Washington, D.C. – Influential labor leaders have joined progressive lawmakers at the United States Capitol to push President Joe Biden’s administration to support a ceasefire in war-torn Gaza.
At a press conference on Thursday, representatives from the United Auto Workers (UAW), United Electrical Workers and the American Postal Workers Union made their call as part of a long history of labor movements supporting human rights at home and abroad.
“We know that unions are a bridge to the fight against all forms of hatred, phobias, racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, Islamophobia and more,” said Shawn Fain, president of the UAW.
“Now it is time for the rest of our elected leaders to take action and do what is necessary to end the violence.”
The news conference was hosted by Democratic Reps. Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib, who introduced legislation calling for a ceasefire in October. So far, more than 18,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during an ongoing Israeli military offensive.
“As an activist and organizer and proud daughter of a former union member, I know that the fundamental message of every guild is to stand with the people, fight for their dignity and advocate for those who are most marginalized,” said Bush during the meeting. press conference.
“Our humanity needs a ceasefire, and that is exactly why I am so happy that the unions are here today to join this fight, because we know that unions know how to organize. Unions know how to mobilize, encourage and incentivize.”
‘Time for employees to use our labor power’
Both congressmen and union leaders used the press conference to underline the political power of the unions.
For example, the UAW represents an estimated 400,000 active members, while the American Postal Service Union has 330,000 employees.
They hinted that there could be consequences for Biden at the ballot box if he did not heed their call for a ceasefire.
“While the US funds Israel’s terror campaign, we the workers are footing the bill for the mass murder of innocents in Palestine,” said Janvi Madhani of the United Electrical Workers.
“Now is the time for workers to leverage our labor and electoral power to stand in uncompromising solidarity with the cause of Palestinian freedom.”
Judy Beard, a representative of the American Postal Workers Union, indicated that her organization’s call for a ceasefire reflected broader views among the American public.
“As a union that stands for equality, social justice, human rights and international solidarity, we unite with millions of good people [and] members of Congress,” she said. Her union first announced its support for a ceasefire on November 8.
Most ‘pro-labor’ president in history
Biden has long touted himself as the “most unionized president in American history.”
But while he enjoyed the support of both the UAW and the American Postal Workers Union during the 2020 presidential race, his reluctance to call for a ceasefire could alienate unions as he seeks re-election in 2024 .
The Democratic president was reluctant to criticize Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, citing the country’s “right to defend itself” in the aftermath of an Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people.
But the subsequent war on Gaza has claimed thousands of lives, many of them women and children. Entire neighborhoods have been razed to the ground, with United Nations experts warning of a “serious risk of genocide” in the Palestinian territory.
The widening humanitarian crisis in Gaza has sparked widespread outrage. Even Biden has warned that “indiscriminate bombing” could cause Israel to lose public support.
Still, many within Biden’s own party have criticized him for his “unwavering support” for Israel. An estimated 62 members of the U.S. Congress called for a ceasefire on Wednesday, according to the Working Families Party, a left-wing political group.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll published last month also found that 68 percent of Americans supported the call for a ceasefire. That number was even higher among Democrats alone.
Gathering union support
As the 2024 presidential race approaches, surveys show Biden trailing his main Republican rival Donald Trump in key swing states like Michigan, home to large Arab and Muslim American communities.
A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll released this month showed Trump leading Biden 46 percent to 42 percent in a head-to-head contest in the state.
But Biden has made progress in his efforts to woo Michigan’s relatively large base of union workers. An estimated 14 percent of the state’s “wage and salary workers” are unionized, which is higher than the national average of 10 percent.
In September, Biden flew to Michigan, where he became the first sitting U.S. president to visit a picket line of striking UAW workers.
At the time, the auto union was in the middle of its first-ever strike against all the ‘Big Three’ car companies: General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. The strike was also the union’s longest in nearly a quarter century, and resulted in higher wages and better working conditions for autoworkers.
But Trump also tried to appeal to autoworkers during the strike, holding a rally a day after Biden showed up on the picket line.
The UAW has yet to endorse a candidate for the 2024 race. With headquarters located in Detroit, Michigan, it has significant influence in the so-called “Rust Belt” states, where manufacturing has been a historic driver of the local economy.
“I call on the rest of the labor movement to join us in this mission for peace and social justice for all humanity,” Fain, the UAW president, said Thursday, urging other union leaders to join in calling for a ceasefire.
