Happy New Year to All Our readers.

Well, this is the only New Years message I got. Me and my long time friend and union fighter on the job Roger Martinez came down to Monterey for the night so we can eat out, have a drink and meet interesting people and we sure did that.

We had a great meal here at a restaurant called Cibo and we hung out with a bunch of women teachers at the local British Pub. What a treat, we had the craic and at the same time talked union and politics. I told them about the sisters we met from the recent teachers strikes and protests and I will be sending them some videos I have where these women share their experiences.

On behalf of Facts For Working People, I would like to wish everyone a happy New Year and lets get to work in 2019 tearing the old decayed system down and building a new one. My friend and I and other genuine rank and file militants fought day in day out for our members interests as we were lucky enough to have a union. We are grateful to the old timers that made that happen.

It's one hour to go here in California so if we can stay awake we'll see in the New Year.

In solidarity and struggle,

Richard Mellor