Durham Dispatch

¡La Organización Funciona! ¡Duke, Paga Lo Que Te Corresponde! (Español Abajo) In this piece, UFE’s Victor Urquiza tells the story of the powerful grassroots organizing that built the broad Durham Rising coalition and secured notable wage gains for Duke workers. UFE is proud to have brought our toolkit of economic justice movement supports to this ongoing fight for a better Durham for all. Protest at Duke Founders Day / Protesta en el Día de los Fundadores de Duke (Picture credit / Crédito de la imagen: Durham Rising) On March 4, 2026, Duke University announced that it will raise its minimum wage to $20 per hour for both the University and the Hospital, making it among the highest minimum wages offered by regional universities and health systems in North Carolina. In its statement, the University said, “This investment is about more than compensation—it’s about recognizing what our team members bring to our patients, their families, and each other every day.” What Duke University failed to mention in its statement was the months of tireless organizing by teachers, students, unions, and the Durham community demanding that Duke pay its fair share! The Spark Before I started working at United for a Fair Economy in January 2024, I was involved in a historic “stand down” led by the Durham Public Sector Workers Union UE150, a longtime economic justice partner of UFE in NC. In September 2023, sanitation workers in Durham, NC held a six-day strike, or “stand down,” protesting low wages and the high cost of living, and demanding $5,000 bonuses. While this militant action did result in major material improvements for the workers, including bonuses, many of their demands were not fully met. Sanitation workers speak out during their Stand Down (Photo credit: PSL Triangle) One of the main reasons the city gave for why it could not fully meet the workers’ demands was that there simply was not enough money, and that the only way to generate more would be by increasing taxes on the Durham community. This is a typical excuse given by local governments to justify a lack of funding for public workers. If the city was unwilling to pay, where else could these funds be found? For many longtime organizers in Durham, the solution was pretty simple: Who owns 11% of the land in Durham, has a $12.3 billion endowment, is the second-largest employer in North Carolina, and doesn’t pay its fair share of property taxes because of its nonprofit status? Duke University and its health care system. David vs. Goliath Almost 100 members of the Durham community joined to kick off the campaign (Photo credit: Duke Respect Durham Coalition) The Duke Respect Durham campaign, which later developed into Durham Rising, launched on September 14, 2024. This campaign sought to make Duke University pay its fair share in taxes. Without its nonprofit tax-exempt status, Duke University would owe at least $50 million annually in property taxes. Yet in 2023, Duke University and Duke Healthcare System paid only an estimated $1.3 million in property taxes. Meanwhile, working-class Durham residents, including Durham’s sanitation workers and Duke’s own workers, struggle to make ends meet, to pay for housing, and afford the basics. UFE played a key role in the development of the Duke Respect Durham campaign. We brought in coalition partners, especially people from immigrant, BIPOC, and low-wage worker groups, supporting members to establish and cultivate working relationships across differences that are key to our movement but were not in place previously. At meetings, we pushed for inclusive practices that could allow all voices, especially frequently marginalized ones, to be heard and have influence. We helped create media and visuals and to develop the narrative work to tell the story of this campaign in a moving and accessible way. We spread the word though outreach and community gatherings. And we supported meetings, events, and actions to provide childcare, food, and interpretation to increase participation of women and others with caregiving responsibilities, low-wage workers with many demands on their time, and immigrants. UFE’s approach to popular education and economic justice helped expand the scope of this campaign beyond a local struggle by providing a framework of an unfair systemic tax system that hoards wealth for the rich. The ongoing campaign to push Duke to pay its fair share in Durham speaks to the frustration many workers are feeling: the injustice within the city’s property tax system is blatant. There needs to be serious change now. Ultimately, this campaign developed beyond a fight for fair taxation into a broader class struggle between a massive institution and grassroots worker organizing. On May 8, 2025, the campaign expanded into Durham Rising, which put forward a set of demands. Durham Rising's Demands Dignified Work: Duke must pay $25 per hour, implement fair labor standards and benefits, and respect workers’ right to unionize. Duke must also hold contractors to the same standards. The Public Schools Our Students Deserve: Duke must contribute a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) to support public schools and educator salaries. Affordable Housing: Duke must build adequate affordable housing for students and graduate workers and contribute a PILOT to address the housing crisis. Public Infrastructure: Duke must contribute a PILOT to support Durham’s city services and the wages of city and county workers. Respect, Safety, and Protection: Duke must protect students, faculty, workers, programs, and services amid federal funding cuts, threats to freedom of speech, and deportation threats from ICE under the Trump administration. Launch of the Durham Rising Campaign (Photo credit: Durham Rising) Long Term Strategy to Win When this campaign launched, organizers understood that this would be a long fight. Duke has millions of dollars to fund its own campaigns to protect its reputation. It also has strong political and economic connections to powerful individuals in Durham and beyond. Its Board of Trustees is made up of millionaires and billionaires, including Apple CEO Tim Cook. However, what we had was the power of the masses on our side. With a petition that received over 10,000 signatures, the people of Durham made it clear that there is more than enough money to fund teachers, city workers, and housing. The question became: what kind of movement will it take to force Duke to meet these demands? Durham Rising is led by the Union of Southern Service Workers, UE 150, the Durham Association of Educators, Siembra NC, and Durham for All—organizations that represent a wide range of working-class communities and struggles. Mass protests, student walkouts, door knocking, a strong media campaign, candidate forums, press conferences, and more have all been used to wage this fight for better wages, economic justice, immigrant protections, and a better Durham for all. While the fight is far from over, it is clear that this Goliath — Duke University — is feeling the pressure. Duke did not raise wages out of the goodness of its heart, as it may claim, but because masses of workers spoke out. This victory belongs to the educators, students, service workers, and care providers who organized and demanded more. Durham Rising makes clear that the demand remains at least $25 per hour. Duke has more than enough resources to invest in its workforce and set a real standard for employers across the Triangle and universities nationwide. Through workshops, trainings, and building the mass movement, UFE is committed to supporting the movement for economic justice. In a state with one of the lowest unionization rates in the country — controlled by right-wing forces, shaped by “right-to-work” laws, and still grappling with the legacy of Jim Crow — these victories breathe new life into our movement. They demonstrate the power of working-class people and show that when we fight, we win. This article was first published by United for a Fair Economy. ¡La Organización Funciona! ¡Duke, Paga Lo Que Te Corresponde! En este artículo, Victor Urquiza, de UFE, relata la historia de la poderosa organización de base que forjó la amplia coalición Durham Rising y logró notables mejoras salariales para los trabajadores de Duke. UFE se enorgullece de haber aportado su conjunto de herramientas de apoyo a los movimientos por la justicia económica a esta lucha continua por un Durham mejor para todos. Protesta en el Día de los Fundadores de Duke (Crédito de la imagen: Durham Rising) El 4 de marzo de 2026, la Universidad de Duke anunció que aumentará su salario mínimo a $20 por hora tanto para la Universidad como para el Hospital, convirtiéndolo en uno de los salarios mínimos más altos ofrecidos por universidades y sistemas de salud en Carolina del Norte. En su comunicado, la Universidad dijo: “Esta inversión es más que compensación—se trata de reconocer lo que los miembros de nuestro equipo aportan a nuestros pacientes, sus familias y entre ellos todos los días.” Lo que la Universidad de Duke no mencionó en su comunicado fueron los meses de organización incansable por parte de docentes, estudiantes, sindicatos y la comunidad de Durham exigiendo que Duke pague lo que le corresponde. La Chispa Antes de comenzar a trabajar en United for a Fair Economy en enero de 2024, participé en un histórico “stand down” liderado por el Sindicato de Trabajadores del Sector Público de Durham UE150, un socio de en la lucha por la justicia económica con UFE en Carolina del Norte. En septiembre de 2023, los trabajadores de saneamiento en Durham, NC, realizaron una huelga de seis días, o “stand down”, en protesta por los bajos salarios y el alto costo de vida, exigiendo bonos de $5,000. Esta acción militante logró importantes mejoras materiales para los trabajadores, incluyendo bonos, pero muchas de sus demandas no se cumplieron completamente. Los trabajadores de saneamiento se pronuncian durante