{"id":11659,"date":"2023-11-04T00:01:47","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T04:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tempestmag.org\/v01_2020\/staging\/?p=11659"},"modified":"2023-11-15T21:55:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T02:55:06","slug":"seiu-forces-leader-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tempestmag.org\/test02\/2023\/11\/seiu-forces-leader-out\/","title":{"rendered":"SEIU forces leader out"},"content":{"rendered":"

L<\/span>ast month, the Connecticut State Council of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) announced the departure of its executive director Kooper Caraway<\/a> following comments he made at a rally in support of Palestine. Caraway, a progressive labor leader, has long drawn the ire of conservative politicians; however, this time Democrats and fellow union leaders joined the attack. His departure is part of a broader wave of censorship targeting those critical of Israel’s ongoing displacement, colonization, and now collective punishment of the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n

On October 19, the council\u2019s Facebook page<\/a> gave notice that SEIU had received Caraway\u2019s resignation effective immediately, but that the council would offer no further comment. The announcement appears alongside a statement that \u201cunequivocally condemns the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas\u201d but also affirms that the union \u201cjoins other organizations calling for an end to attacks on civilians [and] immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.\u201d But the departure of Caraway, an outspoken and progressive leader who has been central to the council’s efforts to build coalition work in the state, contradicts that affirmation.<\/p>\n

In his remarks at the rally,<\/a> Caraway reminded the crowd, \u201cEvery single person who has fought against apartheid, who has fought against colonialism, has been called a terrorist by the State Department.\u201d He went on to note, \u201cThe people who built the union movement, they were called terrorists,\u201d and affirmed, \u201cOur enemies are not in Gaza, our enemies are the CEOs who are cutting our pay and benefits. \u2026 Our enemies are the politicians who lock our people up and leave them to sleep on the streets.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kooper Caraway<\/a> via Facebook.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In response to his speech, some on the right have accused Caraway of support for Hamas. A letter signed<\/a> by four Republican state legislators urging Democratic governor Ned Lamont and union officials to call for Caraway\u2019s dismissal states, \u201cMr. Caraway\u2019s branding as murderous terrorists Hamas as \u2018our comrades\u2019 is offensive to us, our Jewish friends and families, and the House and Senate Republican caucuses.\u201d The Wall Street Journal took things a step further. An October 15 opinion article<\/a> by editorial board member Allysia Finley dishonestly inserts the name Hamas into Caraway\u2019s speech.<\/p>\n

Following the backlash, Governor Lamont, whose relationship with Connecticut labor is already tenuous, responded that Caraway\u2019s comments were \u201cabsolutely inappropriate and dead wrong.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

And sources close to the situation report that Caraway\u2019s resignation was tendered following a near-unanimous vote by the council\u2019s presidents. SEIU\u2019s state council is composed of 1199, largely representing healthcare workers; 32BJ, largely representing custodial workers; the 4Cs, largely representing community college faculty; and CSEA and CEUI, representing state and municipal workers. In total, the council represents over fifty thousand workers in the state.<\/p>\n

Caraway\u2019s forced resignation will have a chilling effect on labor leaders and union activists engaged in Palestine solidarity work. His removal comes amid a wave of censorship and discipline faced by those who are speaking out as Israeli officials continue to starve Gazans of food, water, and fuel during the IDF\u2019s escalating assault. Last week, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution<\/a> condemning what it calls \u201canti-Israel, pro-Hamas student groups\u201d and, in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis ordered that all chapters of the organization Students for Justice in Palestine<\/a> (SJP) be disbanded on public university campuses. At the University of Vermont, a planned appearance by poet and journalist Mohammed El-Kurd was also canceled<\/a>. Caraway\u2019s departure from SEIU can be understood as part of this broader crackdown, but what is unique about this situation is his position as a labor official.<\/p>\n

While Carraway is not the only union employee to face discipline over Palestine solidarity, his dismissal signals a dangerous move by union officials to regulate and censor pro-Palestine speech. Tania Singh, a labor organizer with the Minnesota Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United, was also let go from her position<\/a> after her union employer received screenshots of Palestine solidarity statements Singh had made online.<\/p>\n

Thus far, labor leaders have largely lined up to pledge their support for Israel with any mention of Palestinian casualties appearing as mere footnotes. This is not at all surprising given the close relationship between labor\u2019s leadership class and the Democratic party. Just days after Hamas\u2019s initial October 7 attack, the American Federation of Teachers issued a press release in which union president Randi Weingarten wrote, \u201cPresident Biden\u2019s swift response supporting Israel is welcomed\u201d and that \u201cIsrael has every right to defend itself as it will now do.\u201d<\/p>\n