Seven major labor unions sent a letter to Joe Biden Tuesday calling on the president to “immediately halt all military aid to Israel.” This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address a joint session of Congress and speak privately with Biden, Kamala Harris, and other politicians.
The unions that signed on to the letter, which represent six million people, include the Association of Flight Attendants, or AFA, American Postal Workers Union, or APWU, International Union of Painters, National Education Association, or NEA, Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, United Auto Workers, or UAW, and United Electrical Workers.
The labor movement is concerned that a cease-fire plan is not being put into action as Palestine faces one of the bloodiest weeks since October 7.
“The time to act decisively to end this war is now. Stopping US military aid to Israel is the quickest and most sure way to do so, it is what U.S. law demands, and it will show your commitment to securing a lasting peace in the region,” wrote the signatories.
“Recent reports only underscore the urgency of our demands. Large numbers of Palestinian civilians, many of them children, continue to be killed, reportedly often with US-manufactured bombs,” reads the letter. “We have spoken directly to leaders of Palestinian trade unions who told us heart-wrenching stories of the conditions faced by working people in Gaza.”
The unions and allied groups plan to protest Netantyahu’s visit to Washington, D.C., and have a plan to symbolically issue a warrant of arrest for the prime minister.
“Our unions are hearing the cries of humanity as this vicious war continues,” said Mark Dimondstein of the APWU in a statement released alongside the letter. “Working people and our unions are horrified that our tax dollars are financing this ongoing tragedy. We need a cease-fire now, and the best way to secure that is to shut off U.S. military aid to Israel.”
The letter comes as many other unions, including the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the SEIU, and more quickly endorsed Kamala Harris for president this week, who plans to meet privately with Netanyahu during his visit.
Some labor unions have held off, however, perhaps looking to leverage their endorsements. Those include the NEA, UAW, and AFA, who are part of the coalition, as well as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, led by Sean O’Brien.
Labor unions have been calling for a cease-fire for months. Earlier this year, U.S. labor unions launched the National Labor Network for Ceasefire, which included several of the signatories of Tuesday’s letter, as well as National Nurses United and smaller local unions. The new organization demanded an immediate and permanent cease-fire, release of the hostages, and unimpeded full access for humanitarian aid.
UAW President Shawn Fain appeared on MSNBC Monday night to say his union was “not going to rush” their Harris endorsement without the approval of the union members. In December, the UAW was one of the first major unions to call for a cease-fire after the APWU.
