Labor Unions Fight for a Free Palestine!
The Socialist Program with Brian Becker
The Socialist Program
4.7 • 587 Ratings
🗓️ 3 April 2024
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Large labor unions have joined the massive movement in solidarity with the Palestinian people and have publicly called for a ceasefire in Gaza, an end to weapons shipments to Israel, and more. This involvement of the labor movement in the fight for Palestine is key for the Palestinian cause and for building solidarity among U.S. workers.
Brian Becker is joined by Aminah Sheikh, labor and community organizer in Toronto, and Husayn Karimi, a labor organizer and a host of the labor podcast On The Line.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Workers and labor organizations around the world are a crucial component of the massive movement |
| 0:07.2 | in solidarity with the Palestinian people that has emerged since the Israeli genocide campaign |
| 0:13.9 | began on October 8, 23. Today we'll discuss key developments in the long fight to build an internationalist anti-imperialist labor movement. |
| 0:24.6 | We need a new system. We need a new society. We need to demand that which may have sounded impossible even a few weeks ago, but is not only realizable, but an imperative necessity. |
| 0:38.3 | The Welcome to the Socialist Program. I'm your host, Brian Becker. |
| 1:05.2 | Today we're joined by Amina Sheikh. She is a labor and community organizer in Toronto. |
| 1:13.8 | And we're joined by Hussein Karimi. He's in New York City. He is a labor and community organizer in Toronto. And we're joined by Hussein Kareemi. He's in New York City. He's a labor organizer and a host of the podcast on the line. Welcome to both of you. |
| 1:19.9 | Thank you. Thanks for having us. Well, in the coming days, the coming weeks, there's going to be |
| 1:25.5 | more massive demonstrations all around the United |
| 1:29.1 | States. That's where I am. Amina, I know you're in Canada. There's going to be big protests |
| 1:34.9 | upcoming. There's the May Day protest here in New York City. I know that's going to have a |
| 1:41.3 | Palestine focus. There has been a sea change in terms of the orientation |
| 1:46.8 | of the labor movement. It's not complete. It's not finished, but it's certainly underway here in |
| 1:52.5 | the United States. But Amina, let's talk to you about Canada, what's going on, what's the role of labor, |
| 1:58.6 | and just talk about how the change has happened. |
| 2:01.6 | Yeah. |
| 2:01.9 | Thank you for having me once again. |
| 2:04.4 | And yeah, I like that you did mention it's not perfect and it's not finished and it's |
| 2:09.9 | ongoing. |
| 2:10.8 | And I think a lot's been happening since October 7th, but a lot has been happening over the decades and over the years. |
| 2:22.2 | You know, before I became a union organizer, I too was a student. And, you know, it's only then I |
| 2:29.0 | remember like, you know, being at school and remembering what BDS campaigns were happening |
... |
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