The graphic above comes from the Labor Network For A Ceasefire. The post accompanying the graphic explains that "Federal employees in Washington and across the nation will take off from work on January 16 for a Day of Mourning to commemorate over 100 days of the War on Gaza." It is not clear from the post if this action has been authorized by a union or unions. The post goes on to say that "To date, 179 labor organizations - among them national unions (UE, UAW, NEA, APWU, NNU, IUPAT, and AFA) - have called for an end to the slaughter. Many go further, condemning US complicity and calling for suspension of arms, ordnance shipments and funds to Israel. 128 labor organizations have endorsed The US Labor Movement Calls for Ceasefire in Israel and Palestine petition initiated by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (UE) and UFCW Local 3000."
Saturday will see a large pro-ceasefire demonstration in Washington, D.C. and some unions will have a noticeable presence there. The event will be live-streamed on American Muslims for Palestine’s social media pages, including Facebook, X and Instagram. If Tuesday's actions have not been sanctioned by unions, some workers are taking quite a bold step and risking much. If the actions have been sanctioned, the unions involved are signaling an important change in direction.
I have made much mention of the movement within organized labor for a ceasefire and some of the controversies surrounding how this issue is being dealt with within the union movement. I recommend this article that recently appeared in The Nation as a good introduction to where pro-ceasefire forces within the labor movement are at currently. I can find no strong record for those in labor who oppose a ceasefire, which is not to say that these forces are not in control within the AFL-CIO. A statement issued in October by the AFL-CIO and a recent clarification on the rights of labor councils and unions to take or not take positions and make recommendations on taking a position on a ceasefire are the most prominent pro-ceasefire or clarifying public positions taken.
The impression being given is, I think, that those opposing a ceasefire and supporting Israel's government are hoping that the pro-ceasefire movement will go away, that making the war on Palestine and Biden's position central issues will damage Democrat's chances in November, that U.S. Labor's historic support for Israel should be maintained as part of mainstream Labor's support for U.S. foreign policies, and that the mainstream unions have committed so many resources to supporting the Israeli labor federation and Labor Zionism over the years that a change in course cannot be made without great difficulties. The AFL-CIO has on occasion protested Israeli policies but fantastically large sums of money have been spent by our unions over the years in order to help fortify the Israeli labor movement's leadership. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and similar groups have been strategic and successful in bankrolling campaigns by some politicians who are also supported by Labor, and the transactional nature of politics in the U.S. is such that we are forever doing coalition politics and working alongside people whose support we need on certain issues. This way of doing politics may help win victories in the short run, but it constrains how we think and what we are able to accomplish in the long-run. Labor's political friends sometimes organize us to take positions that go against the interests of the world labor movement.
A public split in the labor movement now might do great damage to our ability to organize non-union workers, bring home good first contracts, win needed changes in labor law, and get pro-labor folks elected in November. On the other hand, unions that support a ceasefire may find strong support among workers, non-union and union, who want peace and identify with movements for progressive change and who are disappointed in the pace of positive change.
One lesson here is that new union organizing and fights for first contracts often opens worker's eyes and empowers them. People come to unions or to other movements because they want change, not because they are happy with how things are. The movement for labor support for a ceasefire has some long-standing and experienced activists leading it, but in the main these are young voices that have not been heard before in organized labor. They will not respond well to attempts to silence them.
The opinions expressed here are not those of the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter, the Oregon AFL-CIO or any of the organizations mentioned in this post.
