e-Bulletin20181116:
There are many ways to celebrate Thanksgiving, among them hosting family and friends or traveling to see them, working to feed those who are homeless and hungry. Another way is to defend the values we hold dear. To that end, we want to alert you to a disturbing rally being held this Saturday and a counter-protest members of TAUP are participating in. The rally is being held at Independence Mall on Saturday at 11:00, and the Proud Boys, among other racist and violent groups, have indicated they will attend. To quote from the eloquent statement by the Philadelphia AFL-CIO:
[W]hile the organizers of this rally have stated publicly that they oppose violence at this event, they have not denounced the politics that the Proud Boys represent – racism, hatred, and antisemitism.
The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO believes firmly in free speech and in the guarantee to freedom of speech in the First Amendment. Members of our unions come from every background and support a very wide variety of political views. Our Council has endorsed politicians from both major parties, and we expect to do so in the future.
But the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO stands absolutely opposed to the kind of racist and anti-semitic hatred represented by the Proud Boys. As we declared in December of 2017 in a resolution that was passed unanimously by our Executive Board and our Delegates – representing over 100 unions in our region – in the wake of the anti-semitic vandalism in South Philly and in Jewish cemeteries in our area: “The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO stands ready today to join with like-minded people from all backgrounds who are disgusted by rising bigotry and intolerance, standing together in solidarity at this critical moment, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ethnic background.”
TAUP members and leaders will be attending the counter-protest, which begins at 10:30 a.m. at 599 Market Street. If you are interested in joining us, please email Steve Newman at stevenewman1970@gmail.com. Those from TAUP are pledged to non-violent resistance.
As we head into Thanksgiving, TAUP wants to wish all its members a joyful and restful holiday and to thank you for being a member of TAUP!
P. S. Over the break, please fill out the Bargaining Survey if you haven’t already. You should have received a link at the email address we normally use to communicate with you. If you haven’t (check your spam folder!), please contact TAUP at taupaft@gmail.com.