UE Political Action Updates

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UE Members Take Action for Palestine Ceasefire

December 15, 2023
Washington, DC and Pittsburgh

“In no other country is it more true that we, the workers, have a direct say in the plight of Palestinians,” declared Janvi Madhani of UE Local 197-Teachers and Researchers United at a press conference yesterday in the nation’s capital. “Our hard-earned tax dollars go directly towards the bombs being dropped in Gaza but not towards healthcare, housing, or education at home.”

Madhani was representing UE at a press conference, Unions for Ceasefire Now, organized by Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO).

Labor Calls for Ceasefire in Israel and Palestine Grow

November 21, 2023

In the month since UE and UFCW Local 3000 initiated a labor call for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, it has been signed by unions across the country, including the Chicago Teachers Union, UAW Regions 6 and 9A, SEIU-United Service Workers West (USWW), IBEW Local 520, and more. In calling for a ceasefire, U.S. unions are joining unions around the world, many of whom have also issued statements and taken action demanding an end to the violence.

UE-Endorsed Candidates Win in PA, NC

November 8, 2023
Pittsburgh

State Representative Sara Innamorato, a strong UE ally since she was elected in 2018, won election as Allegheny County Executive last night, making her the most powerful local elected official in Western Pennsylvania. She will be the first woman to hold the post, which oversees a county budget of over $3 billion. Innamorato has pledged to build “a county for all,” with good jobs, strong protections for workers, and housing for all.

UE Urges President Biden to Remove Special Corporate Rights from Trade Agreements

November 2, 2023
Washington, DC

UE today joined over 200 other labor, consumer, health, human rights, faith, and other organizations in a letter to President Biden urging him to fulfill his stated position against Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) and eliminate ISDS terms in existing free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties. ISDS is embedded in numerous trade and investment agreements and has created a global governance regime that prioritizes corporate rights over those of governments, people, and the planet.

UE Helps Initiate Labor Call for Ceasefire in Israel and Palestine

October 20, 2023
Pittsburgh

“We, members of the American labor movement, mourn the loss of life in Israel and Palestine. We express our solidarity with all workers and our common desire for peace in Palestine and Israel, and we call on President Joe Biden and Congress to push for an immediate ceasefire and end to the siege of Gaza. We cannot bomb our way to peace. We also condemn any hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, or anyone else.”

UE President Rosen to Senate: U.S. Has Opportunity to Reduce Emissions, Create Jobs with Green Locomotives

July 28, 2023
Washington, DC

UE General President Carl Rosen was one of three witnesses invited to testify to a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, July 26 about opportunities to clean up pollution in rail yards, reduce carbon emissions, and create jobs by instituting stricter regulations on railroad emissions.

Senator Fetterman Introduces Bill to Give Strikers Access to Federal Food Assistance

July 28, 2023
Washington, DC

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has introduced a bill that would make striking workers eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal food assistance program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In an op-ed published in the Erie Times-News, Fetterman wrote, “The right to strike is fundamental to the right to organize and unionize — but being forced to choose between feeding your family and protecting your labor rights isn't a choice at all.”

Supreme Court’s Undemocratic, Reactionary Agenda Must Be Opposed

July 12, 2023
Pittsburgh
Statement of the UE Officers

The six-member right-wing majority of the Supreme Court has made it clear this term that it intends to impose its reactionary views on the American people, regardless of precedent or public opinion. The undemocratic nature of the Supreme Court — an unelected body who serve for life — has never been clearer. After attacking the rights of women when they overturned Roe v. Wade last year, this year the Court’s right wing has attacked the rights of Black people and other people of color, LGBTQ+ people, students, and workers.

Repression of Atlanta Protesters a Threat to All Working People

June 2, 2023
Pittsburgh
Statement of the UE officers

UE condemns the increasing repression being directed towards the “Stop Cop City” movement in Atlanta and their supporters. The violent police attacks on peaceful protesters, including the murder of one activist in January, are unconscionable in a democracy. The charges of “domestic terrorism” against protesters, and the recent arrests of organizers whose sole “crime” was to provide bail for those arrested during the protests, are clearly designed to criminalize and stifle dissent.

Medicare for All Reintroduced with Record Number of House Co-Sponsors

May 18, 2023
Washington, DC

On Wednesday, May 17, legislation to create a universal, “Medicare for All” healthcare system — a UE demand since the 1940s — was reintroduced in both the House and Senate. The House bill was introduced with a record number of co-sponsors, including the majority of the Democratic caucus and 13 powerful legislators who are the highest-ranking Democrats in their committees.

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