Together, these stories show why unions and collective action are vital: they give workers a voice, protect essential rights, and strengthen entire communities against policies and practices that put survival at risk.

On June 3, 2025, the employees of the Lake County Health Department filed their union authorization cards with theIllinois Labor Relations Board. These cards, gathered by dozens of employee activists over the course of 11 months, conclusively showed that a strong majority of the 600 Health Department employees wanted to join the AFSCME (American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees) family and stand united to improve the material conditions of the employees as well as the broader community that they serve.

Our current socioeconomic system is unprepared to mitigate the ongoing crisis of manmade climate change. Those of you reading are likely familiar with how capitalism operates currently, with the pursuit of profit by CEOs, who disregard the desires of the people and health of the planet, acting as the main driving force of the economy. Therefore, capitalism cannot address climate change, being its root cause. The best answer to this problem, one which would turn things around and help bring about a brighter tomorrow, is to replace capitalism with ecosocialism. But what exactly does that mean?

In this issue, we interviewed multiple locals attending the Waukegan Pride Festival to gauge the pulse of the community on LBGTQ+ issues at present and gave them the opportunity to share their thoughts. Their responses have been paraphrased and trimmed for clarity.

Welcome! This is the inaugural issue of the revitalized Lakefront Free Press, a publication with a legacy of covering issues important to the people from the perspective of the people, organized by Lakefront DSA.