The following resolution passed at the UAWD Membership Meeting held on December 10, 2023.
Whereas, UAWD currently includes this statement under the “international solidarity” plank of the UAWD platform:
- “UAWD supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, called for by Palestinian unions and workers, and seeks to end all UAW investments in corporations perpetuating human rights violations.”
Whereas, UAWD is committed to the liberation of all workers from exploitation and oppression, in the US and around the world, and sees the struggle for Palestinian liberation as one part of our mission, which is focused on building a shop floor rank-and-file movement within the UAW.
Whereas, over 30 Palestinian labor organizations have issued a joint call on October 16, 2023 to unions around the world to end all complicity with Israeli genocide in occupied Palestine that has killed or maimed thousands of Palestinians—many of them children.
Whereas, the United States provides Israel $3.8 billion of taxpayer dollars per year—with proposed legislation for an additional $14 billion—in military aid which maintains the occupation, oppression, and apartheid regime in Palestine.
Whereas, popular education is needed to dispel the divisive propaganda and to move UAW leaders and rank-and-file members to confidently support the Palestinian working class.
Whereas, the UAW is one of two main U.S. unions whose members manufacture weapons used against the Palestinian people.
Whereas, the UAW has a legacy of standing up against racial/ethnic segregation and apartheid, in both the U.S. and South Africa.
Whereas, the UAW International has called for a permanent ceasefire and creation of a Divestment and Just Transition Working Group.
Be it resolved that UAWD shall commit to organizing support for Palestinian liberation and BDS (the non-violent movement to remove complicity with Palestinian oppression) among rank-and-file UAW members, and to making BDS the official position of the UAW International.
- Be it further resolved that UAWD will organize a thorough popular education effort for UAW members and leaders, which shall include one or more educational events covering BDS, Palestinian liberation, the UAW’s history of anti-apartheid activity, and the long history of Arab and Black worker resistance to International UAW executive leadership complicity. The series will be advertised using email, Slack, and text/phone banking.
- Be it further resolved that, through outreach for our educational events and other organizing, UAWD will assess interest amongst manufacturing workers, especially impacted workers at weapons manufacturers, to further organize around BDS and Palestinian liberation on the shop floor.
Be it resolved that UAWD supports the UAW International’s call for the creation of a Divestment and Just Transition Working Group, and UAWD calls for the International leadership to invite rank-and-file members, including those working on building solidarity with Palestinian workers, to participate in the working group.
Be it further resolved that the UAWD membership affirms the Steering Committee’s adoption of the UAW BDS Sign-On Letter.