su “stand down”. (Crédito de la foto: PSL Triangle) Una de las principales razones que dio la ciudad para no poder cumplir totalmente con las demandas fue que simplemente no había suficiente dinero, y que la única forma de generar más sería aumentando los impuestos a la comunidad de Durham. Este es un pretexto típico que los gobiernos locales utilizan para justificar la falta de fondos para los trabajadores públicos. Si la ciudad no estaba dispuesta a pagar, ¿de dónde podrían salir esos fondos? Para muchos organizadores de Durham, la solución era bastante simple. ¿Quién posee el 11% de la tierra en Durham, tiene una dotación de $12.3 mil millones, es el segundo empleador más grande de Carolina del Norte y no paga lo que le corresponde en impuestos sobre la propiedad debido a su estatus de organización sin fines de lucro? La Universidad de Duke y su sistema de salud. David Contra Goliat Casi 100 miembros de la comunidad de Durham se unieron para lanzar la campaña (Crédito de la foto: Duke Respect Durham Coalition) La campaña Duke Respect Durham, que más tarde evolucionó a Durham Rising, se lanzó el 14 de septiembre de 2024. Esta campaña buscaba obligar a la Universidad de Duke a pagar lo que le corresponde en impuestos. Sin su estatus de exención fiscal como organización sin fines de lucro, la Universidad de Duke debería al menos $50 millones anuales en impuestos sobre la propiedad. Sin embargo, en 2023, la Universidad de Duke y su sistema de salud pagaron solo un estimado de $1.3 millones en impuestos sobre la propiedad. Mientras tanto, los residentes de clase trabajadora de Durham, incluidos los trabajadores de saneamiento y los propios trabajadores de Duke, luchan para llegar a fin de mes, pagar la vivienda y cubrir lo básico. UFE desempeñó fue fundamental en el desarrollo de la campaña Duke Respect Durham. Incorporamos socios de coalición, especialmente personas de comunidades inmigrantes, BIPOC y trabajadores de bajos salarios, apoyando a los miembros para establecer y fortalecer relaciones de trabajo entre diferentes sectores—algo fundamental para nuestro movimiento pero que antes no existía plenamente. En las reuniones, impulsamos prácticas inclusivas que permitieran que todas las voces, especialmente las más marginadas, fueran escuchadas e influyeran. Ayudamos a crear materiales mediáticos y visuales, así como a desarrollar la narrativa para contar la historia de esta campaña de manera conmovedora y accesible. Difundimos el mensaje mediante trabajo comunitario y reuniones, y apoyamos la organización de encuentros, eventos y acciones proporcionando cuidado infantil, comida e interpretación para aumentar la participación de mujeres, personas con responsabilidades de cuidado, trabajadores de bajos salarios con poco tiempo disponible, e inmigrantes. El enfoque de UFE en la educación popular y la justicia económica ayudó a ampliar el alcance de esta campaña más allá de una lucha local, proporcionando un marco que evidencia un sistema fiscal injusto que concentra la riqueza en manos de los ricos. La campaña en curso para presionar a Duke a pagar lo que le corresponde refleja la frustración de muchos trabajadores: la injusticia en el sistema de impuestos sobre la propiedad de la ciudad es evidente. Se necesita un cambio profundo ahora. Esta campaña evolucionó más allá de una lucha por impuestos justos hacia una lucha de clases más amplia entre una gran institución y la organización de base de los trabajadores. El 8 de mayo de 2025, la campaña se expandió a Durham Rising, que presentó las siguientes demandas: Las Demandas de Durham Rising Trabajo digno: Duke debe pagar $25 por hora, implementar estándares laborales y beneficios justos, y respetar el derecho de los trabajadores a sindicalizarse. También debe exigir estos estándares a sus contratistas. Las escuelas públicas que nuestros estudiantes merecen: Duke debe contribuir con un PILOT (pago en lugar de impuestos) para apoyar las escuelas públicas y los salarios de los educadores. Vivienda asequible: Duke debe construir suficiente vivienda asequible para estudiantes y trabajadores de posgrado, y contribuir con un PILOT para abordar la crisis de vivienda. Infraestructura pública: Duke debe contribuir con un PILOT para apoyar los servicios de la ciudad y los salarios de los trabajadores municipales y del condado. Respeto, seguridad y protección: Duke debe proteger a estudiantes, profesorado, trabajadores, programas y servicios ante recortes federales, amenazas a la libertad de expresión y amenazas de deportación por parte de ICE bajo la administración Trump. Lanzamiento de la campaña Durham Rising. (Crédito de la foto: Durham Rising) Estrategia Larga Para Ganar Cuando se lanzó esta campaña, los organizadores entendían que sería una lucha larga. Duke tiene millones de dólares para financiar sus propias campañas y proteger su reputación. También cuenta con fuertes conexiones políticas y económicas con personas influyentes en Durham y más allá. Su Junta de Fideicomisarios está compuesta por millonarios y multimillonarios, incluido el CEO de Apple, Tim Cook. Sin embargo, lo que teníamos de nuestro lado era el poder de las masas. Con una petición que reunió más de 10,000 firmas, el pueblo de Durham dejó claro que hay más que suficiente dinero para financiar a los docentes, trabajadores municipales y la vivienda. La pregunta pasó a ser: ¿qué tipo de movimiento se necesita para obligar a Duke a cumplir estas demandas? Durham Rising está liderado por el Sindicato de Trabajadores de Servicios del Sur, UE 150, la Asociación de Educadores de Durham, Siembra NC y Durham for All—organizaciones que representan una amplia gama de comunidades y luchas de la clase trabajadora. Protestas masivas, paros estudiantiles, trabajo puerta a puerta, una fuerte campaña mediática, foros de candidatos, conferencias de prensa y más han sido herramientas clave en esta lucha por mejores salarios, justicia económica, protección para inmigrantes y un mejor Durham para todos. Aunque la lucha está lejos de terminar, está claro que este Goliat—la Universidad de Duke—está sintiendo la presión. Duke no aumentó los salarios por buena voluntad, como puede afirmar, sino porque las masas de trabajadores alzaron la voz. Esta victoria pertenece a los educadores, estudiantes, trabajadores de servicios y proveedores de cuidado que se organizaron y exigieron más. Sin embargo, Durham Rising deja claro que la demanda sigue siendo de al menos $25 por hora. Duke tiene más que suficientes recursos para invertir en su fuerza laboral y establecer un verdadero estándar para empleadores en el Triangle y universidades en todo el país. A través de talleres, capacitaciones y la construcción de un movimiento de masas, UFE está comprometida con apoyar la lucha por la justicia económica. En un estado con una de las tasas de sindicalización más bajas del país—controlado por fuerzas de derecha, moldeado por leyes de “derecho al trabajo” y aún lidiando con el legado de Jim Crow—estas victorias dan nueva vida a nuestro movimiento. Demuestran el poder de la clase trabajadora y muestran que cuando luchamos, ganamos. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente por United for a Fair Economy.

American Rivers today announced the Dan River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2026, citing threats from the construction of two major gas pipelines, Transco Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) and the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Project (MVP Southgate), that will cross North Carolina and Virginia and could jeopardize drinking water, wildlife habitat, and Indigenous cultural sites. “Energy production can’t come at the expense of our most vital of resources - our nation’s freshwater,” said Alice Broderick, spokesperson for American Rivers. “There is always a risk when pipelines are built along our rivers. These pipelines have to be constructed with the most stringent protections in place for the Dan River and the people that depend on it.” The Dan River originates in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and flows 214 miles east into North Carolina, joining the Roanoke River at Kerr Reservoir. It supplies drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people along its stretch. It also provides important habitat for endangered species, including the James spinymussel and Roanoke logperch, as well as freshwater mussels, otters, and migratory fish. The river also holds deep significance for Indigenous peoples, including the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Saura, and related Siouan-speaking communities, whose ancestral villages, burial sites, and ceremonial landscapes line its banks. “The Dan River is a life source for hundreds of thousands of people and a sacred cultural corridor for Indigenous communities. Any project that risks contaminating these waters or disturbing ancestral sites must be held to the highest legal and ethical standards. Consultation with all Indigenous leadership is not optional - it is a responsibility,” said Dr. Crystal Cavalier, Executive Director, 7 Directions of Service. The pipelines have both been permitted and could jeopardize the Dan River by increasing sedimentation, chemical contamination, and destabilization of riverbanks if not done with strict adherence to water quality standards. American Rivers is urging Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) and Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) to: Ensure state agencies enforce Clean Water Act requirements during pipeline construction. Hold pipeline companies accountable for protecting water quality, wildlife habitat, and Indigenous cultural sites. Consult with Indigenous leadership to assess potential risks and impacts for Tribal communities. For more details on this river and the full America’s Most Endangered Rivers® list of 2026, including the selection process, click here. This article was first published by 7 Directions of Service.

