THE United Auto Workers (UAW) trade union in the United States has voted to divest its estimated $400,000 (£303,000) from Israel bonds.
The divestment vote makes the UAW the first major US union to vote to divest from Israel.
Members voted at the union’s 39th Constitutional Convention in Detroit, where 1,000 delegates from UAW locals around the country had gathered to discuss the union’s strategy for the next four years.
UAW represents workers largely in the US but also in Canada and Puerto Rico.
Members include workers in the auto industry and in higher education, as health care and government workers.
The resolution states that the ‘billionaire class’ that ‘profits from war’ funnels public money into militarism instead of ‘healthcare, housing and education working people need’.
It cites the nearly three-year-long genocide in Gaza and the call by the Palestinian trade union movement for workers internationally to act in solidarity as among the reasons for its resolution to divest from Israel Bonds – which are bonds issued directly by Israel and function as loans to the Israeli government.
Meanwhile, The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that Marathon Petroleum’s decision to reject an unconditional offer from members of Local 5 to return to work and thereby locking them out is a reckless escalation that demonstrates the company’s willingness to put confrontation ahead of resolution.
USW National Oil Bargaining Program Chairman Michael Smith said: ‘These workers exercised their legally protected right to stand together against management’s unfair labour practices.
‘Rather than respect their commitment and restoring normal operations, Marathon management has chosen a path that appears designed to punish workers for standing up for their rights.
‘Workers should never be targeted, intimidated or locked out of their jobs because they have the courage to demand a workplace where their voices are respected.’
USW District 12 Director Gaylan Prescott said that Marathon Petroleum has the resources and responsibility to resolve this dispute in good faith.
Prescott added: ‘Instead, management is engaging in tactics that undermine labour relations, damage trust and put the company’s reputation at risk.
‘USW Local 5 members are ready and willing to return to work.
‘Marathon should stop its reckless union-busting strategy, respect the rights of its employees and come back to the table committed to a fair resolution.’
Elsewhere, workers at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota were on strike on Monday, for the first time in the stadium’s history.
UNITE HERE, the union representing the workers, is demanding fair wages and health insurance.
50 workers were picketing near Gate 34, one of the stadium’s main entrances, before the game. The crowd appeared to be growing as fans began arriving.
Adam Schreifels works as a bartender in one of Target Field’s suites.
He said he has worked at the stadium for 10 years.
Schreifels added: ‘You know, $15 beers, $20 hamburgers – they can’t even pay people a decent wage, and that’s really why all of us are here.
‘I mean, you have multi-billion-dollar owners, you have a multi-billion-dollar company, you have multi-million dollar players.
‘We just want our piece of the pie for helping create a good fan experience.’
Schreifels said fans who paid to watch the game from the suites will likely notice the shortage of concessions workers.
Roxy Hoda works concessions at Target Field during Twins games, concerts and other events.
She said she wants the company to offer workers like her health insurance.
Hoda said: ‘For me and my partner, we rely on the marketplace for health insurance, both being hospitality professionals.
‘Three years ago, we were paying $800 a month, not including deductibles and whatnot, which was expensive, but it was doable.
‘But now that amount has almost tripled and our monthly amount for insurance for the two of us and our two children is almost as much as our mortgage and has become very unaffordable.’
- Drivers at CPC Logistics in the US state of Missouri have voted to join Teamsters Local 600.
The 49 workers distribute cargo for Proctor & Gamble and other companies throughout the Midwest.
John Kelting, President of Local 600 said: ‘CPC workers overcame a vicious anti-union campaign by uniting for better wages, benefits, and job security.
‘These brave men and women have already demonstrated that they’re not afraid to do whatever it takes to get a first contract, so we look forward to negotiations.’
Teamsters already represent CPC Logistics workers in California, New Jersey, Illinois, and Texas.
The organising victory in Jackson builds upon the momentum of CPC drivers who joined Teamsters Local 179 earlier this year.
Jeremy McDonald, Local 600 shop steward for CPC Jackson said: ‘There are thousands of people in logistics who are doing the exact same work as us, but are better off because of their Teamsters contract.
‘We deserve what Teamsters have – the best jobs in the trucking – and that’s what we’re going to get.’
‘We will fight to raise the wages of all CPC Logistics members.’
- US President Donald Trump is seeking to drag major carmaker companies in his country into weapons manufacturing, a clear sign of his struggle to replenish military stockpiles depleted by his recent war on Iran and Washington’s continued military support for Ukraine.
In remarks made at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said that US automakers Ford and General Motors (GM) could soon open plants dedicated to manufacturing weapons.
Trump said the US government is holding discussions with the two companies to involve them in the production of weapons, especially for manufacturing interceptor missiles for Patriot surface-to-air missile systems and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
He said that General Motors is very interested in opening several factories for weapons production, adding that other carmakers can also sign contracts with the Pentagon for manufacturing missile components and other equipment.
Trump claimed that his plan to drag carmakers into weapons production is aimed at boosting the capabilities of the US armed forces.
However, the plans come nearly three months after the US ended a costly joint war of aggression with the Israeli regime against Iran, with experts believing the endeavour has caused a serious depletion of the US military’s stockpiles of weapons.
Reacting to Trump’s announcement, the spokesman of the Russian Presidency, Dmitry Peskov, said that the US has clearly run short of weapons inventories, as he insisted that involving the carmakers in weapons manufacturing is a sign of the ‘militarisation of the US economy’.
Peskov said: ‘There were military operations in the Persian Gulf during the aggression against Iran. In addition, the US continues to supply significant quantities of weapons to Ukraine.
‘Naturally, stockpiles and warehouses have been considerably depleted and need replenishment.’
Iran has won a decisive victory against the US it has stood firm against the US and Israel.
One of the US goals was to control the vital Strait of Hormuz which is vital for shipping around the world.
It has not been able to do that with Iran still controlling all traffic there.