First national trade union in the US votes to endorse BDS

First national trade union in the US votes to endorse BDS

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Kate on  August 31, 2015 0 Comments

Convention Wraps Up With Resolutions on Peace, Safety, Civil Liberties and Worker Rights

United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America 28, August — The final session of the UE 74th National Convention on Thursday morning, August 20, discussed and approved several more resolutions, including “Stop the Dismantling of Public Education”, “Build Union Co-ops”, “Justice and Peace for the Peoples of Palestine and Israel,” “For Peace, Jobs, and a Pro-Worker Foreign Policy”, “Defend Civil Liberties”, “Support the Family Farmer”, “Fight Workplace Closings,” “For a Safe and Healthy Workplace, Fix OSHA Now”, and “Workplace Struggle.”

Delegates upheld the UE tradition of taking courageous stands on foreign policy issues when they adopted the resolution on Palestine and Israel. It points to Israel’s long history of violating the human rights of the Palestinians, starting with the ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians in 1947-48 that turned most of Palestine into the State of Israel. It cites a statement issued by UE’s officers in 2014 condemning Israel’s war on Gaza last summer that killed more than 2,000, mostly civilians, including 500 children. It calls for cutting off U.S. aid to Israel, U.S. support for a peace settlement on the basis of self-determination for Palestinians and the right to return. The resolution also endorses the worldwide BDS movement – Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions – to pressure Israel to end its apartheid over the Palestinians just as similar tactics helped to end South African apartheid in the 1980s. UE is now the first U.S. national union to endorse BDS.

Speaking for the resolution were Angaza Laughinghouse, Local 150, Matt Braddon, Local 222; Chris Wolford, Local 170; Autumn Martinez and Elizabeth Jesdale, Local 255. Martinez and Jesdale both said they had met Palestinian trade unionists when they attended the World Social Forum in Tunisia, and Martinez said, “It’s absolutely disgusting what is going on. Free Palestine!”

US industrial union votes to endorse BDS

Haaretz 30 Aug — One of the more prominent industrial unions in the U.S. voted to endorse the goals of the worldwide boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) movement against Israel, citing “its long history of violating the human rights of the Palestinians,” thus purportedly becoming the first nationwide union to do so. The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers’ national convention met in Baltimore last week and voted on a string of foreign and as well as domestic policy issues, including the call to boycott Israel and support the nuclear deal with Iran. According to a statement on the UE’s website, the union voted in favor of the “Justice and Peace for the Peoples of Palestine and Israel”, and cited Israel’s sordid human rights record: “starting with the ethnic cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians in 1947-48 that turned most of Palestine into the State of Israel.” The move’s goal, the union said, was “to pressure Israel to end its apartheid over the Palestinians just as similar tactics helped to end South African apartheid in the 1980s.” The union further called for the U.S. aid to Israel to be cut off and expressed support for “the right to return.”

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.673550