SEIU Calls for Cease-Fire, Joins UAW and a Shifting Labor Movement

“SEIU members understand that working people often feel the impact of war most deeply and bear the brunt of its terrible consequences.”
Jessica Corbett January 23, 2024

https://inthesetimes.com/article/seiu-calls-for-cease-fire-joins-uaw-and-a-shifting-labor-movement

This article was originally published in Common Dreams.

With more than 25,000 Palestinians killed so far in the U.S.-backed Israeli assault of the Gaza Strip, the Service Employees International Union on Monday became the largest union in North America to join a growing coalition of labor groups calling for a cease-fire.

“SEIU’s almost 2 million members believe that wherever violence, fear, and hatred thrive, working people cannot,” said Mary Kay Henry, the union’s president, in a statement. ​“We condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and hate in all its forms around the world. Our union includes many members and their families — Palestinian and Israeli, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian — who have been impacted by the recent violence.”

“As a union family strongly committed to justice and democracy, we believe all people across the globe deserve to live safely and free of fear, with dignity and respect for their human rights, as well as access to food, water, shelter, medicine, and other necessities,” she continued. ​“SEIU members understand that working people often feel the impact of war most deeply and bear the brunt of its terrible consequences.”

The SEIU leader condemned the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, as well as the Israeli military’s response, which has included ​“widespread attacks on innocent civilians, including the bombardment of neighborhoods, healthcare facilities, and refugee camps.”

FULL story at link above.