Image credit: UE Union During Nida Allam’s second attempt to unseat Rep. Valerie Foushee, the Triangle’s major labor unions and leftist parties did not unify or mobilize on her behalf. Progressive media, organizations, and politicians on the national level were enthusiastic about Allam, but this outside support didn’t make up the difference. During the election, canvassing capacity was divided between three different organizations. Many of the Triangle’s most capable organizing groups were focused on other priorities and didn’t engage with the electoral process. However, the local left has recently shown flashes of promise that could prove useful during the next attempt to drive the corporate establishment from the NC-04 Congressional seat. The Durham Association of Educators showed that a high level of mobilization is possible when an organization recruits and runs its own candidates rather than waiting for self-selected leaders to appear. And the Durham Rising coalition’s recent victories showed that the area's progressive institutions can cooperate successfully if they choose to. UE Local 150 UE 150 endorsed Allam, in theory giving her the support of many Durham city workers, UNC graduate students, and NC DHHS workers. However, the endorsement did not translate into rallies, canvassing, or positive word of mouth by union members. Nyssa Tucker, a UE 150 member and UNC graduate student, attended the Sanders-Allam Fighting Oligarchy rally on February 13, but there isn’t evidence of other forms of concrete support [1]. Other initiatives from the union continued during the campaign: a major petition from NC DHHS workers was delivered to management on January 13 [2]. The union, particularly the Durham city workers, has political sway when its members are mobilized. When the city skipped raises during COVID, UE 150 held a series of rallies, conducted a strike that was technically illegal, and successfully pressed the Durham city council for bonuses in October 2023 [3]. Over the next few years, the union secured significant wage increases for its members and reasserted itself as a real force in Durham politics [4]. To its credit, UE 150 endorsed across one of Durham’s most difficult divides. Alongside Allam, the union backed DeDreana Freeman for state senate. Allam helped push Freeman off Durham city council, where she had been a dependable ally of the union and city workers in budget fights. Freeman has a following in non-mainstream but politically active Durham circles. She is supported by Black activists outside of the orbit of Durham Committee for the Affairs of Black People as well as progressives who oppose the city’s approach to development issues, especially on annexation and rezoning cases. Durham Association of Educators During the 2026 election cycle, DAE endorsed four Board of Education candidates, many of them handpicked, and successfully installed all of them. The school staff union said it had “filled over 500 canvass shifts, knocked almost 10,000 doors, organized our school buildings, poll greeted during early voting and today on Election Day, and committed 3,000 votes for our slate” [5]. Among the newly elected board members are Natalie Bent Kitaif, a democratic socialist, and Nadeen Bir, the first Palestinian elected to office in North Carolina. DAE shared credit for its school board sweep, saying, "Making this vision for Durham Public Schools a reality will only be possible because of the coalition that came together to earn us this victory: Durham for All, Carolina Federation, and thousands of union members, neighbors, parents, and community supporters who put in the hard work these last few months to make this moment of hope possible." The school staff union only endorsed for the Durham school board and didn’t take a position on the Congressional race. Allam did not endorse in the Board of Education races. DAE endorsed Allam for county commission in 2020 and 2024. Allam and DAE were not publicly at odds. However, both ran sizable door-knocking operations, drawing from the same limited pool of progressive and left-wing activists. That pool was winnowed by a campaign window that was three months long, interrupted by the Christmas and New Year holidays, and marked by freezing or rainy conditions on several weekends. In September 2024, Allam and Christy Patterson of DAE both spoke at the launch of the Duke Respect Durham campaign [6]. Now called Durham Rising, the coalition calls for improved working conditions for Duke University staff and payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) from Duke to local government for priorities such as education, housing, and infrastructure. The Durham Rising coalition includes DAE, UE 150, the Duke Graduate Student Union, the Union of Southern Service Workers, Siembra NC, Durham for All, and Sunrise Duke. Image credit: Durham Rising Durham Rising saw several partial wins in March 2026. Duke University announced it would raise its minimum wage to $20 per hour, short of the coalition’s demand for at least $25. The university also announced a $203 million, three-year investment initiative called HomeGrown. The money is split across four areas: $120 million for partnerships with Triangle-based construction companies, $45 million for contracting with local businesses, and $38 million for affordable housing development and first-time homebuyer assistance [7]. Durham city council member Nate Baker has questioned whether the headline figure is overstated. Also, the university's concessions ignore Durham Rising’s demand for Duke to respect workers' rights to organize and hold contractors to the same standard. DAE’s recent rise has been striking. Between fall 2023 and May 2024, an organizing drive lifted membership from 15 percent to over 50 percent [8]. That is impressive for North Carolina, where unions cannot automatically collect dues and public sector workers lack collective bargaining rights. In 2024, a DAE letter-writing campaign flooded the county commission with over 1,000 letters and helped push the Durham Public Schools budget from a proposed $13 million increase to $27 million. As a county commissioner, Allam voted in favor of that record-breaking increase [9]. In May 2025, after campaigns by DAE and community supporters, the Board of Education agreed to meet-and-confer sessions. That type of meeting is the closest that North Carolina public sector workers can legally get to formal union-management negotiations. On election night, before DAE’s sweep was announced, the union posted a picture of members and supporters. Many held signs reading “A New Era for DPS” or making horns with their hands. Two banners were draped on the wall in the background: the flag of the Landless Workers’ Movement of Brazil and the flag of Palestine. Triangle Democratic Socialists of America Allam did not seek the endorsement of Triangle Democratic Socialists of America and has not publicly identified as a democratic socialist. However, her campaign made a significant effort to court DSA members. In December 2025, she backed a new effort from the organization called the Solar Bond Campaign, which calls for ballot initiatives to fund solar panels for public school rooftops. That same month, Allam attended the group’s Socialists in Office winter gala at Namu. In January 2026, she joined a DSA-led protest calling for the closure of the Durham location of Gateway Women’s Care, an anti-abortion center [10]. Triangle DSA currently claims three officeholders: Danny Nowell on the Carrboro City Council, Nate Baker on the Durham City Council, and Natalie Bent Kitaif on the Durham Board of Education. None of the three endorsed Allam. The Chapel Hill High School Young Democratic Socialists of America did endorse Allam. Its president, Finn McElwee, became a fixture on the campaign trail and delivered a speech at the Fighting Oligarchy rally. In this election cycle, Triangle DSA’s only endorsement was Natalie Bent Kitaif for Durham Board of Education. The group reported knocking 430 doors in their first canvass for Kitaif on February 15, followed by an additional canvass on February 21, a poll greeter training on March 2, and poll greeting on election day [11, 12]. Strong Support from National-Level Progressives At the national level, the progressive movement was enthusiastic about Allam. She came into the race with strong relationships across a wide range of media figures, nonprofits, and politicians. Allam appeared on many media outlets that would have reached her target audience. She joined the Majority Report with Sam Seder on February 18, as well as Breaking Points and Hasan Piker on February 26. Major social media accounts, including Rogue DNC, Dear White Staffers, MoveOn, and People for Bernie, amplified her campaign. Progressive journalists with national profiles, including Ryan Grim and David Dayen, closely tracked the NC-04 race, and helped to quickly publicize the story of AIPAC-linked donors and Anthropic pouring millions into Foushee's campaign in the final days [13]. On the organizational side, Justice Democrats, the Working Families Party, and Sunrise Movement repeatedly intervened on behalf of Allam, framing her candidacy as part of a wave of progressive challengers nationwide. David Hogg, who founded Leaders We Deserve to promote young progressives for office, personally campaigned for Allam, and the group's PAC spent $270,000 on her behalf. American Priorities, a newly formed pro-Palestine PAC, became her campaign's largest outside financial backer, spending close to $1 million [14]. Allam’s most important endorsement from an individual politician was Sen. Bernie Sanders, who brought a packed Fighting Oligarchy rally in Durham on February 13. Well-known figures such as former Rep. Jamaal Bowman and former State Sen. Nina Turner also endorsed Allam. Sunrise Duke, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh The Sunrise Movement endorsed Allam, and its local chapters at UNC, Duke, and Raleigh offered varying levels of support. One chapter found itself largely pulled toward other priorities by the Trump-era crises unfolding around it. The national organization held several phone banking events for Allam that chapters were able to promote and participate in. Sunrise UNC organized a rally in the Pit, promoted a Young Democrats forum featuring Allam, and held a march to the polls during early voting. The group also led several canvasses. These efforts reflected dedicated work for a small club. It doesn’t appear that Allam's campaign managed to inspire a political phenomenon effect among UNC students, although she was certainly more popular than Foushee. Sunrise Duke is the most active Triangle chapter, and supported Allam, but was pulled toward pro-immigrant advocacy during the campaign. The group hosted a discussion at Tsaocha on February 28 where Allam discussed her positions on immigration, which included a call for the abolition of ICE. Sunrise Duke's main efforts were directed into the wave of anti-ICE rallies that followed the killings of Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24. The chapter also worked to draw attention to the cases of Luis Juarez and Margoth Erazo, two widely beloved Duke staff members who lost their TPS status and work authorizations during Trump's immigration crackdown [15]. There is no public evidence that Sunrise Duke engaged in door-knocking on Allam's behalf. Sunrise Raleigh's limited social media presence makes its activities and role in the Allam campaign difficult to assess. Duke Graduate Student Union DGSU has shown support for political efforts beyond just graduate worker pay and conditions. The graduate worker union is part of the Durham Rising coalition, has participated in anti-ICE efforts, endorsed the No Kings rallies, and more. However, DGSU has never made electoral endorsements, and Allam’s race was no exception. The only moment of alignment was when DGSU member Rachel Kaufman was pictured with Sanders and Allam at the Fighting Oligarchy rally on February 13 [1]. Durham Rising stepped into city council politics during the last election cycle. In September 2025, the coalition held a candidate forum and asked attendees to publicly support its five core demands. Fifteen candidates came and fourteen signed on. The one holdout was a Republican. Mayor Leonardo Williams did not attend the forum [16]. Image credit: Durham Rising No equivalent forum was held for the congressional race. Allam has backed Durham Rising, which evolved out of Duke Respect Durham. Foushee has not taken a public position on whether Duke University should make payments in lieu of taxes to the local community. DGSU won its NLRB election in August 2023, becoming the first officially recognized graduate workers union at a private university in the South. It instantly became one of the most important labor unions in the Triangle. A second major milestone came in August 2025 when DGSU and Duke University agreed on a first contract, a three-year agreement that was reached despite Trump’s destabilization of the higher education system [17]. Party for Socialism and Liberation Triangle NC Allam engaged sparingly with PSL Triangle. On January 24, she attended a PSL-affiliated "Stop ICE Terror" rally in Durham, where hundreds marched in freezing temperatures to condemn the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents [18]. She was absent from a PSL-sponsored rally on January 3 in Raleigh's Moore Square protesting the U.S. bombing of Caracas and the abduction of Venezuela's president. Since October 2023, PSL Triangle has held large, well-organized anti-imperialist rallies in Raleigh’s Moore Square on a biweekly or monthly basis. It is an unsung achievement without clear precedent in North Carolina history. The events are co-organized with a rotating cast of smaller allied groups and typically draw hundreds of attendees, though several have reached into the low thousands. The rallies have at various times focused on U.S. foreign policy in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Sudan, Congo, Haiti, Venezuela, and Cuba. PSL opens the stage to speakers from a wide range of groups, even when their messaging diverges from the party line. The Green Party, for instance, showed up consistently for PSL's Gaza rallies and used the platform to promote their own candidates. PSL Triangle presents a particular challenge for progressive candidates like Allam. The group has shown extraordinary capacity for mass organizing, but the national organization prohibits local branches from endorsing outside candidates. PSL campaigns only for its own. Its 2024 presidential nominee, Claudia de la Cruz, drew just 528 North Carolina write-in vote, a number that far understates the group’s capacity. Is there a way for progressive campaigns in the Triangle to access PSL's energy? Nobody has done so yet. Union of Southern Service Workers USSW has not historically endorsed candidates and did not break that pattern for Allam. Even so, leading figures such as Mama Cookie and Keith Bullard took part in the “Fighting Oligarchy” rally with Sanders and Allam on February 13. Mama Cookie gave a speech, while Bullard was photographed backstage with the two politicians and other labor leaders [1]. In her remarks, Mama Cookie highlighted the demands of the Durham Rising coalition, which USSW is a part of. She said, “Duke sits on a pool of investments valued at $21 billion. I’m going to say that real loud: $21 billion. Meanwhile, the people keeping this city running, we’re struggling every day” [19]. The figure she cited exceeds Duke's endowment, which is valued at approximately $12 billion. USSW is a labor organization that advocates for low-wage workers across a range of workplaces, offering those without a union a way to build class consciousness and worker militancy. The SEIU-affiliated organization also help workers launch organizing efforts by mobilizing rallies and protests larger than they could manage alone. In November 2025, around 40 workers and supporters marched to Durham Food Hall, where they read a demand letter aloud to management on behalf of USSW and the Durham Hospitality Worker's Alliance. The protest was triggered when an ICE recruitment advertisement played on a screen inside the downtown Durham venue, but workers used the moment to raise a broader set of grievances. Their letter called for a public apology and anti-ICE stance from management, as well as action on unsafe working conditions (including extreme heat, frequent burn and cut injuries, and inadequate facilities), protections against sexual harassment and racism, an end to a practice of splitting workers' hours across multiple corporate entities to avoid paying overtime, and direct communication with MDO Holdings, which owns Durham Food Hall [20]. In apparent retaliation, Durham Food Hall vendor Ex Voto and Patty Boy fired Kai Bradley, one of the worker leaders [21]. Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment During the Congressional campaign, both Allam and Foushee issued statements backing CAUSE’s effort to unionize Amazon facilities in Durham. The organization did not endorse a candidate, using the election to bring both politicians to its door. On February 7, around 100 Amazon workers and supporters marched onto the grounds of DRT8, a massive fulfillment center on Person Street [22]. In the parking lot, they held a rally calling on management to hold a town hall where workers could address unionization and union-busting directly. After speeches were given, a small delegation of CAUSE members entered DRT8 to deliver that message in person. Three Durham city council members attended: Nate Baker, Javiera Caballero, and Matt Kopac. CAUSE leaders present included Rev. Ryan Brown, “Ma” Mary Hill, Italo Medelius, Orin Starn, and Juno Rondelli, alongside trade union representatives Jason Davis of IAFF 668 and Keith Bullard of USSW. Allam did not attend the February 7 rally due to a conflict with a candidate forum sponsored by the Chatham County Democratic Party. CAUSE spent years attempting to organize the RDU1 facility in Garner without success. The union is pivoting to Durham, where the political climate and community sentiment are more hospitable to organized labor. A CAUSE victory in an NLRB election against Amazon would create a new center of gravity in the Triangle's labor movement. Even without a victory, the union is well-respected by the local left. Since November 2025, management at three Amazon facilities in Durham has moved to suppress the organizing drive [23]. According to CAUSE, company propaganda now runs on a loop on warehouse televisions and Amazon has brought in anti-union consultants that cost $2,200 per day [24]. Close The Triangle's left has the power to decide who represents NC-04 in Congress, but only if its most important labor unions and socialist organizations cooperate. The Durham Rising coalition, which has successfully extracted resources from Duke University, provides a model for future collaboration. DAE’s 2026 sweep of the Board of Education offers another lesson: participate early to identify and draft candidates instead of waiting for self-selected ones to appear, and your membership will fight hard for them. UE Local 150 did the right thing by endorsing Allam, but the lack of a participatory drafting process meant that formal backing didn’t translate into rank-and-file mobilization. A tougher nut to crack is that many of the Triangle's most capable groups, such as PSL and USSW, tend not to endorse candidates. A candidate drafted by a Durham Rising-type coalition might at least arrive with greater credibility among those organizations. The NC-04 primary also showed the tendency of the local left to fragment its canvassing capacity. Allam, DAE, and Triangle DSA each ran independent door-knocking operations, drawing from the same small pool of activists during a compressed window of time. Whatever the obstacles, greater unity and mobilization will be required during the next attempt to eject the corporate establishment from the NC-04 Congressional seat. Rep. Valerie Foushee is unlikely to serve many more terms, so the chance could come soon. Works Cited UE – The Union for Everyone (@ueunion). "UE Local 150 Members Attended a Meeting with Congressional Candidate Nida Allam and Senator Bernie Sanders on His Fighting Oligarchy Tour Stop in Durham on Friday, February 13." Instagram, 13 Feb. 2026, www.instagram.com/p/DU1j8SrkfwN/?img_index=1. UE Local 150. "DHHS Newsletter – February 2026." UE Local 150, 29 Jan. 2026, ue150.org/2026/01/2907/. Carroll, Ben. "North Carolina Sanitation Workers Strike for $5K Bonuses." Labor Notes, 5 Oct. 2023, labornotes.org/2023/10/north-carolina-sanitation-workers-strike-5k-bonuses. United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). "Durham and Charlotte Chapters of Local 150 Win Largest Wage Increases in Years." UE News, 2024, www.ueunion.org/ue-news/2024/durham-and-charlotte-chapters-of-local-150-win-largest-wage-increases-in-years. Durham Association of Educators. "Tonight Begins a New Era!" Facebook, 3 Mar. 2026, www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=968366985762016&set=pcb.968367055762009. Pellegrini de Paur, Chase. "With Strong Backing from Labor, Duke Respect Durham Campaign Holds Kickoff Event." Durham Dispatch, www.durhamdispatch.com/post/with-strong-backing-from-labor-duke-respect-durham-campaign-holds-kickoff-event. Duke University. "Duke Commits $203 Million Over Three Years to Expand Economic Opportunity in Durham and the Triangle." Duke Today, 18 Mar. 2026, today.duke.edu/2026/03/duke-commits-203-million-over-three-years-expand-economic-opportunity-durham-and-triangle. Worker Organizing Center. "Durham Association of Educators (DAE)." Premajority Unionism: Case Studies, workerorganizing.org/premajority-unionism/case-studies/durham-association-of-educators-dae/. Moore, Mary Helen. "'Big Win for Our Children': Durham Budget Will Help Schools Increase Teacher, Staff Pay." The News & Observer, 11 June 2024, www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article289072999.html. Durham Dispatch. "Activists Picket Gateway Women's Care, a Fake Abortion Clinic, in Durham." Durham Dispatch, 27 Jan. 2026, www.durhamdispatch.com/post/activists-picket-gateway-womens-care-fake-abortion-clinic-durham. NC Triangle DSA (@nctriangledsa). "Last Weekend We Knocked 430 Doors for @nbk4dps Help Us Beat Our Record at Today's Canvass and Join Us for a Social at Ponysaurus Durham After!" Instagram, 21 Feb. 2026, www.instagram.com/p/DVBlEnYjUUR/. DSA North Carolina. "Calendar." DSA NC, Feb.