Labor Movement Recommits to Fight Systemic Radical Injustice Following The Murder Of GeorgeFloyd
Racism plays an insidious role in the daily lives of all working people of color. This is a labor issue because it is a workplace issue. It is a community issue, and unions are the community. We must and will continue to fight for reforms in policing and address issues of racial and economic inequality.
These days and the ones ahead will define the labor movement for generations to come as our nation faces a crisis on three fronts: the pandemic, the historic levels of unemployment and the struggle for racial justice. Fighting for a fair and just society is nothing new to us in the labor movement. It’s what we do, and it’s what we’ve always done. Locking arms in solidarity, we will overcome these challenges and guarantee that every American worker has the freedom to be safe on the job, the freedom to provide for our families, and the freedom from systemic discrimination and racism.
Richard Trumka, President
AFL-CIO
Teamsters Local Official: Leaders Everywhere Must Take A Stand Against Racist Aggression
From that momentous day in 1968 when Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa stood with Martin Luther King Jr. in support of the Memphis garbage strikers, the Teamsters Union has not only stood with black leaders, but has fought to be all-inclusive, making equal pay for equal work, regardless of race, creed, gender or sexual orientation, a cornerstone of what we are about. This is where Teamsters gain their strength.
What happened to George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police is murder, and that is what the officer was, belatedly, charged with. It boggles my mind, however, that the other officers who participated in that murder of this black man who was lying face down on the asphalt, handcuffed, trying to breathe with a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes, have not been arrested for the same crime. All these now-former officers, who have a sworn duty to “protect and defend,” didn’t attempt to stop it, in fact, they helped hold Mr. Floyd down until life itself drained from his body; yes, they participated in the act and should be held accountable.
Similarly, the shooting earlier this year in Georgia of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, who was hunted down by white supremacists and murdered for no reason except that he was black, is just one more incident that feeds my outrage and my disgust. For far too long, injustices against black men, especially young black men, have been tolerated and condoned by our society. By not speaking out against it, we are part of it, exactly the same as those officers who stood by and did nothing to stop the murder of George Floyd. Leaders of organizations like my union, other unions, churches, corporations, cities, counties and states have to speak up and start to actually work to make sure this type of senseless aggression against our fellow Americans stops and never happens again.
Minnesota, and specifically Minneapolis, hold a special place in the history of our great union, a place where Teamsters fought in the streets against inequality and injustice. The anti-union forces at that time screamed that we were violent communists made up of out-of-state radicals, immigrants and criminals; unfortunately, in many cases, the Teamsters’ message was lost among the hysteria created by employers, politicians, police, newspapers and radio; but we prevailed.
Similarly, today images of people taking to the streets and the subsequent rioting and destruction in San Francisco, Oakland and elsewhere should not be allowed to overshadow the fundamental reason the frustration of the black community is boiling over; if you allow yourself to be distracted, you will be ignoring the facts and the context. Many of the buildings and storefronts that have been vandalized, and/or set afire are symbols of those who have, historically, done little or nothing to stop the violence against an entire group of Americans, and, in many cases, have refused to provide decent wages, benefits and working conditions for the community.
At some point, reason and rational thinking cannot be expected when one’s very being and life are constantly under threat. Obviously, I cannot condone violence or looting; however, I can understand it. I can feel it. I can empathize with the frustration of generations of injustice and inequity, but I won’t let the media coverage of what is happening cloud the reason that it is happening. You shouldn’t, either.
I pledge that I will do everything in my power and authority to make sure Teamsters everywhere understand that an injustice to our black sisters and brothers is an injustice to all of us, and I will also work to make sure that these insane attacks against our sisters and brothers stop once and for all.
This is the United States of America. What are we doing?
Rome Aloise
Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 853, Oakland
President of Teamsters Joint Council #7
International Vice President.
On the Killing of George Floyd; A Call for Justice Statement of Bay Area Labor Councils
The strength of the labor movement is rooted in our unwavering commitment to dignity, respect and justice. We are saddened and angered by the recent murder of George Floyd. Unfortunately, we are not surprised. For too long, the plague of systemic racism has ravaged our communities and left despair, poverty and distrust in its wake. Black men and women have a right to live and Black families deserve to raise their children in a society that does not commodify their race and force them to confront their oppressors alone.
This fight is our fight. The Brown letter carrier worries not only about Trump’s threats to privatize the US Postal Service, but also worries for their own safety on their route. The Black nurse who worries that their job will be slashed at a community health clinic must also worry about their son facing police brutality on the walk home.
Our movement has a rich tradition of standing in solidarity with movements demanding civil rights. It is painfully clear that these struggles are not over. We will help the unheard gain a voice and we will organize power among working-class people to make the changes our communities demand.
Now, more than ever, we must analyze the type of society we want for our children and grandchildren. Do we want more schoolhouses or more jails? More teachers or more police? Those questions will be posed in city halls and legislatures across the country as governments face budget shortfalls. We will be there to weigh-in. We call upon elected officials to fund the services that support our community health, education and infrastructure. Defunding oppressive institutions and forcing billionaires to pay their fair share is part of our solution to build the society we deserve. We must address economic inequality in order to have a free society.
The struggles for economic equality and racial equity are intertwined, and so too is our collective fate. We say the names of those recently murdered due to the systemic racism in our Country: George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Sean Reed. Tony McDade.
The Central Labor Councils of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and San Francisco Counties represent over half a million working families in the fight for economic, social and racial justice
Central Labor Council of Contra Costa County, AFL-CIO
1333 Pine Street, Suite E
Martinez, CA
