NEW YORK, July 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. labor leaders are
denouncing British union support for a boycott of Israel. Their response
comes in the wake of a decision by several unions, including the UK
Transport and General Workers Union, to back economic, cultural and
academic boycotts of Israel in protest against "the treatment of the
Palestinian people."
"Their resolutions have no purpose other than demonizing Israel," said
Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Jewish Labor Committee, an alliance of
Jewish union leaders and supporters, which is soliciting support for a
statement opposing these boycotts (statement attached).
The JLC's effort has been endorsed by the presidents of the AFL-CIO;
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; American
Federation of Teachers; United Food and Commercial Workers; Communications
Workers of America; Masters, Mates and Pilots / ILA; American Postal
Workers Union; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace
Workers; UAW; American Federation of School Administrators; Office and
Professional Employees International Union; American Federation of
Government Employees; UNITE-HERE; United Mine Workers of America; Sheet
Metal Workers International Association; International Union of Painters
and Allied Trades; Transportation Communications Union; American Federation
Musicians; Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers
International Union; International Union of Bricklayers and Allied
Craftworkers; International Brotherhood of Teamsters; and the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Also endorsing the effort are the presidents of the Coalition of Black
Trade Unionists and the A. Philip Randolph Institute.
Appelbaum, who is also president of Retail, Wholesale and Department
Store Union, said he expects other U.S. labor leaders to join those who
have already voiced their opposition.
"The U.S. labor movement has always been a strong supporter of Israel
and continues to be," Appelbaum said, adding that American union leaders
"understand that resolutions calling for boycotts of Israel undermine the
goal of winning a lasting peace in the Middle East."
"It's obvious that the motivation behind these one-sided boycotts is
less an authentic concern for human rights than it is a desire to bash
Israel," he said.
Statement of Opposition to Divestment from or Boycotts of Israel
July 18, 2007
We view with increasing concern the phenomenon of trade unions in a
number of countries, including, most recently, the United Kingdom, issuing
resolutions that either directly or indirectly call for divestment from and
boycotts of Israel.
With the large number of local, regional and international conflicts,
with the diverse range of oppressive regimes around the world about which
there is almost universal silence, we have to question the motives of these
resolutions that single out one country in one conflict.
We note with increasing concern that virtually all of these resolutions
focus solely on objections to actions or policies of the Israeli
government, and never on actions or policies of Palestinian or other Arab
governments, parties or movements. We notice with increasing concern that
characterization of the Palestinians as victims and Israel as victimizer is
a staple of such resolutions. That there are victims and victimizers on all
sides, and that many if not most of the victims of violence and repression
on all sides are civilians, are essential items often not mentioned in
these resolutions.
Any just and fair resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must
be brought about through meaningful negotiations between their elected
representatives. We believe strongly in a two-state solution, brought about
through meaningful negotiations, with the involvement and encouragement of
the world community.
Trade unionists and their organizations seeking such a just and fair
resolution should be assisting those working to bring the two sides
together in direct talks and then negotiations. In this regard, we call for
increased engagement of trade unions with their counterparts on all sides
of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We support efforts of Palestinian and
Israeli trade unionists and their organizations to maintain contact and
cooperative and mutually supportive activities, even in the midst of tumult
and political change within their respective communities and polities.
Calls for academic boycotts of Israel are inimical to and counter to
the principles of academic freedom and freedom of association, key
principles for which academics and educational unions have struggled over
many years. Rather than limiting interactions with Israeli educators,
academics and educational institutions, we see the importance of
maximizing, rather than proscribing, the free flow of ideas and academic
interaction between peoples, cultures, religions and countries.
Similarly, calls for journalistic boycotts of Israel are inimical to
the free flow of information and journalistic objectivity, and must be
opposed.
Rather than divestment from Israel, we believe that investment of time,
energy and material aid is the best means to alleviate the ongoing
suffering of Palestinians and Israelis. Engagement, rather than
disengagement, with the Israeli people and the Palestinian people is
needed, so that a just and fair resolution of this conflict may be pursued,
and so that meaningful progress towards achieving the legitimate needs of
Palestinians and Israelis can be made.
We offer our support to assist trade unionists as well as interested
members of the community-at-large who are grappling with these matters, and
who share our concern over simplistic and non-constructive approaches,
whether in the form of misguided resolutions or other statements on the
tragic conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Stuart Appelbaum
President, Jewish Labor Committee
President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union / UFCW
Edward J. McElroy
Secretary, Jewish Labor Committee
President, American Federation of Teachers
Morton Bahr
Treasurer, Jewish Labor Committee
John J. Sweeney
President, AFL-CIO
Clayola Brown
President, A. Philip Randolph Institute
Timothy A. Brown
International President, International Organization of Masters, Mates &
Pilots / ILA
R. Thomas Buffenbarger
International President,
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
William Burrus
President, American Postal Workers Union
Larry Cohen
President, Communications Workers of America
Barbara J. Easterling
Secretary-Treasurer, Communications Workers of America
John J. Flynn
President, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
John Gage
President, American Federation of Government Employees
Ron Gettelfinger
President
United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America
International Union
Michael Goodwin
President, Office and Professional Employees International Union
Joseph T. Hansen
International President, United Food and Commercial Workers International
Union
Edwin D. Hill
International President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
James P. Hoffa
General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Frank Hurt
International President
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International
Union
Thomas F. Lee
President, American Federation of Musicians
Jill S. Levy
President, American Federation of School Administrators
William Lucy
President, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
Gerald W. McEntee
President, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Bruce S. Raynor
General President, UNITE HERE
Cecil E. Roberts
President, United Mine Workers of America
Robert Scardelletti
International President, Transportation Communications Union / IAM
Michael J. Sullivan
General President, Sheet Metal Workers International Association
George Tedeschi
President, Graphic Communications International Union / IBT
James A. Williams
General President, International Union of Printers and Allied Trades
List in formation
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SOURCE Jewish Labor Committee
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Related links:
http://www.rwdsu.org
CONTACT:
Stuart Appelbaum of the Jewish Labor
Committee, +1-212-684-5300, Cell: +1-917-861-7974
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