Maine Labor for Palestine, a working group composed of Maine rank-and-file members and union staffers, calls on Maine unions to stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza and Palestine. From apartheid South Africa to the Civil Rights movement here in the United Stands, the Labor Movement has a rich history of standing with oppressed peoples. Union members have marched, boycotted, and pressured elected officials to dismantle systems of oppression. Now is the time that we organize and mobilize to end Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.
Here, in the United States, the Labor Movement has a unique opportunity to pressure local and global economies, as well as our elected officials. On October 16, 2023, the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions put out a call for solidarity to labor unions around the world. We believe we have a moral obligation to answer this call and stand alongside our union siblings in Palestine. As workers, we have a duty to speak up for those facing injustices locally and across the globe. Unions cannot claim to stand for human rights while turning a blind eye to the tens of thousands of lives being martyred in Palestine.
We, the workers of Maine, call on Maine labor leaders to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine. Maine Labor for Palestine lists the following demands:
Join the growing call from other rank-and-file members across the world to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire. A number of union locals across the United States are demanding an immediate ceasefire. It is time for Maine labor leaders to do the same.
Publicly declare support for the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanctions) movement.
Commit to protecting members who engage in pro-Palestine speech and advocacy–particularly Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab workers.
Commit to not retaliating against staff or members who support the end to the Israeli occupation.
