UPDATE, March 28: The statement referenced in this press release is no longer live, as the organizers are no longer collecting signatures for it. An archived version of the statement can be found here.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, UE General President Carl Rosen signed another statement, organized by the same group of people, condemning the Russian invasion. That statement can be found here.
Over 250 co-sign labor statement opposing the bellicose behavior of the U.S. government regarding the crisis in Ukraine
UE General President Carl Rosen has signed a statement calling on the U.S. to de-escalate its confrontation with Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
“To defuse the crisis and lay a foundation for its diplomatic resolution,” the statement declares, “the U.S. should immediately declare its policy and commitment that NATO will not advance any further toward the Russian border.”
The statement points out that “The US military-industrial complex has an insatiable appetite for war and the threat and preparation for war. Despite having just ended its ‘forever war’ in Afghanistan, the US is increasing its military budget for the coming year to an astounding $768 billion.”
The statement further notes that “Twenty years of the so-called ‘Global War on Terror’ should have taught us that complex international disputes cannot be resolved by military might. Patient, persistent multilateral diplomacy that addresses the security interests of all parties is what is now required.
“The resources now plowed into war and preparation for war should be devoted to meeting the urgent needs of working class people and addressing the global challenge of climate change. We and the world cannot afford another senseless, wasteful, and destructive military conflict.”
The statement was initiated by founders, leaders and supporters of what until 2020 was U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW). Other signatories include Elise Bryant, President of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, David Newby, President Emeritus of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, and Bill Fletcher, Jr., former president of TransAfrica Forum and a lifelong trade unionist.
The full statement and a partial list of signatures can be found at https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/uslaw-statement-on-ukraine-crisis
Interviews with Rosen can be arranged by contacting Jonathan Kissam, UE Communications Director, at (802) 343 1745 or jkissam@ueunion.org.
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