittsboro). Samantha said Sound Rivers’ Riverkeeping team made a donation from the Water Quality Fund to support the well-testing. She has confirmed that currently no government agency is doing free well-testing in Durham. To learn more about how global warming-driven climate change affects weather and water quality (as we’ve already seen with Tropical Storm Chantal and the West Texas flooding tragedy), listen to Sound Rivers’ podcast “Storm Warning.” Would you like to donate to Sound Rivers’ Water Quality Fund? We’d love your help! This article was first published by Sound Rivers .

Charlotte City Worker Union chapter of UE150 members rally at City Hall on May 12, 2025 This spring, city workers across the state pressed forward the campaign to raise wages. The goal? $25 per hour for all and fair pay. While we did not yet win both, the union did successfully secure millions of dollars of wage increases in Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro and Raleigh, including an increase to $24 per hour for city workers in Charlotte. On Monday, May 12, Charlotte City Worker Union members spoke out at the budget hearing, alongside members of the People’s Budget Coalition for raising the minimum wage to $25/hr, 6% raise, affordable housing, criminal justice reform and more. “We are living in such a time that it is difficult to dedicate ourselves to city work and then and come home and afford all the other things that everyone else is afforded,” Robert Davis, President Charlotte UE150 chapter, told reporters. On June 3, in a super narrow vote of 6 to 5, we lost the vote on raising wages to $25 per hour. Last year, UE150 won a $2 million fund for city workers to get down payment assistance to buy a home. Yet, according to UE International Representative Kass Ottley, “A lot of them have tried to apply for the home down payment assistance program, and they don’t make enough money to be able to qualify, and that’s heartbreaking.” Workers in other cities also won this year Durham UE150 members won 11.8% raise for lowest wage earners, bringing the minimum to $21.90 per hour and a Step Pay Plan bringing up all other workers by 6.45%. Workers in Durham had fought to change the language of the Universal Living Wage Ordinance, which is based on HUD Housing rates for the last four years. Raleigh City Worker Union members won an 11% raise, the highest in many years. Due to our organizing, this is also the first time, in many years, that police did not receive a higher wage increase compared to general employees. Willie Brown, George Bacote, Gerald Wallace meet with Durham City Council members On March 17, the City of Durham held their first budget hearing. Three union members - Chris Benjamin, Gerald Wallace and Rob Wilkerson - waited up until 11:00pm at night to be called on to speak. This level of commitment should be applauded. Rob Wilkerson, a street sweeper in Public Works told the council, “It’s workers like myself that worked last month during the snow storm, to prepare and plow the roads to help make sure everyone else could get to work safely. Yet, it still seems we are not paid enough for our essential work.” Greensboro City Workers Union has also been busy this spring. They hosted a rally for “Living Wages, Safety and Respect on the job”. While they demanded a higher raise there, they did secure a 4% raise for our members. They also participated in nationwide actions on January 25 to reject Trump’s attacks on workers. Union members met with several Greensboro City Council members along with the City Manager Nathaniel “Trey” Davis to present their budget proposal. Workers shared economic statistics to show what a real living wage looks like and why they deserve to be paid more. “We deserve to be able to live in the city we work for’, they stated. This article was first published by UE Local 150 .

