UNITE HERE Local 100 Believes Black Lives Matter
March 2020: A week or two after the stay at home orders, it became clear that black and brown workers filled most of the “essential” jobs that we all depend on and cannot “stay at home.”
Why: our unfair economic and education systems pushed many towards these low paying service jobs, and away from “work from home” jobs.
April 2020: After a month of covid-19 the country saw numbers proving that black Americans are more vulnerable, and becoming sick and dying more than whites.
Why: Because our health system leaves blacks with much higher rates of underlying conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, but less access to good health insurance and medical care.
May 2020: And after 10 weeks, we faced again the only thing that the covid19 emergency did not stop; the casual brutality that our “justice system” uses to kill black women and men.
And Yes! Three weeks of rebellion in US streets and around the world gave hope that people together can begin to break the grip of racism that chokes this country, and to work toward real change … when in June 2020 Rayshard Brooks is shot twice in the back while running from a police officer, and killed.
Now UNITE HERE Local 100 pledges to do whatever we can as a Union of hospitality workers to fight for the change needed in all these systems. Beginning within our own Local Union staff and all of our Union shops, working with black and brown members to fight for economic and racial justice. This includes all contract negotiations and regular Union representation work.
Next the work continues with UNITE HERE International Union to support action to eliminate barriers for members to grow as leaders in our own Union.
And finally, supporting campaigns for criminal justice and police reform and equal opportunity in all economic, health and education systems, together with our allies in New Jersey, New York and around the country.
We ask all Local 100 members to tell us your ideas, and to challenge us to act and to win the fight against racial injustice.
Yes We Can! Si Se Puede!
