Originally published in Labor Today
Workers around the world have stood up to block weapons shipments meant to continue the siege on Gaza. From Kent, UK to Tacoma, WA, USA to Italy, Greece and Türkiye, workers have prevented arms shipments to Israel.
These actions continue in the long history of transport workers standing on the side of peace, against fascism, racism, any occupation and oppression of peoples. This history in the U.S. dates back to dockworkers in Seattle blocking arms shipments to Russia in 1919 during the Russian Civil War.
These are strong actions of international working-class solidarity, but they are still woefully inadequate. The workers in the U.S. have for the most part been separated from the workers internationally since the purges of class-oriented trade unionists in the late 1940s. This purging, along with the passage of the anti-worker Taft Hartley Act of 1947 and its ban on political strikes have led to a lack of these actions throughout the country.
Labor United Educational League stands in solidarity with all workers standing against acts of unjust military aggression. We also call on all class-oriented trade unionists to stand up and organize their fellow workers and to raise their class consciousness to lead a new struggle against imperialist aggression sponsored by the U.S. government.
In solidarity,
Labor United Educational League