Matt Kopac (top), Andrea Cazales (middle), Elijah King (bottom), and DeDreana Freeman (right) Since 2017, DeDreana Freeman has served Ward 1 on Durham city council. Her tenure has been notable for progressive stances on development issues, city worker wages, and a Gaza ceasefire resolution. So far, challengers for the Ward 1 seat include Matt Kopac, a corporate sustainability advisor, Dr. Andrea Cazales, a NICU nurse, and Elijah King, the third vice chair of the state Democratic Party. Development The sharpest division on the Durham city council is a 4-3 split on development issues. Javiera Caballero, mayor pro tempore Mark-Antony Middleton, Carl Rist, and mayor Leonardo Williams rubber-stamp virtually all requests by property developers for zoning changes and consolidated annexations. Freeman, Chelsea Cook, and Nate Baker are less inclined to approve such requests, voting in favor around two-thirds of the time. A recent development case, the Pickett Road Rezoning in March 2025, gives insight into the disagreements between the groups. Ascension Construction, a Maryland development company, asked city council for a rezoning decision that would allow 140 apartments on a small parcel of land in southeast Durham. Ascension’s case, argued by Nil Ghosh of Morningstar Law Group, was approved by the typical 4-3 vote. The council’s majority group noted that the Pickett Road Rezoning was within the urban growth boundary, praised the high density of apartments, and thanked the development company for its proffer of sidewalk funding and 10% of units set aside for residents earning below the Area Median Income. If rezoning was denied, Caballero and Middleton warned, the landowner could theoretically build an inferior 'by right' project with less density and more expensive types of housing. During the debate over the rezoning decision, Rist plugged the book Abundance , which calls for deregulation of the housing market. The three-member minority opposed the rezoning, but acknowledged that the rezoning request had some merits. Freeman said, “whenever there is a watershed, I’m a guaranteed no” and “when there are areas you know … have an ecological character such as Sandy Creek, it’s incredibly important to be good stewards of that area” [ 1, 2:39:20 , 2:43:30 ]. She cautioned about building near floodplains and wetlands due to the threat of climate change. Cook said that “if it were in a different location I think that this would look really, really attractive” due to the housing density and the affordable units, but declined to support since the “connectivity is not there, the accessibility is not there” due to Pickett Road lacking sidewalks or even road shoulders [ 1, 3:05:00 , 3:07:30 ]. Baker felt the proposal was “better than many big rezonings that we see” but pointed out that “there isn’t really much to walk to” in terms of nonresidential amenities like a shopping mall or grocery store [ 1, 2:20:15 , 2:22:55 ]. Since Ascension was assured of a 4-3 victory, Freeman and her allies may have voted against the Pickett Road Rezoning to send a 'do better' message to the city's property developers. Durham city council votes in 2024 on zoning changes and consolidated annexations Source: Bull City Public Investigators [ 2 ] In November 2024, Freeman showed her willingness to stand up to powerful developers. She criticized two CEOs of development companies by name and threw in one of their lawyers for good measure during a hearing on the Doc Nichols Road Annexation. Freeman said, “I want to be really blatantly honest. I am always disgusted whenever it’s a Jarrod Edens, Tim Sivers situation because I don’t feel like they respect this city. And we just continuously take it as they give it. Every time that Nil Ghosh comes up it’s always a very tenuous conversation because he knows he has the votes. It’s just hard to be really honest and sincere in these discussions in a way that’s actually beneficial to the residents of this community without acknowledging those situations that are on this side of this in a real way.” [ 3, 2:11:15 ] Edens owns Edens Investments and Sivers owns Qunity. In March 2023, Edens accused the former councilwoman Dr. Monique Hosley-Hyman of extortion after she voted against the Carpenter Falls Annexation, one of Edens’ projects. Months later, the Durham district attorney announced that an North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation found “ no evidence of extortion or misconduct”, but Holsey-Hyman had been successfully smeared and she wasn’t re-elected  [ 4 ]. She had been one of Freeman’s allies on development issues. How would the Ward 1 challengers handle the annexation and rezoning cases that come before Durham city council? Kopac is a member of the Durham Planning Commission and therefore well qualified to decide on development cases. According to an observer of the commission who supports the minority group, his votes on annexation and rezoning tend to fall between the council’s two factions. Regarding the Picket Road Rezoning mentioned earlier, Kopac voted not to recommend the project. During a 2020 race for county commission, his major endorsements