Colorado AFL-CIO Passes Resolution to Act Against Hate Incidents and Crimes

Denver – At their final meeting of 2016, the Colorado AFL-CIO Executive Board passed two resolutions reaffirming its role as an institution committed to standing against hate crimes and standing in solidarity with our fellow union members when unreasonably attacked.

The 38 member Executive Board comprises 19 Affiliate Vice Presidents representing the largest international unions with more than 1000 members in Colorado, and 19 Vice Presidents elected at-large from the broader delegate body and local labor councils. 

The Colorado AFL-CIO Executive Director Sam Gilchrist and President Jason Wardrip brought the following resolution, as well as a resolution in support of Chuck Jones (President of USW Local 1999 in Indianapolis), to the Executive Board in response to the increased number of hate crimes occurring nationwide since the November 8 election.

Resolution to Act Against Hate Incidents and Crimes in Colorado

WHEREAS the Southern Poverty Law Center tallied over 700 hate incidents and crimes nationwide in the two weeks following November 8, 2016, and;

WHEREAS working people of color, women, religious minorities, and working LGBTQ people face real and alarming threats in communities and at their places of work, and;

WHEREAS the labor movement is among the largest and most diverse institutions in our society, with nearly half of union members being women, a growing number are people of color, and recent immigrants, and;

WHEREAS the labor movement was built on the belief that an injury to one worker is an injury to us all, and;

WHEREAS hate incidents and crimes deserve a serious, meaningful response from labor unions whose duty is to ensure members rights are not violated in their workplace; now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Colorado AFL-CIO will reaffirm its role as a democratic, and diverse institution standing against racism, intolerance and bigotry by advocating for the Constitutional, civil and economic rights of all working people; and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Colorado AFL-CIO will pursue strategies to promote freedom, democracy, and provide working people in Colorado with resources following a hate incident in their workplace and equip union representatives and stewards with tools to help union members should hate incidents and crimes occur at their place of work.

Resolution Supporting Chuck Jones and the Members of USW Local 1999

BE IT RESOLVED the Colorado AFL-CIO stands in support of our brothers and sisters of USW Local 1999 in Indianapolis, Indiana and their President Chuck Jones in their efforts to protect their jobs and speak out against the President-elect of the United States of America for his overstatement of the number of positions protected, his own involvement in, and attempt to capitalize politically on the recent decision by Carrier (UTC) to maintain more than 700 bargaining unite positions in Indianapolis.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Colorado AFL-CIO will continue to further its mission to protect working families, promote good jobs, and act against authoritarian practices at all jurisdictions within its purview.