–Mar. 2026, www.dsanc.org/calendar. Dayen, David. "AI Goes to Bat for Valerie Foushee." The American Prospect, 25 Feb. 2026, prospect.org/2026/02/25/ai-anthropic-claude-super-pac-valerie-foushee-congress-north-carolina/. Washington, Jessica. "Nida Allam Concedes to Valerie Foushee With Razor-Thin Loss for Progressives in Key Midterm Primary." The Intercept, 5 Mar. 2026, theintercept.com/2026/03/05/nc-house-primary-valerie-foushee-nida-allam/. Duke Beyond Borders (@dukebeyondborders). "IMPORTANT COMMUNITY UPDATE: Read through to Better Understand the Situation Luis and Margoth Are In Due to a Repeated Attack on TPS from the Federal Administration." Instagram, 12 Feb. 2026, www.instagram.com/p/DUqFhAHkal3/?img_index=1. Pellegrini de Paur, Chase. "Durham Rising Pushes Council Candidates to Turn the Heat Up on Duke." INDY Week, 15 Sept. 2025, indyweek.com/news/durham/durham-rising-pushes-council-candidates-to-turn-the-heat-up-on-duke/. Tendler, Max. "Duke Grad Student Union Ratifies Historic Contract." The Duke Chronicle, 3 Sept. 2025, dukechronicle.com/article/duke-university-dgsu-scores-contract-with-administration-duke-graduate-student-union-salary-increase-20250902. Allam, Nida (@nidaallam). "Marching for Alex Pretti Today. Immigrants Are Welcome Here!" Instagram, 24 Jan. 2026, www.instagram.com/p/DT6Sp6dgfCr/?img_index=1. Union of Southern Service Workers. "Today, Durham Rising Met with @berniesanders in Durham to Talk about What Working People Here Are Facing and What Must Change." Facebook, 13 Feb. 2026, www.facebook.com/reel/1549479419444989. Durham Dispatch. "Workers March on Durham Food Hall with Demand Letter." Durham Dispatch, www.durhamdispatch.com/post/workers-march-durham-food-hall-demand-letter. @rockn_roll_dude. "We Started Organizing as Coworkers after an ICE Recruitment Ad Played in Our Workplace about a Month Ago." Instagram, 21 Nov. 2025, www.instagram.com/p/DRVrdXhDA8_/. Durham Workers (@durhamworkers). "Durham Amazon Workers March on Delivery Station DRT…" Instagram, 7 Feb. 2026, www.instagram.com/reels/DUdqykGkR7J/. Kingdollar, Brandon. "'We Didn't Lose, We Learned': Amazon Union Campaign Expands to Durham." NC Newsline, 3 Nov. 2025, ncnewsline.com/2025/11/03/we-didnt-lose-we-learned-amazon-union-campaign-expands-to-durham/. The Labor Force (@the.labor.force). "Since Workers Began Organizing at the Company's Durham Warehouses, Amazon Has Come down Hard with Its Worn, Orwellian Union-Busting Playbook." Instagram, 17 Feb. 2026, www.instagram.com/p/DU3XmnglYCU/?img_index=1.

Members of El Futuro Es Nuestro are feeling frustration, insecurity, and despair as major drought, immigration delays, and unpredictable weather impact farmworkers arriving in North Carolina. The planting season may be delayed if rain does not come soon, or the harvest may be affected by such difficult conditions. We keep our spirits up by learning, organizing, and sharing experiences with comrades in other industries, and also by planning for the El Jornalero agricultural cooperative on our plot of land in Nash County - home to our brand new (to us) tractor! There's lots to share this labor-solidarity month, particularly several actions this week that you are invited to join, plus an update about the farm that called the Sheriff on us, a story of worker advocacy, a recent award we won from Davidson College, and a round up of recent events, so read on for more! "Workers to Workers" Show Strength and Solidarity at Patterson Farms You might remember a story in our October 2025 newsletter about a visit to workers at Randal Patterson's farm, where the grower called the cops on EFEN/IOF staff organizers. Since then, we have been working with the ACLU to assure that the Rowan County Sheriff's department does not violate constitutional rights. On April 18th, as part of the Workers to Workers conference in Charlotte, over two dozen union members from groups including the UAW, CWA, the nurses union, UNITE-HERE, and Labor South came together to visit those Patterson workers. They demonstrated that "Sí Se Puede", despite the workers having been told for years that they had no right to visitors. We shared toiletries, electrolyte packets, and Know Your Rights information with the workers, but most importantly we shared solidarity. This was a powerful experience not only for the farmworker residents but also for the unions to learn more about the abuses farmworkers are facing. "There is someone in the government hurting us all; they lowered our wages, and we need to do something about it," said one of the workers. By the end of the visit, barriers had been broken, and workers were sharing tacos and spicy salsa with the guests. Big thanks to our union brothers and sisters for standing with farmworkers. Profile of EFEN/IOF Leader: Juan Medrano Organized and empowered leadership creates space for advocacy wherever we go. EFEN/IOF members learn the skills to organize and advocate not just in the fields of North Carolina, but in any situation. Juan Medrano is one of our board members who first contacted us when he was injured in a workplace accident in 2023, the day before he was supposed to go back to Mexico. His supervisor dropped him off at the hospital door and left him there. The next day, he was picked up and packed onto the bus for Mexico, still dealing with his injuries. He called EFEN/IOF co-coordinator Maria from the bus, feeling more alone than he had ever felt. She encouraged him to keep all his paperwork and record all the details. The following year, he was able to file a workers' comp claim and won his case. Since that time, Juan has become a key leader in EFEN/IOF. He ran for a seat on the board because he never wanted any other worker to ever have to feel as alone as he did on that bus ride home after his accident. He has volunteered for just about every role, including getting involved in the heat stress campaign, organizing all the workers in his camp and well as the farms nearby, and has since helped other co-workers document their workers' comp claims. Recently, he had to use his advocacy skills for a very personal case at home in Mexico, when his brother became very ill and eventually passed away, sadly. When his brother got sick and didn't show up at work (because he was at the hospital), his job fired him and cut off his health insurance, despite being entitled to those benefits. When his family learned of the insurance cut from the hospital, Juan's dad turned around to walk out the door, accepting this terrible news which would lead to expensive medical bills they had expected to be covered. But Juan wasn't giving up. Due to his organizing experiences in the fields of North Carolina, and the advocacy skills he learned from EFEN/IOF, he was prepared to fight for those benefits. So he did, and he won. Juan succeeded in getting his brother reinstated on the medical plan the same day, and ensured that all his medical costs were covered for the remaining time that his brother lived. While nothing will bring his brother back, at least his final days were spent being well cared for. This is just one example of EFEN/IOF workers using their skills to benefit others wherever they go. This article came from sections of the April 2026 email newsletter of El Futuro Es Nuestro.

Tenants from two Durham affordable housing communities publicly launched new tenant associations on Thursday, marking a necessary escalation in their collective effort to secure safer living conditions and stronger accountability from their landlord, DHIC. Residents of Willard Street Apartments and Ashton Place have formed Willard Street United and Ashton Seniors in Action, respectively. At a joint press conference outside Ashton Place, tenants called on DHIC to formally recognize their unions and commit to regular quarterly meet-and-confer sessions. Several tenants spoke out about their living conditions which include mold, improperly installed appliances, and a systemic failure to provide basic security for a majority senior community. “We’re not living here for free,” said resident Kim Lovely. “So based on that alone, we need to have the assistance and the help that we’re paying for. We deserve to be secured and we deserve to be safe in our environment. I am determined to use my voice, because I have a voice.” Willard Street and Ashton Place are publicly subsidized affordable housing developments managed by DHIC, a nonprofit organization tasked with providing housing for low-income residents and seniors. While the properties are often cited as examples of successful affordable housing, tenants and advocates say the reality has fallen short, citing ongoing concerns about maintenance delays, building safety, and inadequate staffing. Tenants point to longstanding issues such as slow repairs, malfunctioning doors, and insufficient maintenance capacity across the two buildings, which together house more than 140 units. Tenants pay a substantial portion of their fixed incomes and find their requests for clean and functional living spaces are often stalled within poorly staffed administration or sometimes fully ignored. In January, tenants at both properties submitted petitions outlining their demands, each signed by a majority of households. “A full-time maintenance man and a part-time maintenance man is not enough to take care of two buildings,” said tenant Bill Thompson. “Two managers are not enough to take care of two buildings.” He went on to describe a variety of amenities that tenants have created for themselves in a void of tenant support from management. “They have a food bank here. A tenant is doing that. We have Bible studies. We have group activities. That’s the tenants.” The tenant associations are affiliated with the Triangle Tenant Union (TTU), a local chapter of the North Carolina Tenants Union (NCTU), and are part of a broader wave of local tenant organizing following the passage of new local protections aimed at strengthening housing safety enforcement for tenants that consistently overpay for unsafe living conditions. TTU is a collection of autonomous tenant groups and local organizers who provide organizing support and resources for tenants facing unsafe and undignified living conditions. They also contribute toward a statewide tenant support network through affiliation with NCTU. “We went to a city hall meeting,” said resident Veronica Perry, describing mobilization for a pro-tenant ordinance at Durham City Council on October 20. “That was the best thing that could have ever happened. We were there fighting for the Triangle Tenant Union and we won. I thank God for the Triangle Tenant Union. We have gotten so much done through y’all.” Tenants say their organizing has already begun to produce results, with some improvements secured through sustained pressure and advocacy. Still, they argue that formal recognition of their unions is essential to ensuring long-term accountability and consistent communication with management. “I don’t appreciate being treated like I’m nobody,” said local tenant leader Cynthia Hoskins. “Because we’re all people. We’ve all worked our long lives to get to where we are. I have been retaliated against ever since I’ve been here and let me tell you: the claws is out. And I’m not through fighting.” This article was first published by Triangle Tenant Union .