came from leading figures in the People’s Alliance (PA) such as Caballero and former mayor Steve Schewel [ 5 ]. If elected, Kopac would likely lean more toward the majority group on development issues than Freeman. Cazales’ website mentions zoning in passing but doesn’t take a clear position on annexation and rezoning cases. In a recent social media post, Cazales seemed sympathetic to residents opposed the Howards Property Annexation [ 6 ]. Regarding that annexation, Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop said, “We will continue to fight for a better alternative to this sprawl-style approach to development and growth. As it is, I am grateful for those three councilmembers who continue to stand up for Durham’s residents.” The three members were Freeman, Cook, and Baker [ 7 ] . King’s campaign website includes a section on housing issues called A Place to Call Home For Everyone , but it doesn’t explain how he’d vote on the annexation and rezoning cases if elected to city council [ 8 ]. City Workers Municipal employees in Durham dealt with real-terms pay cuts for at least two years after COVID struck. As the FY23-24 budget was debated, the city council split 4-3 on how quickly to raise wages back to ‘normal’ (below a living wage in many cases). Freeman and her allies took a losing vote in favor of raising wages more rapidly. Over the next year, union activism by city workers and shifting public opinion moved the city council towards Freeman’s position. When the FY24-25 budget was passed, UE Local 150 was able to celebrate its “largest wage increases in many years” [ 9 ] .   Step raises for city workers were skipped in the FY20–21 budget and unusually low in FY21–22. During this period of real-terms wage cuts, the city council poured tens of millions of dollars into Durham’s rainy-day fund (general fund unassigned), which spiked from $51.9 million in FY19-20 to a record high of $76.5 million in FY22–23 [ 10, pg. 161 ] . In June 2023, before a final vote on the FY23-24 budget, former mayor Elaine O’Neal introduced a motion to give firefighters ‘reclassifications’ skipped during COVID, which would have set aside $8 million for pay raises. The motion was voted down 4-3. Freeman, Hosley-Hyman, and O’Neal voted in favor. Middleton, Caballero, Williams, and former council member Jillian Johnson voted against. The FY23-24 budget was approved by a 4-3 vote, with no reclassifications for firefighters [ 11 ].   City Worker Wage Increases Wage Increases: FY18–19 [ 12a, pg. 5 ], FY19–20 [ 12b, pg. 4 ], FY20–21 [ 12c, pg. 3 ], FY21–22 [ 12d, pg. 3 ], FY22–23 [ 12e, pg. 13 ], FY23–24 [ 12f, pg. 15 ], FY24-25 [ 12g, pg. 15 ], FY25-26 [ 12h, pg. 15 ] Market Adjustments: FY20-21 [UE Local 150], FY22–23 [ 12e, pg. 19 ], FY23–24 [ 12f, pg. 21 ], FY24-25 [ 12g, pg. 19 ], FY25-26 [ 12h, pg. 12 ] Bonuses: FY21–22 [ 12d, pg. 10 ], FY23–24 [ 13 ] Inflation Rate [ 15 ] Budget Votes: FY18–19 [ 16a, 29:30 ], FY19–20 [ 16b, 1:41:30 ], FY20–21 [ 16c, 3:35:00 ], FY21–22 [ 16d, 50:00 ], FY22–23 [ 16e, 2:13:00 ], FY23–24 [ 16f, 2:52:00 ], FY24-25 [ 16g, 1:39:00 ], FY25-26 [ 16h, 1:53:00 ] Middleton called O’Neal’s motion “posturing”. Williams was dismissive and said, “We can’t just swipe our credit card and say all right, oh well.” [ 11 ] Durham’s rainy-day fund was stocked with tens of millions of dollars at the time. In September 2023, city workers in the Department of Solid Waste Management held a ‘stand down’ action. The News and Observer described how the sanitation workers “refused to load the city’s trucks, leaving trash and recycling bins at the curb, prompting the city to send independent contractors on their routes.” [ 13 ] The strike’s causes were clear enough. Years of low pay and low raises had driven many city workers to pick up second jobs, move outside of Durham for cheaper housing, or simply quit. The city's inability to recruit or retain workers was driving up vacancy rates in many city departments. In October 2023, the Department of Public Works had only 55 out of 177 positions filled, a 69% vacancy rate [ 14 ]. City workers petition Durham city council for a living wage. Image Credit: News and Observer The ‘stand down’ was technically illegal but it succeeded. The city council coughed up $6.5 million for bonuses, with all city workers receiving bonuses between $1,000 and 5,000. The strike was a turning point. UE Local 150 continued to strengthen itself and mobilized a great deal of public support over the following year. As a result, $28 million was set aside for raises in the FY24-25 budget, which passed unanimously. Municipal employees got an average raise of $8,000, with some up to $15,000 [ 9 ]. Caballero and Johnson, closely identified with the PA, voted against the motion to reclassify firefighters in FY23-24. Before the next budget vote, the PA bloc shuffled its personnel and shifted its position. Johnson stepped down and Carl Rist was elected. In January 2024, the city workers union reported that in a meeting with Caballero and Rist, the PA figures “vaguely committed to support us” on some priorities, while still opposing on other items such as reclassification