VIDEO Ceasefire Now: Workplace Organizing for Palestine

On November 15, Labor Notes hosted a Zoom call to hear reports from workers who are organizing to stop an escalating genocide in Palestine. Many are also fighting against the repression of workers who are speaking up for a ceasefire and against Israel’s occupation. We heard speakers from unions in education, health care, construction, and others who have organized their co-workers into action.

Speakers:

• Marcia Howard, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers acting president
• Dave Pinkham, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 520
• Dennis Kosuth, Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) / National Nurses United (NNU)
• Hollie Bolton, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Trade Unionists for Palestine
• Giacomo Marchetti, USB-WTUF (Genoa, Italy)
• Stefan Yong, United Auto Workers, Local 2865
• Tiana Reid, Freelance Solidarity Project (FSP), The National Writers Union (NWU), York University Faculty Association
• Sameerah, Death Doula and Elder/Memory Care Worker
• Nas Mohit, US Labor Against Racism and War -- Solidarity with Palestine
• Facilitators: Lisa Xu, Keith Brower Brown, and Luis Feliz Leon, Labor Notes

Notes from the webinar (big thanks to Labor Notes supporter SAA!)

Resources shared on the webinar, plus some additional links:

An Urgent Call from Palestinian Trade Unions: End all Complicity, Stop Arming Israel

Labor Notes handout on how to have a workplace organizing conversation on taking action for Palestine

From our panelists:

• Hollie’s slideshow on Australian worker actions for Palestine
• Stefan’s organizing on military-funded research in higher ed
• Tiana’s organizing with the National Writers Union, including survey on retaliation against media workers
• Sameerah’s organizing against anti-Palestinian museum censorship

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Organizing ceasefire resolutions:

• UE and UFCW Local 3000 resolution for any union to sign on to
• DSA ceasefire resolution template and how-to organizing slides
• tinyurl.com/LaborForPalestine: index of all labor unions and other labor-specific collective formations that have released statements or resolutions in support of Palestine

Blocking flow of arms and funding to Israel:

• Workers in Palestine: Guide to Action to stop the flow of arms to Israel
• Guide to higher ed organizing against military funding

Other organizing initiatives:

• UAW BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions) sign-on
• Veterans and Labor for Sensible Priorities is building labor support to cut the bloated Pentagon budget by $100 billion and use the money for green jobs, education, housing, mass transit, and other human needs
• Healthcare Workers for Palestine organizing toolkit
• Healthcare worker teach-in on November 17 in Chicago
• If there are education workers who want to collaborate on this issue, people in Chicago are considering starting a group called Educators for Palestine, please email edu4palestine[at]gmail[dot]com
• Sign-on statement for journalists: “We condemn Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urge integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.”

U.S. Labor Against Racism and War (USLAWR) - organize with other workers across the labor movement to take action on Palestine:

• USLAWR next steps Google Form
• USLAWR Palestine Solidarity toolkit
• USLAWR comprehensive mythbuster sheet - “Why is Palestine a union issue?”

Lastly, registration is open for the Labor Notes conference on April 19-21, 2024, for which we plan to develop programming on the labor movement and Palestine. Register here.

For more information, contact Labor Notes organizers:
Lisa (lisa[at]labornotes[dot]org), Keith (keith[at]labornotes[dot]org), and Luis (luis[at]labornotes[dot]org)