Climate scientists warn that global warming is accelerating past emissions goals Last week, the Town of Carrboro added its voice to a growing call from over 320 groups in climate-impacted communities, businesses and elected officials, along with faith, youth-based, and environmental groups for NC Governor Josh Stein to stop Duke Energy’s massive expansion of fossil fuels. “We, the Carrboro Town Council, urge NC Governor Josh Stein to become a national climate champion by using every tool available to him to persuade or require Duke Energy executives to phase out deadly and dangerous fuel sources and transition to affordable, resilient, and renewable energy,” Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee said as she led the Town Council to unanimously pass (start video at 21:35) a resolution being promoted by NC WARN. Others recently endorsing the resolution include esteemed former Durham mayor Steve Schewel, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, Yes Solar Solutions, Sunrise Movement Asheville, Weaver Street Market, Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle, Clean Water for North Carolina and the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute, among many others. Climate Point of No Return This move comes as the world’s leading scientists, including James Hansen, say the climate crisis is accelerating; we are blowing past global climate targets (1.5°C over pre-industrial temperatures) and heading toward a point of no return unless sweeping and dramatic reductions in emissions are made in the 2020s.  Last year, over 60 scientists, led by globally-prominent climatologist Drew Shindell, called directly on NC Governor Josh Stein to get Duke Energy to immediately begin phasing out fossil fuels instead of expanding them. “It is really an emergency that we change course as quickly as possible, which is what you do in an emergency … you do whatever it takes,” Shindell said. “We really need to use all the levers we can to push Duke Energy away from this fossil fuel path.” The Duke University climatologist has several times publicly urged the governor to take action, including in a new video ad being run by NC WARN.  Hansen, who was Shindell’s colleague at Columbia University for years, recently wrote that “the current flippant attitude – 1.5°C isn’t so bad, we can deal with 3°C – of people who should know better will dissolve, if we can improve understanding of the danger of passing the point of no return.” Hansen also recently stated that the goal to keep global warming under 2°C is now “implausible,” although he indicated that acknowledging the true climate situation is an essential first step toward avoiding climate catastrophe. That’s why, as NC WARN’s resolution states, Governor Stein must break through the deception and help the public understand that North Carolina is on the wrong course, and that Duke Energy must finally begin a genuine transition to clean energy if this state is ever going to help slow the climate crisis. This article was first published by NC WARN .

Image credit: Wells Fargo Workers United North Carolina’s labor unions sound the alarm on Wells Fargo’s financial ties to far-right think tanks as bank workers organize for fair working conditions Wells Fargo, one of North Carolina's largest employers, is under scrutiny for its  sponsorship of the 2026 Carolina Liberty Conference, hosted by the extreme right-wing John Locke Foundation (JLF) on February 27th and 28th in Raleigh. This financial support comes as Wells Fargo workers across the country, including in North Carolina, are actively organizing for better working conditions with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The John Locke Foundation advocates statewide for an agenda that includes: Tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, having successfully pushed for the corporate tax rate to be reduced to 0% by 2030, a move critics argue is creating North Carolina's current budget crisis. "Donor privacy" legislation to   limit the disclosure of political donors and shield dark money groups from public scrutiny. School privatization and voucher expansion. Enshrining "right-to-work" laws in the state's constitution. Anti-immigrant policies, including removing protections for asylum seekers. Wells Fargo’s sponsorship of this conference is a direct endorsement of the JLF’s agenda, which is fundamentally opposed to the interests of working families in North Carolina. “It is deeply concerning that a corporation employing thousands of North Carolinians would funnel money to a group actively working to undermine workers’ rights, public education, and sound fiscal policy,” said NC State AFL-CIO President Braxton Winston. “This sponsorship stands in stark contrast to the efforts of their own employees who are organizing for a voice on the job.” Wells Fargo workers have successfully organized and won NLRB elections with CWA at 30 Wells Fargo branches nationwide, including one in Apex, North Carolina, and in one corporate department. Approximately 34,000 Wells Fargo workers live in North Carolina, with 27,000 employed in Charlotte alone, making the company the 5th largest employer in the state. The company has a significant lobbying presence in North Carolina, spending over $688,000 on lobbying over the past decade, with 93% of those disclosures relating to "Government, taxation, financing, revenue, budget, appropriations, bids, fees, funds.” Furthermore, Wells Fargo has funded the campaigns of John Locke Foundation keynote speaker, NC Senate Majority Leader Michael Lee. The revelation of this sponsorship highlights a stark conflict between Wells Fargo’s public image as a community-oriented employer and the reality of its financial support for an organization committed to a radical, anti-worker political platform. This support raises questions about the company's commitment to its North Carolina workforce, especially given that CEO Charles Scharf received  $40 million in compensation in 2025. This article was first published by the NC AFL-CIO .

Image credit: City of Durham The process of rewriting Durham’s Unified Development Ordinance came to an abrupt halt last week due to a bit of legislation tacked onto a state bill in 2024. “In December of 2024, which is a while ago now, the General Assembly added a significant zoning provision to the Hurricane Helene relief bill. It was a typical rider in that it had nothing to do with Hurricane Helene,” said Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop. The zoning provision in question prohibits local government from making specific zoning changes known as “downzoning,” a process in which a property can be rezoned from a high-intensity use (e.g., commercial or high-density residential) to a less intense, more restrictive use (e.g., single-family residential or open space) - prohibits them unless written consent is given by all property owners in the area. This means an area previously zoned for industrial or commercial use can’t be rezoned to single-family homes or conservation management. Though the city’s planning department was moving ahead with its UDO employing carve-outs, meaning property owners concerned about proposed zoning changes would be exempt, it was one of those property owners threatening to sue the city that bought the UDO process to a standstill just days before a public meeting on its latest draft was to be held. “It’s on pause, indefinitely, with no timeline to move forward,” Samantha said. “All those resources, all the hours spent by city staff, residents making comments and compiling technical comments, no one is able to move forward with anything. While we felt that the UDO draft was far from perfect, we certainly want our local governments to have the ability to update their land-use plans. That’s a really critical power. Without it, our local governments’ hands are tied in what they’re able to do. Their options are severely limited, from how to protect water quality to how to address climate impacts and respond to community needs in changing times - that becomes really challenging if you can’t change zoning code.” For the past two years, Samantha has been an active participant in Durham’s UDO process, which brings the city’s land-use laws into alignment with its 2023 Comprehensive Plan, in itself, a comprehensive document envisioning Durham’s future growth. In that time, she attended several community open houses, met with City of Durham planning staff, had countless email exchanges, made line-by-line comments on previous UDO drafts, crafted Action Alerts and met with community members. “I don’t how to quantify the amount of time I, and so many other people, have put into the process of planning for a future Durham,” Samantha said. It’s the not the first time a city’s land-use process has been waylaid by the Hurricane Helene legislation: New Bern’s land use update was paused last year for the same reason. Samantha said the result is local governments are prevented from doing the job they are required to do: create comprehensive plans and associated UDOs to provide the policy code. “This makes it impossible for local government to change their land uses,” she said. “It basically shackles them - how is the city supposed to do their job of ensuring that zoning codes are seen through the stated vision of city leaders and the community?” Like how your Riverkeeper is advocating for your communities? We do! Donate today to support her work! This article was first published by Sound Rivers .

