Education workers and labor leaders are asking for signatures on pledges to back the planned protests by immigrant workers on May 1. The educators’ pledge calls for a moratorium at universities and colleges that day “halting business as usual…as an act of solidarity.” Reflecting current legal and contractual restraints on union actions, the union leaders give a vaguer recommendation “to participate in whatever way we can.”—TPOI editor
A Call to Action for Higher Education
The Higher Education Community in the United StatesThe following pledge is being circulated by students, staff, faculty, and administrators across the United States. In the face of a climate of increasing bigotry and violence, we call on the university community to engage in a moratorium on business as usual and take action in solidarity with the immigrant worker strike on May Day.
We face a moment of great uncertainty. Elements of the social safety net and basic rights provisions are being rescinded and amended more swiftly than they can be challenged through traditional legal and legislative interventions. Millions of immigrants live under daily threat of separation from their families and communities by intensified ICE raids.
Many of the attacks we face directly affect the university. The arts, humanities, and sciences face not only funding cuts but an assault on the concept of free inquiry itself. Climate change data is being removed from the public domain, university budgets are being held hostage by state governments and the threat of political retaliation by the federal government, white supremacists have been emboldened to commit hate crimes on our campuses, and basic facts have diminishing import in the national debate.
May Day 2017 will be a day of struggle against the Trump administration and the structural conditions under which it originated.[…]
Read and sign the full pledge:
Labor for Our Revolution Statement in Support of “A Day Without Immigrants”
Millions of immigrants, both documented and undocumented, who lead hard working and
productive lives, are also union members.
Donald Trump launched his political campaign in 2015 with a racist attack on Mexican
immigrants, painting them as rapists and murderers. He made attacks on our Muslim sisters and brothers his political trademark -- even going so far as to propose a religious test for immigration. This kind of race baiting and immigrant bashing has a long history in our country – a consistent attempt by business elites to divide working class people in order to advance their pro-corporate agenda.
As leaders of the unions who supported Bernie Sanders for president, we refuse to go down that road of hatred, resentment and divisiveness. We will march and stand with our sister and brother immigrant workers against the terror tactics of the Trump administration.
We are a nation of immigrants. Every generation and every race and ethnic group has seen attempts to divide the working class based on race and ethnic origin. Together we say NO to the politics of division! We call on Trump and his supporters to end the attacks on immigrant workers!
On May 1, 2017 millions of immigrant workers will engage in public resistance to the Trump administration. In some places that resistance will include labor strikes and boycotts. Millions will march in cities and towns all across the country. We pledge to support these protests and will urge our organizations' leaders and members to participate in whatever way we can. Workers united, will never be defeated!
In Solidarity,
Larry Hanley, President, Chris Shelton, President,
Amalgamated Transit Union Communications Workers of America
RoseAnn DeMoro, Executive Director, Peter Knowlton, General President,
National Nurses United United Electrical Workers
For more information, contact Labor for Our Revolution coordinator Rand Wilson
laborforourrevolution@gmail.com or (617) 949-9720
Sign the pledge:
