Trumka vows to maintain US union support for Israel

The US trade union movement leadership has this week re-affirmed its complete opposition to any trade union campaigns to boycott Israel.

The newly elected leader of the American trade union movement, Rich Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO, said the long tradition of support for Israel by the US union movement will be maintained under his leadership.

“ So long as I am president, you will never have a stronger ally than the AFL-CIO,” Rich Trumka said.

The new AFL-CIO leader gave the keynote speech at this year’s annual Jewish Labor Committee ( JLC) Human Rights Award dinner.

Support President Obama’s peace initiative

“ Brothers and sisters there is only one way we’re going to stop the violence in the Middle East – and it’s not bashing Israel – it’s by supporting President Obama’s peace initiative!”

” That’s why we’re proud to stand with the JLC to oppose boycotting Israel,” Trumka told his audience.

Jack Ahern, president of the New York City Central Labor Council, Stuart Appelbaum and Rich Trumka

Annual human rights award

The annual JLC Human Rights award is handed out to union activists, and employers, who have done outstanding work in the area of promoting human, civil and workplace rights for workers in North America and across the globe.

Jack Ahern, the president of the New York New York City Central Labor Counci, was the recipient of the annual JLC award this year.

Jewish Labor Committee has honourable place in US union history

The 75 year old New York headquartered Jewish Labor Committee has roots firmly based in the US trade union movement, helping organize and mobilize workers into trade unions across the United States.

The JLC was originally established by Yiddish speaking immigrant unionists who were mainly members of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.

Appelbaum President of JLC and founder of TULIP

Its current leader is Stuart Appelbaum, the President of the 100,000 member Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

Appelbaum is one of the three trade union leaders who this year created Trade Unions Linking Israel and Palestine (TULIP) alongside Paul Howes, of The Australian Workers’ Union, and Michael Leahy OBE, of the UK-based Community Union.

Anti-semitism still exists and sometimes it is couched as anti-Zionism: Rich Trumka

Trumka told the JLC audience this week thathe has known JLC people as long as he has been active in the US labor movement.

Mr Trumka warned that anti-semitism still exists across the globe.

“ In America we sometimes think that anti-Semitism is part of the past, but the truth is that it’s like a weed that can always grow back. And that is especially true during hard times.

“ You know, sometimes it’s couched as ‘anti-Zionism’. Other times there’s no effort to disguise it at all,” the AFL-CIO President said.

Jewish Labor Committee demanded labor movement take a stand on lynching

Trumka went through the long history of Jewish trade union activism in the USA.

He noted that during the civil rights struggle it was Jewish trade unionists who were out front demanding that the American labor movement take a stand against lynching.

“ The JLC took the lead organizing union support for the civil rights movement.

Jewish unionists gave US labor movement many of its best values

“ A lot of people don’t know this but it was the JLC that actually laid the groundwork for what became the AFL’s civil rights program.

“ Now, given the traditions, the heritage, the commitment – and given the values – Jewish workers have always brought to the labor movement, I don’t think it ought to come as any surprise that the Jewish community here – and around the world – has never had a stronger ally than the AFL-CIO.”