Image credit: Claire Hambrick ( @clairebyphotos ) On March 7, more than 100 people gathered in Moore Square to oppose US aggression against Iran. The demonstration was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, with support from CodePinkNC, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and other groups. The event also marked International Women's Day, observed the following day. A PSL member served as emcee, opening the rally with a warning against further escalation. “ American boots on the ground would be devastating,” he told the crowd. “It could lead to a long-term conflict with mass casualties on both sides. Guess who will be asked to fight and die for them. Will it be the children of the politicians and the billionaires? Will be the children of the weapons executives and the oil executives? No, it's going to be regular working-class people.” Saturday’s event in Raleigh was supported by Muslims for Social Justice and Triangle chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Moore Square has become a regular site of peace demonstrations since October 2023. Most protests have focused on the genocide in Gaza, though the gatherings regularly discuss and denounce US policy toward Lebanon, Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, and other states. Emily-Rose Gaeta, a member of CodePink, delivered the first speech. “ We are proud to be anti-war, to be anti-imperialist, to be human rights driven,” she said. “You are clearly on our side. We have to come together every day, as individuals, as humans, and see the atrocities that our country the United States of America is doing across the world. Right now, we’re at war with Iran. Why? Because power, because profits, because land. Everything that matters to us, our healthcare, our community, our families, our health, they don't care about.” Gaeta called out weapons companies with offices in the Research Triangle, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris Technologies. She urged activists organized campaigns against the companies to pressure their employees into resigning. Between speeches, the emcee led the crowd in chants such as “no threat, no bomb, no war on Iran”, “money for the people’s needs, not the US war machine”, "not a penny, not a dollar, we won't pay for war and slaughter”, and “we want justice, you say how, end the bombing right now”. Samira Haddad, speaking on behalf of the Palestinian Youth Movement, addressed the U.S.-backed Israeli invasion of Lebanon. “As of right now there are millions of people in Lebanon sleeping on the streets, on sidewalks, on beaches, in schools,” she said. “Entire families camping out with where to go. This comes after Israel ordered the forced displacement of more than 1,000,000 civilians. These evacuation orders were issued for all of southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut with no clear timeline, no beginning, and no end.” Participants carried signs with messages like “let Gaza live”, “hands off Iran”, and “no troops on the ground, no bombs in the air”. Many attendees wore the Palestinian keffiyeh. PSL organizers were identifiable by bright red shirts with the words “socialism is the future” across the back. Juliana, an N.C. State University student and PSL member, spoke about the role of students in opposing the war with Iran. She drew comparisons to Vietnam-era campus protests, the Gaza encampments, and anti-ICE demonstrations that students led in 2026. She noted that N.C. State had just announced a tuition increase, even as the federal government moves to funnel hundreds of billions into the war effort. As speakers addressed the crowd, a few passersby on Hargett Street stopped to listen. PSL members were positioned nearby, ready to talk or offer flyers. The Marble Kids Museum was in the crowd’s line of sight, but too far away to see the reactions of the many families coming and going. A line of police vehicles waited on Hargett Street, not to suppress the demonstration, but to escort the march once the speeches ended. Among the most compelling speakers was Kalia Fitzgerald, a member of the Green Party. “ We are called to disrupt, to stand in the way, to being a roadblock when our government chooses to prosecute war as a business model,” she said. “This is not about defending our shores. It is about imposing rule by force completely outside the bounds of international law.” Fitzgerald highlighted a recent act of protest by Brian McGinnis, the Green Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. On March 4, McGinnis’ arm was brutally broken by  Capitol Police  and Senator Tim Sheehy after he interrupted a Senate subcommittee hearing to protest the Iran War . Tania Trejo-Mendez, a PSL member, was the last speaker. " The consequences of US imperialism are already devastating millions across the world,” she said. “For almost three years and beyond the world has watched the destruction of Gaza where women, children, and entire families have been killed in staggering numbers. Now the same war machine is threatening to expand that violence even further. " The human toll of US aggression and destabilization in the Middle East has been extensively studied. The Costs of War Project at Brown University estimates that between 2001 and 2023, wars directly killed approximately 940,000 people across Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan. When accounting for indirect deaths, stemming from the collapse of healthcare systems, economic devastation, environmental damage, the figure rises to at least 4.5 million people. Those figures do not include Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, or Iran [ 1 ]. The only politician present was Joshua Bradley, who has run for Raleigh city council several times. The Triangle chapter of the PSL has grown into a popular and active left-wing group, especially among young socialists of color, in part by keeping its distance from mainstream electoral politics. When the speeches ended, the crowd filed out of Moore Square, and their march wound through downtown Raleigh. Two banners led the procession: “Remember Iraq” and “Stop the War on Iran”. Many chants and signs also referenced the Vietnam War. Organizers brought along a powerful speaker mounted in a wagon, and a drummer helped the chanters keep their tune. The weather was so pleasant that the people on the sidewalks outnumbered the marchers. Chant leaders wove in tributes to International Women's Day such as "Women hold up half the sky, no to war and genocide", alluding to a saying from Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Bystanders overwhelmingly responded positively, probably a reflection of widespread opposition to the Iran War rather than an endorsement of the march’s strident anti-imperialism. The sole negative reaction came from an older white man dressed in country club attire. Standing with a younger person who appeared to be his son, he shook his head when he noticed the protest. Then the man grinned and gave a thumbs down. The March 7 demonstration also showed how PSL skillfully develops its membership.  While Victor Urquiza, a seasoned organizer, typically serves as emcee, a newer member filled that role on Saturday with considerable skill. Chant-leading duties during the march were rotated among several members. Some were confident and effective, while others were clearly new to the task and a bit shaky. The results might seem uneven to an outside observer, but the approach shows PSL’s deliberate effort to cultivate new talent. Western powers have spent more than a century tormenting the people of Iran. After oil was discovered, the UK turned Iran into a client state and controlled their oil through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which is today British Petroleum. When Iranians reclaimed their resources under the democratic government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, the US and UK overthrew him in 1953 and installed a puppet dictatorship that lasted for more than two decades. In the 1980s, the US supported Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein when he invaded Iran in a conflict left between one and two million people dead. Decades of US sanctions on Iran followed. In June 2025, the US and Israel launched a brief war on Iran, and then attacked again in February 2026. The current war has killed more than 1,400 civilians and at least 200 children. Work Cited Human . (2026, March 3). Costs of War | Brown University. https://costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/costs/human

RDU1 - Garner, NC "We started the fire, y'all have gotta keep it burning" - RDU1 associate. RDU1 workers were frustrated with management's handling of recent snowstorms: messed-up timecards & delayed closure announcements. One MyVoice message summed it up: "The upper management gonna be shocked when we are begging for CAUSE to come back. Half of the amazon facility is fed up with how you guys are putting us at risk driving on the ice. Y'all have proven over and over again these past couple days that profit matters more then our individual lives. You guys have taken forever to make decisions about the weather and then the timecards now this? Once Durham succeeds in their election y'all gonna be scared for Garner to be riding right behind their success." DRT8 - Durham, NC Message from DRT8 associate & former union postal worker: Amazon is the biggest corporation in the history of the world. Why do they hate unions? 4AM on the second day of training at DRT8, the 30 of us new hires were blessed with the presence of the warehouse's site leader. He had come to inform us of the evil of unions in general and CAUSE. The site leader started off his enlightening efforts with a tepid argument that you have the right to participate in a union, but you also have the right not to. Once the "cover our asses so we don't violate labor laws" portion was over he proceeded to the meat of his presentation. He informed us that Amazon loves its current model where workers can come directly to management without having a union as a middleman. It was hard not to laugh at this but I restrained myself. It's no surprise Amazon likes this model since it works entirely on their behalf. To test it out just go to the site leader and tell him how you deserve a raise and better benefits and you'll see why Amazon likes its methods so much. As individual workers we are absolutely powerless and that's how Amazon likes it. That means we're easily exploitable and we have to wallow in our grievances or quit. They'll never give you what you need out of pity or because you're just so convincing. If we want our issues addressed we need to be organized collectively as workers and that's exactly what a union is about. The site leader finished out his presentation with the great benefits Amazon workers receive that may be under threat if CAUSE wins the majority of the workers to join it. He spent the most time talking about free Amazon Prime. The irony wasn't lost on me that none of us could get that benefit until we'd worked for 60 days; something that wasn't assured since we were all hired as seasonal workers and had absolutely no job security or guarantees we'd be kept on past peak season. What was funnier was the great benefit we might have missed out on if we had a union was worth $15 a month. All of us were hired on as flex and consequently were given no healthcare or limited healthcare after making it through a period of working there. Amazon can keep its $15. We need job security, good healthcare, retirement, and other benefits that the richest company in the world won't give us out of sympathy or pity. I came out of this meeting even more sympathetic to CAUSE. As a former postal worker, I did the same type of work I do now, but I was represented by a union. I had guaranteed wage increases and cost of living adjustments every year, great healthcare benefits, a retirement plan, and even stock options. Beyond that I had job security and wasn't at the mercy of management. The management had to follow the contract and if they didn't, I had the union to fight for me and get my grievances addressed. I was a union member before and I will continue to be a union member now because I've seen first-hand that the only way workers can get respect is when they band together, organize, and take up fights as one. No employer, especially Amazon, wants their workers to have a say in how things run and what their laborers receive in compensation. They want us to be afraid that standing up for ourselves will only harm us. But as Frederick Douglass taught us, "power concedes nothing without a demand — it never has and never will." If you want better for yourself it's time to stand up and take it. It's time to get together with our coworkers and get what's ours. This is what a union is and that's what CAUSE is building. RDU5 - Durham, North Carolina Friday, Jan 23rd, night shift. Favoritism, hours & breaks. Observation by a RDU5 associate. I heard that an Amazon manager said that the rationale behind making some of us go home while others got to stay and get our full hours is to be "leaner". The manager explained that instead of keeping everyone for 30 more minutes and then having to give us a break, it's cheaper to keep only a few people for an hour and pay fewer people for a break. Amazon's priorities are clear: the bottom line. While some people were happy to leave after 3 hours, others felt cheated out of hours they need to make ends meet. Hours were given to certain workers simply based on their assigned department. Fairness? Integrity? Amazon could give a damn. Profit? That's more like it. It can be easy to be distracted by the free food & happy smiles of the PAs/managers at RDU5. There have been shifts where I walk out of there feeling like, "Hey, this job ain't so bad." But we have to stay focused on the bigger picture. As we piece together each other's stories, we begin to see a larger mosaic of exploitation. Giving certain workers 4 hours of work while giving the rest 3 hours of work is Amazon choosing profit over people and favoritism over equality. The manager was clear that the work could have been accomplished in 3.5 hours if everyone had been kept on. But Amazon would have had to give us a paid break. Oh, by the way: if you make $18.50 an hour, your break costs Amazon $4.63. But apparently, Amazon's so cheap, they don't want to pay for our $4.63 break. Think that's bad? In late 2025, Amazon changed its policy so that you have to work 3.5 hours in order to receive a break, when previously you only had to work 3 hours to get a break. Yeah, Amazon pinches pennies like a mf-er. Weird, considering that Amazon saw a significant increase in its sales in 2025. SNC3 - Durham, NC Moisturizer Instead of a Holiday Bonus. A handwritten message from a SNC3 associate after the holiday peak. In lieu of a holiday bonus, the cracked hands at SNC3 were granted a mere paltry recognition for our hard work over peak: a bottle of moisturizer in the bathroom. Each dollop serves as a reminder that Amazon will always choose a remedy over a reward. Their salve of choice this time was a cheap and pre-packaged solution - that will soften the evidence of hard work, setting in to our otherwise empty palms. National Amazon News Dec 16, 2025: Amazon workers at DJT6 in Riverside, CA walked out at midnight in protest of unsafe working conditions. DJT6 is now the 5th Amazon facility in California to unionize. They are calling all Amazon workers to unionize. Dec. 9 - 11, 2025: More than 200 drivers at the DBK1 warehouse in Woodside, NY, rallied with the Teamsters to demand union recognition and better conditions, with the possibility of future strikes if demands aren't met. In 2023, UPS union workers negotiated a new union contract which: (1) sets starting pay for new hires at $21 per hour, which will reach $23 per hour by 2028, (2) secured part-timers with the same high-quality health, welfare, and pension benefits as full-time employees, (3) guaranteed a minimum of 3.5 hours of work per workday. This article was first published by Amazon CAUSE .

Image credit: Durham Association of Educators Tonight begins a new era for public schools and a new era for politics in Durham. Tonight has shown us that it is possible for everyday working parents, unionized school staff, and community members to band together and beat entrenched status quo politics. Tonight begins a new era for families who have felt let down or scared by our district's lackluster response to ICE. Tonight begins a new era for every student who was late to school or missed school completely due to the DPS transportation crisis. Tonight begins a new era for every school community that has lost countless veteran educators to turnover. And tonight begins a new era for the over 1,000 classified (hourly) DPS workers who are still not paid a living wage for their essential labor in our school system because it is not politically expedient for the current decision makers. We are thrilled to announce that all four of our endorsed pro-union, pro-worker candidates - Natalie Bent Kitaif, Nadeen Bir, Gabby Rivero, and Xavier Cason - have won their races for Durham School Board. These candidates earned our trust by pledging to hold DPS leadership accountable to improving staff working conditions and student learning conditions. They are explicitly committed to supporting workers' rights, fighting for better staff pay, taking action to protect immigrant families, and increasing budget transparency in DPS because they know that all Durham students deserve safe and fully staffed schools with high staff retention and low turnover. Making this vision for Durham Public Schools a reality will only be possible because of the coalition that came together to earn us this victory: Durham for All, Carolina Federation, and thousands of union members, neighbors, parents, and community supporters who put in the hard work these last few months to make this moment of hope possible. Together, we filled over 500 canvass shifts, knocked almost 10,000 doors, organized our school buildings, poll greeted during early voting and today on Election Day, and committed 3,000 votes for our slate. This is people power and this is how we win - whether it's winning an election or building our union, we know that there are no shortcuts to organizing, and there is no replacement for the value of face-to-face conversations. We decided to approach this School Board election cycle differently. Instead of waiting to see who self-selected to run for School Board, our members and community allies decided to be proactive. We identified candidates who have a track record of fighting for classified pay with us on the picket line, who fought back against ICE in their school communities, who have organized with DPS workers and parents to win improvements, and who have experience running transparent budgeting processes with financial constraints. No more rubber stamping whoever the Durham political insiders choose and then having to face the fact that they are more accountable to other politicians than to their own community. In January, we held a robust, democratic endorsement session where our members spent five hours meeting and deliberating over all twelve candidates who were running. DAE members overwhelmingly voted to endorse Natalie Bent Kitaif, Nadeen Bir, Gabby Rivero, and Xavier Cason, and then put in the work to get them elected. We are up for the challenge to win the budget we deserve, and we are ready to begin the work to co-govern with all of the School Board candidates that Durham just elected. Let's celebrate tonight and let's get back to work tomorrow! We must win a DPS budget by March 26th that prioritizes a living wage for classified DPS workers and that rewards all DPS workers for their unpaid extra duties. That budget will reduce DPS's high rates of staff burnout and turnover, which is currently impacting our most vulnerable students. Mark your calendar to join us for our rally & picket next Thursday 3/12, at 4:45pm before the School Board meeting! RSVP at bit.ly/March12BudgetAction . We are clear that the work to improve our schools does not end tonight - tonight is just the beginning. Our members know that in order to win the DPS budget that we deserve, we will need to organize just as hard as we did to elect our endorsed candidates. This statement was first published by Durham Association of Educators .

Image credit: Artivista Karlin On Thursday, March 5th, around 20 Duke students, workers, and professors organized a rally on Duke’s Bryan Center Plaza to demand that Duke University protect Durham workers and students by becoming a Fourth Amendment campus, and pay their workers a $25 per hour “living wage.” The demonstrators unfurled a massive butterfly and displayed banners reading messages such as “ICE out of Duke! 4th Amendment Campus” and “Duke Rise Up! $25 per Hour Living Wage.” The rally comes a day after the Duke Student Government Senate advanced a student-led Fourth Amendment campus referendum co-sponsored by Sunrise Duke, Mi Gente, Beyond Borders, Asian Students Association, and Duke Migrant Roots Media. According to the referendum petition, by becoming a Fourth Amendment campus, “Duke would implement measures that reduce the risk of unconstitutional entry by federal agents and encourage employees and students to understand their rights in the event of an unexpected visit by federal agents.” A Fourth Amendment campus would require federal agents to show a valid judicial warrant before entering private areas on campus, and have all private areas on campus visibly marked and designated as such. Leila Zak, an organizer with Duke Beyond Borders, delivered a speech emphasizing the lawlessness and lack of accountability for ICE and CBP agents. She drew attention to the actions of ICE at Columbia University, where they used false pretenses of searching for a missing child to gain entry into private spaces. She said, “We know that no one, regardless of their background, regardless of their status, should have to go to school [or] work... in fear that, just like that, they could lose their place in this country.” CBP agents arrived in Durham on November 8th. Since then, they have detained over 250 individuals across North Carolina. The president of the Duke chapter of the American Association of University Professors, Emily Rogers, came forward to raise outcry over a disciplinary investigation initiated by Duke toward one of the students present, Artivista Karlin. Back in November, Karlin was unlawfully arrested for photographing a peaceful protest by 30 protestors with the Sunrise Movement that temporarily shut down the ICE Krome Detention Center in Miami, Florida. Rogers said, “I’m appalled and furious at the disciplinary actions taken against one of my dear former students... What is going on in the disciplinary cases and the silencing of free speech across campus is not normal. It is nuts! It is fascist inculturation, and we must stop it.” The rally also comes a day after Duke University announced a $20 per hour minimum wage effective July 1st. Brandon Ruffin, a representative and worker leader with the Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW), came forward to speak in support of both a Fourth Amendment campus and a $25 per hour living wage for all Duke employees. He emphasized the $20 per hour minimum wage increase as a direct result of Durham Rising’s advocacy, while expressing it is still not enough to afford to live in the City of Durham. Ruffin expressed USSW’s deep solidarity and the earnest belief that if some workers are treated unfairly, all are treated unfairly. “We are standing together to demand two important, simple things... number one, a $25 per hour minimum wage, and the protection of our Fourth Amendment rights under the US Constitution here on campus and in workplaces.” Karlin closed the rally with an energizing speech, declaring “we are on our way to winning a full Fourth Amendment campus here at Duke, and we’re going to do it together, fighting hand in hand – marching hand in hand – to win a better campus for all.”