Teach-in: Labor for Palestine
On Thursday December 7, 6PM to 7:30PM, SEIU Local 1021 is partnering with Jobs with Justice San Francisco to host an online teach-in about how the struggles of labor and the struggles in Palestine intersect. This teach-in is happening almost exactly a month after the SEIU 1021 executive board issued a statement endorsing the “Ceasefire Now” movement — a statement calling for all armed conflict to cease in Israel and Palestine.
The SEIU 1021 executive board’s statement began, “For the past few weeks, we have heard many voices about the situation in Israel-Palestine. We are shocked and horrified at the violent events that took place on October 7 targeting Israeli civilians. We are also shocked and horrified at the Israeli military response that is killing thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza — an area where almost half of the population are children. We do not condone military and violent action that kills or leads to the suffering and death of innocent civilians. Our unionist and humanitarian sides are being called into action today!”
The teach-in will feature presentations that cover an introduction to Palestinian history, Jewish labor perspectives for peace, and the impact of war and occupation on Palestinian working people and the public services they rely on — including the healthcare and education systems. Panelists will explore how economic blockades, borders, checkpoints, and permit systems create unemployment and lead to the control and exploitation of Palestinian workers.
SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford remarked, “The amount of death happening because of the conflict is unconscionable. We must all come together to educate ourselves about the conflict and to identify ways we can act towards peace.”
You can register for the online teach-in here: bit.ly/laborpalestineforum