of Solid Waste workers and a $25 per hour minimum wage for city workers. Vacancy Rates in Durham City Departments Citywide Public Works Emergency Comms Police Solid Waste Fire 16% 17% 34% 29% 7% 13% Source: Indyweek, September 2024 [ 17 ] Middleton and Williams remained oppositional in FY24-25, according to UE Local 150. Asked about city workers inability to afford living in Durham, the union claimed Williams said, "I never promised that city workers would be able to live in the city. It is out of my control." [ 9 ] In contrast, UE Local 150 reported that Freeman, Cook, and Baker “firmly pledged support for our demands” in meetings held before the FY24-25 budget vote. Freeman and her allies also supported reclassification of Solid Waste workers, modifying the Living Wage Ordinance to pay workers at least $25 per hour, and calculating annual steps in a way that would be more fair to lower paid employees. They were unable to find a fourth vote to push through these items. What are the stances of other candidates for Ward 1 on the issues of Durham city workers? Kopac has a record of supporting labor unions and worker rights, but no publicly available view on the demands of Durham municipal employees in the last few years. He founded the Durham Living Wage Project and has attended rallies held by the Durham Association of Educators and Poor People’s Campaign. Cazales has no public views on Durham city workers and her social media feeds don't directly comment on trade unions and worker rights. She has spoken out strongly against ICE, a vital form of advocacy for immigrant communities and undocumented members of the working class. In a post about an anti-ICE event, Cazales thanked Triangle Tenant Union and the Party for Socialism and Liberation Triangle chapter for their participation. King has never commented on the issues of Durham municipal employees. He occasionally posts on social media in support of labor causes, such as a shout out for the Durham Association of Educators in June 2024. King’s platform includes a section called Small Business, Big Impact that mentions the word “business” forty eight times and the word “owner” seven times [ 18 ]. The word “worker” is mentioned five times, never in relation to trade unions or workers rights. The words “union” and “labor” are mentioned zero times. Gaza In February 2024, Freeman voted in favor of a Gaza ceasefire resolution that passed 5-2 in Durham city council. After casting her vote, she said that she believed Israel’s assault in Gaza rose to the level of genocide. Freeman, Baker, Cook, Caballero, and Rist voted in favor of the resolution. Middleton and Williams voted against it. During the ceasefire hearing, Middleton explained how in 2023 he was flown out to Israel for a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Knesset [ 19, 5:24:00 ]. Before voting against the resolution, Williams remarked that “ignorance is not always intentional, so I ask for your grace” [ 19, 5:45:45 ]. Kopac and King seem to have never mentioned Gaza or Palestine on their campaign websites or social media, although the variety and type of accounts makes it difficult to say with certainty. Kopac has been vocal on other international issues. On X, he called for “devastating sanctions” on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, criticized US ally Qatar’s use of forced labor to prepare for the World Cup, noted the growing authoritarianism of US-backed Salvadoran dictator Nayib Bukele, and even mourned the death of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who opposed the US invasion of South Vietnam. As a supporter of Durham county commissioner Nida Allam, Kopac indirectly criticized AIPAC for spending about $2 million to support Valerie Foushee during the 2022 primary race in NC-4 [ 20 ]. However, the post revolved around Foushee’s stance on campaign finance, rather than Palestinian rights. Cazales posted an Instagram video in June 2025 that showed her participating in pro-Palestine chants, with a caption that drew parallels between the Mexico-US border wall and the separation wall that runs through the West Bank. She was attending a rally called "From LA to Raleigh: ICE Out". Cazales has several other posts showing support with Palestine. In the summer 2021, King worked as a congressional staffer for former Rep. Kathy Manning, according to his Instagram. Throughout her tenure, Rep. Manning was known as a fervent supporter of Israel. King has never shared a personal view of the issue. Ceasefire event at Durham city council in February 2024. Image credit: Leslie St. Dre / Indyweek Work Cited “Durham city council March 17 2025.” YouTube: City of Durham NC ,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb_7s9D_Q5w “How Durham city council voted on development in 2024.” Bull City Public Investigators , 17 December 2024, https://bcpi.substack.com/p/how-durham-city-council-voted-on “Durham city council November 18 2024.” YouTube: City of Durham NC ,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63oBFdmfI8k “Durham Council Member Cleared by State Investigators Over Developer’s Extortion Allegation, Claims of Using