Labor coalition demands D.C. ceasefire resolution

At 8 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5, dozens of rank-and-file union members, labor activists, and community organizers rallied in front of Washington, D.C.’s City Council. 

The dedication of these workers was such that they planned this protest so they could go to work after the demonstration. 

The D.C. for Ceasefire Now Coalition consists of the D.C. Metro chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), the D.C. Metro chapter of Jewish Voices for Peace, the SAG-AFTRA & Sister Guild Members for Ceasefire, the Claudia Jones School, and others.

Speakers from these organizations, including a former president of the local Postal Workers (APWU) and a member of the American Federation of Teachers Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees (AFT-GAGE), reaffirmed their commitment to the passage of a ceasefire resolution, their defense of the Palestinian resistance, and their fight against capitalism and racism.

Chelsea Bland, OPEIU Local 2 and CLUW member, talked to Struggle-La Lucha about how the demonstration came together. “Members of our CLUW chapter came to us and talked about a labor picket,” she said. “This is an issue that our rank-and-file members care about, and CLUW passed a resolution for a ceasefire last year. We knew we had to put words into action.”

The D.C. City Council has responded by claiming that “international issues are not their jurisdiction.” Of course, this isn’t their history, including their stance against South African apartheid and for good relations with Cuba. 

The D.C. for Ceasefire Now Coalition continues the struggle with continuous outreach, growing the support for the resolution in every ward of D.C.