Labor unions speak out after police killing of Tyre Nichols
Support for police accountability and abolition is swelling across the US labor movement in the aftermath of Tyre Nichols' slaughter in Memphis, Tennessee.
After five Memphis police officers were fired and charged with murder and two others were suspended in the killing of Tyre Nichols, labor unions across the US are rising up to demand police associations be ejected from their ranks.
The brutal attack has led to renewed calls to remove International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).
"The AFL-CIO has said it supports Black Lives Matter. We join the Writers Guild of America, East, and their supporters, including Association of Flight Attendants president Sara Nelson, in calling on the AFL-CIO to make good on its word by expelling the International Union of Police Associations," Workers United in Upstate New York said in a statement.
"We recognize that the fact that Black people are disproportionately working-class makes failing to be anti-racist and supporting police unions an even greater betrayal of working-class struggle and unity," they added.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond also issued a statement after Nichols' death: "Our hearts break for Tyre Nichols, those who loved him, and a community in pain, in light of his death during a violent encounter at the hands of five Memphis police officers during a traffic stop on Jan. 7. Tyre was a beloved father, son and friend who was working to build a good life for himself and his family."
"We join the call in demanding justice for Tyre Nichols and remain dedicated to advancing racial justice throughout our nation."
More US labor unions and leaders demand justice after Tyre Nichols' killing
More leaders and unions across the US labor movement have also spoken out in the wake of Nichols' killing to demand sweeping changes.
"Black History month should be a month of reflection on police brutality and the murders of Black people. Every year it’s another name we have to hashtag when will it end? When We decide to withhold our Labor!" tweeted Christian Smalls, president of the Amazon Labor Union. "Labor has to take a stance when we’re talking community that is one without police!"
"As members of the labor movement, we must work together to not only demand justice for Tyre Nichols, but also to implore our elected leaders to take heed and address the systemic issues head-on that allow for these continued acts of violence," the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee said in a statement.
"Until we face the racial injustice that is prevalent in our communities and our workplaces we cannot heal, we cannot move forward."
Cover photo: REUTERS