UFCW 324 Statement on LA City Council Controversy
Dear UFCW 324 member:
You may have heard about the reprehensible remarks made in a conversation between Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, Councilmember Kevin de León, Councilmember Gil Cedillo, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, who has since resigned from his position. UFCW 324 strongly condemns the anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism and homophobia that undermine the multi-racial, intersectional, working-class solidarity UFCW 324 members fight for daily.
We as a Union, will not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind within the labor movement, the workplaces we represent, or in the halls of government power. UFCW 324 remains committed to the fight for equity, and to achieve that, we must hold our employers, ourselves, and our elected leaders to the same high standards.
The working people of Los Angeles need leaders who are committed to fighting for the rights of all Angelenos. That’s why we believe the councilmembers should resign in order to reestablish faith and trust in city government.
UFCW 324 members reflect our communities and all their diversity; the racist attack on Councilmember Bonin’s son stings deeply for many of our members who’ve experienced racism and discrimination and fight tirelessly to protect their children from these harms. For these reasons, we must affirm our commitment each and every day to be an anti-racist organization and lead a broader, progressive labor movement in fighting anti-Black racism and all forms of hate and discrimination. Solidarity and equality define our labor movement and today we lean on these values as we aim to rebuild faith in our institutions. We know it is possible through the power of working people standing together in union.
In solidarity,
Andrea Zinder
President, UFCW 324
