An analysis from Jewish Insider explores how labor unions have gradually shifted to oppose the Jewish state in recent years, with the transformation most manifesting in responses to Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
Gabby Deutch, the publication’s senior national correspondent, focuses on the United Auto Workers, which has shown up at pro-Palestinian rallies throughout the United States in the past 11 months, particularly in states like New York, California and Michigan. She describes the positions and rhetoric of the union’s president, Shawn Fain, and Brandon Mancilla, who serves as director for a region that includes New York City, New England and Puerto Rico.
Also mentioned was the Service Employees International Union, representing almost 1.9 million health-care workers in the United States and Canada, according to its website.
UAW’s recent actions include leading a group of labor organizations in calling for an end to military aid for Israel.
Jeff Schuhrke, a labor historian at Empire State University, told Jewish Insider that “the fact that those seven unions last month, like UAW and SEIU, issued that statement is pretty remarkable, given how much reluctance there’s been, traditionally, to have any criticism of Israel.”
Still, he said anti-Israel views were not pervasive in the union, noting that “there’s still a lot of rank-and-filers who are very pro-Israel.”
