What happened to George Floyd has been happening to far too many other people of color for centuries in the United States. Racism is an evil that undermines our values and limits our potential. We can’t ignore this fact because we feel uncomfortable. We cannot choose to remain silent because silence is compliance.

Men, women and children across the nation have been moved to action. This is a moral moment in our country and the labor movement will not sit idly on the sidelines. While we reject the violence and property destruction by small fringe groups, union brothers and sisters stand in solidarity with peaceful protestors and remain committed to eliminating institutionalized discrimination and racism in our country.
This is a labor issue because it is a workplace issue. It is a community issue and unions are the community . It is a human rights issue and labor rights are human rights.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. eloquently stated, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. Justice is the guarantee that every American worker has the freedom to be safe on the job, justice is the freedom to provide for our families, and justice is the freedom from institutionalized discrimination and racism. Union brothers and sisters stand on the side of justice.