Labor unions have a long history in the United States of advocating for workers’ rights. But in recent years, some unions, particularly those representing graduate students, have drifted away from that mission and, under the guise of “Palestinian activism,” have turned into hubs of hostility toward Jewish members. Moreover, when Jewish union members raise concerns about feeling targeted, the union response is – double down.
The most recent example is from the Cornell University Graduate Student Union. As Jewish Insider reported, a BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanction) resolution advancing through the union accuses Jewish students of “weaponizing antisemitism” and claims labor disputes stem from “Zionist interests.” The draft resolution, shared in November, states that “the dismantling of unions in higher education based on Zionist interests is not only to the detriment of graduate worker unions – it threatens the working class and labor unions nationwide.”
First and foremost, “Zionist interests” are not inherently anti-union. Rather, Jews have a long history of supporting the labor movement. And, Zionism itself has an offshoot, labor Zionism, which sought to combine Zionism with socialism. Reasonable people can disagree over Zionism’s origins and various frameworks, but it is simply inaccurate to suggest Zionism is, in and of itself, at odds with labor unions.
The Cornell resolution goes on to claim that a recent U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on antisemitism in unions “crystallizes how autocrats are weaponizing antisemitism charges against unions in higher education to undermine labor unions nationwide.”
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