On December 14, the leadership of the United Auto Workers, the Postal Workers Union, and the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), held a press conference in Washington, DC with several members of Congress to call upon the labor movement to take action for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“I thank our UAW members for speaking out and pushing us to come out in support of a ceasefire,” said UAW President Shawn Fain, whose union joined the movement for a ceasefire earlier in December. “It was the right thing to do. Now it’s time for the rest of our elected officials to step up and do what it takes to end the violence. And I call on the rest of the labor movement to join us in this mission for peace and social justice for all of humanity.”
Representative Cori Bush, who is leading the push within Congress to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire, was the first to speak at the press conference. Representative Rashida Tlaib also spoke at the press conference. Tlaib is the only Palestinian in Congress and was publicly humiliated in early November by her colleagues who censured her in Congress for her statements in support of Palestine.
Grant Miner, Vice President of UAW Local 2710 (Student Workers of Columbia) told Peoples Dispatch that Fain thanking membership for calling for a ceasefire is “indicative of how every single person needs to be pushing their union to take a stance on this.”
“Workers make America run. And you can in fact have an effect on what these international labor bodies do and say by really putting in the hard work to advance the cause of Palestinian liberation in your workplace.”
On December 13, a coalition of rank and file workers, including UAW members, disrupted a talk given by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, in an attempt to pressure her and the AFT to call for a ceasefire. Demonstrators held up a banner that read “Educators say permanent ceasefire now.”
tonight a coalition of rank and file union workers told @rweingarten to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in #gaza, and to end labor's complicity in the genocide of the palestinian people. #CeasefireNOW @AFTunion pic.twitter.com/625PkEljat
— Zach "Memes y Más" Valdez ?? (@zacarias_cabron) December 14, 2023