City Staff for Campaign Work.” Indyweek, 19 September 2023,  https://indyweek.com/news/durham/durham-council-member-cleared-by-state-investigators-over-developers-extortion-allegations/ “List of Endorsements.” Facebook: Matt Kopac, 2 March 2020,  https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=198375718240055&set=a.120101872734107 “Post about Durham city council meeting.” Instagram: Andrea Cazales Instagram , 12 May 2025,  https://www.instagram.com/p/DJjw7koRBdl/ “Durham council approves Howard property development.” Sound Rivers, 8 May 2025,  https://soundrivers.org/durham-council-approves-howard-property-development/ “A Place to Call Home.” Elijah King for Durham ,  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SDn3BYHjVXBsdFxZOioQYbtJ_-x5qbJ9/view UE Local 150, “Durham City Workers Win Largest Wage Increases in Many Years, But Fight for Fair Pay Continues.” Durham Dispatch, 23 June 2024,  https://www.durhamdispatch.com/post/durham-city-workers-win-largest-wage-increases-in-many-years-but-fight-for-fair-pay-continues “Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023”. City of Durham , https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/53931/CITY-OF-DURHAM-FY23-ACFR---FINAL “Durham’s budget passes at fiery meeting. What each City Council member said.” Raleigh News & Observer, 21 June 2023,  https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article276583981.html City of Durham Adopted Budgets “Fiscal Year 2018–2019.” City of Durham , https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/22131/FY-2018-19-Adopted-Budget “Fiscal Year 2019–2020.” City of Durham , https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/27412/FY20-Final-Budget “Fiscal Year 2020–2021.” City of Durham , https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/32352/FY21-Final-Budget-Book?bidId= “Fiscal Year 2021–2022.” City of Durham , https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/39290/FY22-Adopted-Budget-Book?bidId= “Fiscal Year 2022–2023.” City of Durham , https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/46235/Final-FY23-Budget-Book “Fiscal Year 2023–2024.” City of Durham , https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/52197/Fiscal-Year-2023-24-Adopted-Budget “Fiscal Year 2024–2025.” City of Durham , hhttps:// www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/57292/FY25-COD-Adopted-Budget-Book “Fiscal Year 2025–2026.” City of Durham , https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/60473/FY26-Proposed-Budget-Book “City workers declare victory after Durham Oks bonuses. Here’s what they’ll get.” Raleigh News & Observer, 5 October 2023,  https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article280117114.html " North Carolina Sanitation Workers Strike for $5K Bonuses ." Labor Notes, 5 October 2023, https://labornotes.org/2023/10/north-carolina-sanitation-workers-strike-5k-bonuses “Current US Inflation Rates: 2000-2025.” US Inflation Calculator, https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/ “Budget Votes.” YouTube: City of Durham NC FY18-19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwJOSj-j3e8 FY19-20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nlbPcGG49I FY20-21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Len8GC3BB0M FY21-22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz5ye1Jdsh8 FY22-23: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCgLdQSXxZ4 FY23-24: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txEOqUzypjE FY24-25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbR2-FO3Sf0 FY25-26: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc4_5Ecg8kQ “Records Show Vacancies Across City of Durham Departments”, Indyweek, 11 November 2024, https://indyweek.com/news/durham/records-show-vacancies-across-city-of-durham-departments/ “Powered by People: Small Business, Big Impact.” Elijah King for Durham ,  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MkWKYVDG4x1GlFGqTk1UrqI_dM5wwF7j/view “Durham city council February 19 2024.” YouTube: City of Durham NC ,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwgMfJf8bp4 “Tweet about Foushee and Allam.” X: Matt Kopac, 13 May 2022, https://x.com/mattkopac/status/1525205973652148224

Community members outside the commissioners meeting. Image credit: Caroline Hansley and Rachel York By Aidan L., "No SSEP" organizer with 7 Directions of Service and the Haw River Assembly I'm excited to let you know that on June 5th, World Environment Day, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution on SSEP 9-0! Congratulations to all the organizers involved in getting Guilford County to pass a bipartisan resolution stating that they have safety concerns over SSEP. They'll be submitting the resolution to FERC and the NC General Assembly. You can find a recording of the meeting  here .  