California Campus Workers Become First Major Local Union to Endorse BDS Against Israel

[Purveyor]

On December 4, United Auto Workers Local 2865, a union of 13,000 teaching assistants and student-workers at the University of California, became the first local of a major American union to pass a resolution by membership vote endorsing the global movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. Voting results were released December 12 and mark an unprecedented moment for the BDS movement within the context of modern American labor activism.

A total of 2,168 votes were cast by union members, with 65 percent of them in favor of the measure directing the University of California and UAW International to divest their investment portfolios and pensions funds away from companies “complicit in severe and ongoing human rights violations as part of the Israeli oppression of the Palestinian people.” The primary targets of BDS campaigns are Hewlett Packard, Caterpillar, SodaStream, Elbit Systems, G4S, Mekorot, and Israeli banks. The advocates at UAW Local 2865 are demanding that, at a minimum, the university and union divest from these companies.

Local 2865’s ballot also included an optional box asking voters whether or not they would voluntarily pledge to boycott any scholarship sponsored by Israeli universities “complicit in the occupation of Palestine and the settler-colonial policies of the state of Israel.” Fifty-two percent of voters voted in favor. The ballot also called for an end for U.S. aid to Israel "until [Israel] complies with international law."

According to Local elected official Skylar Covich, a Political Science graduate student at UC-Santa Barbara who serves the campus recording secretary, union leadership passed a resolution in July endorsing BDS and calling for a membership vote on the matter after this summer’s bombardment of Gaza by Israel prompted members to attempt to heed the call of solidarity made by Palestinian trade unions who condemned the violence.

"Even though there certainly have been really horrible acts on both sides, there is something about the way the Israeli government has acted about this all that has been an injustice, especially since they are the far more powerful country," says Covich. "Since other people in the union were interested in this, I felt I needed to join [the local governing body] to make sure a message was sent about this," he adds.

more...

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/17491/university_of_california_israel_bds

[tularetom]

1. While I applaud their action, I have to ask

Why the United Auto Workers is representing student workers and teaching assistants.

[Just for Fun]

2. BDS does not work, once again.

And it hurts the Palestinian people.

SodaStream kept their people, even when they moved out of the West Bank to northern Israel (which includes Israel Arabs and Palestinians)

And COCA COLA is building a factory in Gaza, with permission of Israel (they let the construction material through the crossing) - providing jobs for Gaza.

Purveyor, please stop posting BDS shit as it does not work, and actually hurts the Palestinian people.

The union will regret the decision.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

3. "BDS does not work, once again."

Oh, my, you are so full of wrong tonight. BDS is not working so well that it has the full attention of the world.

BDS is growing. If it wasn't then people wouldn't be whining about it.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. But BDS does work, my friend. Like lots of movements it is made up of caring people.

These caring people want a more progressive world where apartheid is not part of it.

For example, our jury system is made up of caring people. They can tell the difference between a troll alert and a reasonable one. The reasonable alerts are voted on and the unreasonable alerts are sent off to fail quietly.

Our jury system is like BDS.

[shira]

7. BDS is made up of caring people who want a progressive world?

Riiiight.

BDS is made up mostly of Hamas supporters and defenders of terrorism against Jews. They fully support a future totalitarian and theocratic Palestinian state that will be the anti-thesis of everything progressive, just as Hamas controlled Gaza and PA controlled area A are today.

The BDS movement is against Jewish sovereignty in their indigenous homeland. Being against indigenous people's self-determination is not at all progressive.

Who do you think you're fooling?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

8. BDS is a reality that some wish to pretend

is the bogeyman. I imagine that the apartheid-loving South Afrikan government under the Bothas felt very much the same way about anti-apartheid movements. BDS is hated by Israel and its supporters in very much the sane way.

[shira]

11. There's a big thread active right now w/ over 400 posts.....

....proving BDS is a terror-supporting neo-fascist movement totally infested with obnoxious Jew haters and racists who are the very anti-thesis of everything progressive and liberal.

Fascists from the WW2 era were also giddy about their movement growing stronger.

Not something to be proud of.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

14. Oh, that vanity post? No thanks. I'll stick to reality.

[shaayecanaan]

17. the coca cola plant in Gaza is Palestinian owned

It is not relevant to BDS.

[oberliner]

18. BDS is promoting an international boycott of Coca Cola

That makes the plant in Gaza relevant.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

6. That is awesome, Purveyor!

The more that Israel squeezes the Palestinians the more it will find itself isolated and alone.

End Israeli apartheid! BDS!

[King_David]

9. The true face of BDS and it has nothing to do with the occupation:

BDS Activists Target Woolworths Kosher Food Section With Severed Pigs Head


http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=85033

[Purveyor]

10. I wish we still had Woolworths stores around here. Loved going there as a kids

and getting hot cashews.

[King_David]

13. I been to a few , never had hot cashews

Good quality food though

[shira]

12. You'll never find BDS supporters & cheerleaders condemning all that's ugly and racist....

....within their movement.

They're actually quite proud of BDS for being vile and disgusting.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

15. That's laughable coming from somebody that defends

Israeli colonization of the Palestinian lands.

[oberliner]

16. Do you think this will have a major positive impact?

Is this a particularly big deal or is it just important because it's one of many such successful initiatives?

Do you feel confident that BDS will be able to achieve its objectives at some point relatively soon?