Labor demands MN divest from apartheid Israel

Minneapolis, MN – On May 10, Minnesota public sector workers, union members and activists attended the Labor Demands Divestment teach-in and panel at the Minneapolis Federation of Educators Local 59 office. The event was organized by Minnesota Labor for Palestine and the Minnesota Anti-War Committee and was the first event organized by Minnesota Labor for Palestine, a grassroots coalition of union and non-union members based in working class solidarity with Palestine.

Over 45 members of public sector unions and local advocacy groups joined to learn about Divest MN, the state campaign to get the State Board of Investment to divest public employee pensions from genocide and apartheid.

The event started with a presentation by Minnesota Anti-War Committee members Lina Jabera and Brian Chval on specific Minnesota pension investments supporting genocide. These include investments in Israeli companies and government bonds, weapons manufacturers, and other companies enabling or profiting from Israel’s occupation, genocide and apartheid in Palestine. Many of the event attendees hold pension funds that are managed by the Minnesota State Board of Investment.

The presentation was followed by a panel of five union member activists who are leading efforts in their unions towards divestment. The panelists shared their experiences with how public employees in Minnesota are organizing to support divestment and building broad support for Palestinian liberation as a workers’ rights issue. They shared their unions’ efforts to educate and advocate around Palestinian solidarity, including efforts to push for resolutions for divestment in their unions, and growing organized labor groups fighting for international issues. This included sharing both successes and challenges faced in this process.

All speakers emphasized the connections between Palestinian liberation, workers’ rights, immigrant rights, and the rights of all people. AFSCME 3800 President Max Vast said that Palestine, “should be of central importance to working people everywhere. This is an issue that affects workers everywhere. We should care about it because we’re workers. We should care about it because we are people of conscience.”

Several educators noted the current cuts to special education and education while there is a growing budget for war, the role that teachers’ pensions play in furthering the traumatization and death of students in Palestine, and teachers’ rights to stand with teachers and students in Palestine as huge issues affecting Minnesota teachers.

Another panelist, Kirby Crow of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, spoke to the political repression experienced by SEIU member Rümeysa Öztürk, who was targeted and abducted by ICE for speaking out in support for Palestinian liberation. “At one point she had to literally ask them, ‘Am I physically safe?’ She was afraid for her life. She didn’t know what was going on -the officer responded with, ‘We are not monsters. We do what the government tells us.’ I’m really grateful to be in this room with you because we recognize our own agency.” Political repression of all workers and immigrants speaking up for Palestine further supports the need for the working class to organize in protection of free speech and the safety of our communities.

There are many groups organizing on the national to local level within unions. The panelists mentioned the work of groups like Green 4 Falasteen, Twin Cities Purple Up for Palestine, Minnesota Workers United, Minnesota Educators for Palestine, the MAPE solidarity Caucus, and Minnesota Labor for Palestine. These groups have been powerful avenues for union members to connect and organize on issues of Palestinian solidarity and related attacks on workers’ rights.

The panelists spoke on lessons they had learned organizing. This includes how they have addressed pushback to union resolutions that formally support and work towards the divestment of pension funds invested in human rights violations and genocide. Speakers emphasized the importance of holding educational events, setting timelines to carry out actions in proposed resolutions, and the strengths of pushing for resolutions along with local contract negotiations. Important efforts also included encouraging employees to become a member of your union and organizing to elect union leaders that are accountable to local workers.

Emma Fletcher of MAPE noted, “The reality set in quickly that the fight was not over -We’re dealing with a genocide. That’s urgent to us.”

Fletcher said the efforts that led to MAPE’s resolution supporting a ceasefire and divestment continue to build solidarity around the rights of workers and internationalist issues, “In broadening our scope and opportunity to raise consciousness of members around Palestine who were initially attracted to [the MAPE Solidarity Caucus] through the other work that we’re doing around pushing a stronger stance on Return to Office and getting involved in the contract campaign that’s happening.”

These union organizers made it clear that organized labor and the labor movement are vital spaces to organize for the liberation of all people, that union members deserve agency in this fight, and workers’ solidarity does not end at the doors to our workplaces.

Panelists highlighted some past successes of passing union resolutions in support of Palestinian liberation and divestment from the Israeli apartheid.

Holding our elected leaders accountable is at the forefront of these union efforts to push the State Board of Investment (SBI) to divest from apartheid and genocide. Despite past excuses of board members, Anti-War Committee member Lina Jabera noted, “The SBI has divested from corporations for ethical reasons. They’ve divested from Big Tobacco. They’ve divested from thermal coal. They’ve also taken a vote, at one point, on whether or not to continue investing in Israel bonds. They have divested from apartheid before.”

Attendees were encouraged to sign up to speak at the next SBI meeting to demand that their pensions be divested.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #AntiWarMovement #Labor #Palestine #MAPE #MWU #

Source: https://fightbacknews.org/labor-demands-mn-divest-from-apartheid-israel?pk_campaign=rss-feed