Monday, December 21, 2009
At Harry's Place: 'Boycott Israel' letter includes unauthorized signature:
While AFL-CIO president Rich Trumka has reaffirmed the labor federation's support for Israel, a group called Labor for Palestine has issued an "Open Letter From US Trade Unionists" to Trumka calling for a boycott of "Apartheid Israel."
Among the listed signatories is Clayola Brown, president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, an AFL-CIO-affiliated organization of African-American trade unionists. But as the TULIP website reports, Brown has sent an email message to Labor for Palestine:
It is with disgust and dismay that I find my name listed as a signer of "Boycott Apartheid Israel: Open Letter from US Trade Unionists." I demand that my name be removed immediately!
Prior to seeing the letter on the Palestine Chronicle website, I had never seen such a letter or engaged in discussions about its content. I find it disrespectful that someone would attach my name to a document and circulate such a document without contact with me, or consent from me.
Please make every effort to convey my demand to and any other publications that you have used or are likely to use your letter with.
As much as I'm no fan of the big unions, the fact is that the American labor movement is, unlike many of their overseas cousins, extremely supportive of Israel. It's only way out at the fringes that that changes. In this case it's particularly nice to see a leader of an African-American group taking a strong stand.
[h/t: Kerry]