Dozens of community members showed up at the Old County Courthouse on June 5th to show their support for the resolution amidst the busiest time of year for Guilford County - budget season. The energy in the room was contagious; residents of Guilford County packed the rotunda. The second-floor balcony was full, and there was standing room in the back only! I had the honor of providing an overview of organizing efforts to the Guilford Commissioners on behalf of the NoSSEP coalition. Here is a portion of my comments:  “We have presented to you a diverse range of folks who are concerned across Guilford County, more than 1,000 different voices have voiced their opposition to the project, representing different ages, political backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, and yes, even folks with conflicting views on renewable energy. … But we have one thing in common: demanding action from our elected officials to protect us from corporate greed for unnecessary and dangerous projects like SSEP. So, thank you for taking action tonight. We appreciate you listening to us.”  Aidan delivering a powerful comment urging commissioners to oppose SSEP. Image credit: Caroline Hansley and Rachel York Commissioner Brandon Gray-Hill then introduced the resolution before the Board voted on it. The County's resolution is attached below. While this resolution could have been stronger (explicit opposition, asking for an EIS, etc.), this is still a great victory for our efforts! A unanimous, bipartisan resolution on an issue like this is a BIG DEAL! The commissioners’ resolution is the second of its kind –  the town of Midway voted to oppose the project  on May 5, urging Transco “to thoroughly investigate the option of a no-build alternative and to publicly report the findings with full detail and transparency.” The commissioner’s focus on safety concerns comes as news comes out that the controversial  Mountain Valley Pipeline fired an inspector for reporting corrosion of the pipe  that could have led to an explosion. MVP’s Southgate extension would run parallel to SSEP. A packed room full of folks holding “SSEP: No Benefits Only Risks” signs. Image credit: Caroline Hansley and Rachel York In response, the Sierra Club, 7 Directions of Service, Haw River Assembly, and Mothers Out Front released a joint statement, which you can read in full here . Efforts in Guilford County will not stop as community members continue to hold the Oak Ridge town council accountable for representing their community's voice, as well as continuing to pressure elected officials throughout Guilford County to stay informed and active with this proposed project. On to Forsyth! As always, this is Aidan wishing community care, light, and love. This article was first published by 7 Directions of Service .

Town-Gown Unity Against Trump Attacks The People’s Alliance joins our allies in the Durham community in urging the Duke administration to pursue a budget adjustment process that is fair, transparent, and minimizes harm to Durham’s most vulnerable residents, who should not be asked to shoulder the heaviest weight of Donald Trump’s unconstitutional and authoritarian attacks on higher education.   We recognize that Trump’s ongoing assault on our nation’s universities has jeopardized at least $500 million in federal grants, contracts, and other funding sources at Duke. Hundreds of millions of dollars in existing Duke research grants have already been cut, frozen, or eliminated. Taken together, Duke is facing a loss of almost 15% of its roughly $3.5 billion budget—a massive hole that must somehow be filled.   Given the magnitude of this threat, some level of painful budget cuts and staff layoffs are likely inevitable. However, People’s Alliance is deeply concerned about reports that the Duke administration has designed and rolled out these cuts without any meaningful input from key university stakeholders, including Duke unions, faculty, and rank-and-file staff. Even worse, Duke’s leadership is asking many of its lower paid and most vulnerable workers to bear the brunt of these cuts, while apparently shielding the highest-paid staff and administrators. This is deeply unfair.   Duke is Durham’s largest employer and our residents are a critical customer base and source of revenue for the Duke hospital system, so what happens to Duke’s workers deeply impacts the Durham community. Given the consequences for Durham, the People’s Alliance calls on Duke to open up their budget adjustment process to key stakeholders, minimize the pain inflicted on its lowest-paid workers, and require the highest paid administrators to share the burden of any cost-saving measures the university adopts.   Finally, we urge Duke administrators, Durham community leaders, and elected officials to explore avenues for cooperation in the face of Trump’s assault on American life. We can no longer afford to bury our heads in the sand and hope that he will somehow forget about progressive cities like Durham or that Duke will be the one university that he miraculously decides not to target like he’s already targeted Harvard, Penn, Columbia, and the rest.   This President is coming for all of us. It’s only a matter of time. Fighting each other—instead of fighting back—will allow him to pick us off one by one. The only hope for American democracy is that we hang together, or we shall assuredly hang alone. This statement was first published by the People's Alliance .