We Are the
Texas Gulf Coast Labor Movement
and We Fight for Black Lives.
The Texas Gulf Coast labor movement adds our voices to the millions condemning another lawless, racist killing in our country at the hands of police officers.
We grieve with our black families, co-workers, friends, and neighbors who continue to suffer unimaginable violence and loss.
We say their names -- George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Tony McDade, and countless others.
Black Lives Matter.
An injury to One is an Injury to All.
We remember that the labor movement was born in struggle against the violence of the bosses and the police who sought to silence voices calling out for justice.
Racism and economic injustice are tied at the hip, dividing working people and halting progress. We cannot build a powerful movement for economic justice without racial justice.
Prosecuting the murderers of George Floyd is only a first step. Dismantling the racism embedded in our institutions must be our objective.
It is time to act.
We will use our collective power to protect the lives of black and brown people.
We will march against police brutality and for police accountability. We will demand police forces be transformed into institutions that protect the public they serve.
We will speak up and speak out for more resources for communities of color so they can thrive.
We will call out the use of intimidation, “domination,” and militarization to deny working people our right to protest, report the truth, and hold those in power accountable.
We will escalate our fight for fair treatment, livable wages, healthcare, family leave, and good jobs for all workers, regardless of race.
We will have hard conversations with each other to identify where we have failed Black and Brown workers and to re-dedicate ourselves to the battle for racial justice.
We will strategize, learn from, and struggle together with our community partners.
And we will fulfill our duty to fight for the better world we know is possible.
We are the Texas Gulf Coast labor movement and we fight for Black lives.
The AFL-CIO is committed to fighting systemic racism and oppression. We stand in solidarity with those whose lives have been horribly changed by police brutality. We mourn George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, David McAfee, Tony McDade and every black and brown person murdered at the hands of the police.