We Open Letter Petition: SEIU & SEIU73 Members call to Leadership
Open letter [07/28/2024]
[Proposed] SEIU Local 73 Resolution on Divestment From the Occupation and Genocide in Palestine
July 28, 2024
WHEREAS, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 is a proudly diverse, principled union representing over 60,000 members who work every day to run our municipalities, schools, courts, special districts, health care facilities and publicly funded non-profits; and
WHEREAS, union members contribute dues to grow our power and to build a more just future for all working people; and
WHEREAS, our funds, if invested in companies that profit from the US military complex, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing undermine our goals as a union and harm the working class; and
WHEREAS, SEIU 73 members have already called for a Ceasefire, Humanitarian Aid, and an End to the Occupation of Palestine, in a resolution that specifically opposes military aid to Israel, withdrawal of Israeli forces and settlers illegally occupying Gaza and the West Bank, and an end to the apartheid policies of the Israeli state; and
WHEREAS, solidarity through boycotts, sanctions and divestments have a long, proud tradition in the Labor Movement, from divesting from slavery, to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, to the Farmerworkers Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, to bringing down apartheid in South Africa, to aiding other unions in their strikes, contract fights and organizing; then
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that SEIU 73 shall immediately publicly disclose our current Investment Policy Statement, and amend this policy in accordance with this divestment resolution and our union values. Additionally, an annual report shall be furnished at an Executive Board meeting of current expenditures with full transparency, including direct and indirect investments, stocks, bonds, hedge funds, and other monetary
streams. and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU 73’s Investment Policy should specifically guide us to:
• Divest from weapons manufacturers and companies that build technology such as artificial intelligence
(Al) and surveillance technology for military use,
Divest from private prison companies, immigrant detention companies and border patrol contractors,
Divest from companies that profit from apartheid, colonization, and ethnic cleansing,
Divest from the fossil fuel industry; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that SEIU 73 should utilize the guidance of respected human rights organizations to inform our investment choices, and specifically look to the guidelines set out by the Boycott.
Divestment & Sanctions movement, the American Friends Service Committee & third party certification agencies to develop investment plans that align with our aims as a union; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we shall audit our investments at least every 3 years with the aim of bringing investments in line with the principles stated in this resolution; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that SEIU 73 should share our updated Investment Policy Statement and this resolution on Divestment with other unions, organizations, and shall use our influence – including our delegates to the California SEIU State Council and the International Executive Board (IEB) – to promote similar Resolutions and Policies for the California SEI State Council and SEIU International to adopt
Open Petition Letter:
[Petition last edited 05/27/2024]
We, the members and staff of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a union of about 2 million diverse members across a multitude of healthcare, schools, and communities. SEIU Local 73 represents a strong foundation of equality and inclusion. We, the members and staff of the SEIU, understand the power of collective worker action to confront and dismantle oppression, and the pivotal and historic role of the labor movement in resisting imperialism.
AS ONE OF THE LARGEST, MOST POWERFUL LABOR UNIONS, WE MUST JOIN THE GROWING CALL ACROSS THE WORLD TO STAND WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
Since October 7th, Israel has dropped the equivalent of two nuclear bombs onto the Gaza Strip, where 2.5 million people, including one million children, live in a 25-mile open-air prison. Israel is starving Gaza, restricting vital fuel, water, and food, and bombing schools, mosques, hospitals, homes, and refugee camps. Israel has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including over 4,600 children. In the West Bank, the Israeli military and settlers have killed hundreds of Palestinians and continue to forcibly displace them. These numbers only increase as Israel’s aggression, backed by the United States, escalates.
The most current state is that now
But the genocide of Palestinians did not begin in October of 2023. Since 1948, Israel has forcibly removed millions of Palestinians from their homes and land, subjected the Palestinian people to a system of apartheid, and bombarded Palestinians with numerous military attacks. Today, it’s estimated that Israel imprisons over 10,000 Palestinians, including children.
Palestinians deserve to live free from violence, displacement, and oppression. The labor movement has a long history of solidarity with the struggle for liberation globally. From apartheid South Africa to the U.S. civil rights movement, union members have marched, joined boycotts, lobbied politicians, and raised our collective voices to dismantle oppressive systems. We refused our labor where it would further an amoral goal. This moment, too, calls for bold, unwavering action. If we remain silent, then we are complicit in genocide.
Our call for solidarity with Palestinian liberation is an extension of our commitment to racial justice work. Just as we include land acknowledgments at the beginning of union gatherings, which recognize the genocide and dispossession of indigenous peoples from the U.S. lands we now occupy, we have a duty to call out the active genocide of Indigenous Palestinians happening in real time. We must oppose the violent rhetoric of Israeli and U.S. leaders, which breeds Islamophobia and racism at home towards members and staff. If we continue to amplify the rhetoric framing this genocide as a “conflict,” then we are only enabling white supremacist, Islamophobic violence — a betrayal of our values and our proclaimed goal of becoming an anti-racist organization.
Thank you to the members who have advocated and signed already as we call for action and support in solidarity with the Global Strike to end the Occupation of Palestine and provide proper after care for the damage funded regrettably by our tax dollars.
