UAW Endorses Cease-Fire, the Largest U.S. Union to Call for an Immediate End to the Violence

[Omaha Steve]

https://inthesetimes.com/article/uaw-endorses-ceasefire-labor-gaza-israel-palestine

The announcement at a news conference where protesters have been on a hunger strike outside of the White House marks a major development for labor and the larger call for a cease-fire.

By Mindy Isser December 1, 2023

The United Auto Workers have endorsed a cease-fire, making them the largest national union to do so in a major development for labor and the larger movement for peace and justice in Palestine and Israel.

Brandon Mancilla, Director of United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9A, which represents 50,000 active and retired workers within the larger UAW, announced the union’s call for a cease-fire publicly on Friday at a news conference outside of the White House where organizers and activists have been on a hunger strike.

“We opposed fascism in World War II, we opposed the Vietnam war, we opposed apartheid South Africa and we mobilized union resources in that fight,” Mancilla says. ​“The UAW International has joined the call for a cease-fire. [We are] calling for an immediate, permanent ceasefire, and [we are] building a global community of solidarity.” The UAW now joins other national unions including the American Postal Workers Union, the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE), the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), and a long list of local unions, including the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), in the call for a cease-fire.

The UAW is just coming off their historic Stand-Up Strike against Detroit’s Big Three automakers, which garnered national attention for several weeks as the union was seen as helping lead the way in the overall struggle for dignity and justice for working people across the United States. Since the strike ended and the UAW’s membership voted to accept agreements with Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors, the union has continued to move with bold action. One thing they did was suggest that unions align their contracts to expire in 2028, a move that, if realized, could provide an unprecedented level of bargaining power. They also recently announced a new campaign to organize 150,000 new members at non-union shops.

FULL story at link above.