Our union's Executive Board passed a resolution denouncing racism, white supremacy, hate groups and all other forms of discrimination at its October 16th meeting.
“AFSCME Council 28 represents 47,000 public employees in the state of Washington—including women, Black, Indigenous, and people of color, people who have immigrated, LGBTQIA+ people, Jewish people, Muslim people, and others who are explicitly targeted by the toxic ideas and actions of white supremacists,” said WFSE Vice President Andrea Vaughn.
“White supremacy has harmed our communities and families for far too long, and we won’t tolerate it.”
The resolution states that because hate groups and unregulated militias threaten the wellbeing and safety of people of color and many others working in public service, our union must defend our members’ interests and stand against such ideologies.
“As union members, it’s up to us to stick together,” said WFSE President Mike Yestramski.
“WFSE members, including our siblings of color, deserve to know that we stand against the hate and violence being promoted by white supremacist groups. Hate cannot coexist with our union values of justice, solidarity, and unity.”
The resolution concludes with a commitment to “steadfastly work to undo white supremacy, racism, and all other forms of discrimination wherever we find them; including within our places of work, our communities, our political processes, and our union affairs.” Read the full text here.