Service Employees International Union President Mary Kay Henry, SEIU LEADERS, President Joe Biden and administration, Congress, Senators and others, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson,
The signed members and staff of SEIU renounce Israel’s genocide against Palestinians, and ask our leadership to:
- Join the growing call from unions across the world to stop the genocide of Palestinians.
- Call for an end to the siege on Gaza and the provision of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
- Pressure President Biden to end military assistance to Israel.
- Publicly declare support for the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement.
- Commit to not retaliating against staff or members who support Palestinian liberation.
In Local 73, Chicago is full of many diverse people who are coming together to make changes for equitable living wages. With our Union strong, we can stand with others who need to be heard. I stand with SEIU 73 and the people of Chicago as it is calls for Ceasefire and the End Occupation of Palestine.
Signed the concerned and Liberated,
Signatures from Purple Up for Palestine Here
Gaby Martinez, SECA, Northwest Middle School SEIU 73 (12/15/23)
Educator, SEIU 73 (12/16/23)
Linda Khoury-Umili, SEIU 1021 (12/17/23)
Rita Barouch, SEIU 1021 (12/17/23)
Jaelynn Wilson, SEIU 1021 (12/17/23)
Jude R., SEIU 205 (12/17/23)
Member, SEIU (12/19/23)
Jesús Serrano, SEIU 73 (12/20/23)
Tanjina Chowdhury, SEIU 1199 (12/21/23)
Lean de Leon, SEIU 2015 (1/11/24)
Jocelyn Goldsmith- De Sena, SEIU 1021 (07/28/24)
Josh Honn, SEIU Local 73
Addison L., SEIU Local 73
*signatures will be updated as they sign*
Letter petition from SEIU Local 1021 just passed!
SEIU LOCAL 1021 RESOLUTION CALLING FOR CEASEFIRE, HUMANITARIAN AID, AND AN END TO THE OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE
December 15, 2023
WHEREAS, Service Employees International Union (SEIU Local 1021 represents over 60,000 employees in local governments, non-profit agencies, health care programs, and schools throughout Northern California.
SEIU Local 1021 is a diverse, member-driven organization with members who work to make our cities, schools, colleges, counties, and special districts safe and healthy places to live and raise our families; and
WHEREAS, through our collective voice, we achieve justice, empowerment, and respect in every workplace.
It’s our social responsibility to foster inclusive and just conditions for our members and all of those we serve, and we undoubtedly extend that standard across the globe in shared humanity; and
WHEREAS, we take seriously the plea of “Never Again” and honor the lessons of the Holocaust by fighting anti-semitism, Islamophobia and ethno-nationalism everywhere; and
WHEREAS, we mourn the tragic loss of all Palestinian and Israeli civilian lives lost before and after the attacks of October 7th, including the decades-long military occupation, forced displacement, and oppression endured by Palestinians since 1948; and
WHEREAS, the relentless Israeli military attack on Gaza and the West Bank, in a disproportionate response, has already led to over twenty thousand Palestinian civilian deaths, nearly half of which are children; and
WHEREAS, Israel is violating international law by committing human rights violations and war crimes, including collective punishment, acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Specifically, these crimes include but are not limited to the following:
- Forcing over 1.7 million Palestinians? to leave their homes with nowhere safe to flee or find shelter Collectively punishing the Palestinian people through the destruction of Gaza civilian infrastructure including hospitals, schools, libraries, places of worship, and agriculture
- Denying water, food, electricity, fuel and medical aid, leading to the indiscriminate death of thousands of Palestinian civilians
Targeting of journalists, medical workers, and cultural workers
Transferring Israeli civilians into territory it illegally occupies (the West Bank) via Jewish-only settlements*
Restricting freedom of movement for Palestinians’
Arbitrary arrests and administrative detention against Palestinian civilians including children; and
WHEREAS, since World War II, Israel has been the largest overall recipient of US foreign military aid, receiving over $150 billion since 1946, and Biden’s proposed $14.3 billion in additional aid for Israel will take funding from the essential jobs we perform and services we provide as public sector employees; and
WHEREAS, Palestinian trade unions call for workers around the world to stand in solidarity to “end all forms of complicity with Israel’s crimes” and to “pass motions in their trade union to this effect”;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, SEIU Local 1021 calls for, and on elected officials to call for:
‘Over twenty thousand Palestinian civilian deaths, nearly half of which are children
Statistics on the Israeli Genocide in the Gaza Strip (07 October – 24 November 2023), Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, 24 Nov. 2023,
“Forcing over 1.7 million Palestinians to leave their homes
ratistes on Ine Israeli conocide in the Gaza Strip (07 October – 24 November 2023), Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, 24 Nov. 2023
‘Indiscriminate death of thousands of Palestinian civilians
“Civilians in Gaza Must Not Be Collectively Punished.* United Nations, United Nations, hitps/ipress.un.org/en/2023/sc15473doc.htm
‘Transferring Israeli civilians into territory it illegally occupies (the West Bar ink) via Jewish-only settlements
Restricting freedom of movement for Palestinians
“Israel: 50 Years of Occupation Abuses. Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch, wwhw.ora/news.20171080090stael.50-years.oc
Image: Purple Up for Palestine! A CALL FOR SEIU LEADERSHIP TO STAND AGAINST GENOCIDE
