The largest union in Washington has endorsed voting “uncommitted” over President Joe Biden in the state’s upcoming Democratic primary as the movement spreads to states across the nation after Michigan voters’ powerful rebuke of the Zionist Democrat this week.
Washington’s United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) chapter, UFCW 3000, announced Thursday that its board voted unanimously on Wednesday to endorse the campaign for voters to select “uncommitted” on their ballots in Washington’s primary on March 12.
The endorsement is about strategy for the Democratic Party and its allies, the union said, as well as a message to Biden that his unwavering support for Israel amid its genocide in Gaza must change. The union, which has over 50,000 members, said that voters joining them in this effort is the best way to strengthen the Democrats’ eventual nominee and keep President Donald Trump out of office this November.
“While Biden has been an ally to workers over the last four years, low-wage workers cannot afford setbacks when it comes to the right to organize and the protections we’ve won during Biden’s time in office. To protect workers, we must give ourselves the best chance to defeat anti-worker forces in the General Election,” the union said in a statement. “Currently, many voters, and UFCW 3000 executive board, feel that the best path to have the best nominee, and to defeat Trump, is to vote ‘uncommitted’ on the upcoming March 12 Washington primary.”
UFCW 3000 said that Biden should stop funding for Israel’s genocidal assault and back a “lasting ceasefire.”
“We stand in solidarity with our partners in Michigan who sent a clear message in their primary that Biden must do more to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” the union continued. The union’s endorsement was first reported by NBC.
Michigan pro-Palestinian advocates’ campaign to vote “uncommitted,” known as Listen to Michigan, scored a major win on Tuesday, with over 101,000 Michiganders choosing “uncommitted” in the primary and the option garnering 13 percent of the vote overall. Though President Joe Biden still easily won the primary, “uncommitted” garnered enough votes to get two delegates to the Democratic National Convention, with a stronger than expected showing from the campaign that was organized over the course of just a few weeks.
Reporting has found that the Biden campaign was already concerned about the “uncommitted” campaign before the primary, with staff scrambling to contain the damage and Biden, the night before the primary, issuing a somewhat confusing statement that a ceasefire was coming next week — a statement that both Hamas and Israeli officials disputed.
In recent weeks, Biden has made tepid statements expressing supposed concern over Israel’s relentless siege of Gaza — but his unwavering support of Israel’s genocide in all practical manners betray his loyalties. His administration has continuously sent weapons allowing Israel to sustain its assault, repeatedly vetoed ceasefire resolutions in the UN and withheld funding for Palestinians’ primary humanitarian aid agency, even as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are on the verge of starving to death due to Israel’s murderous food blockade.
Campaigners for Listen to Michigan have said that their campaign is spreading to a number of other states, including Super Tuesday states like Colorado, Minnesota, and the crucial swing state of North Carolina.
Two days after the Michigan primary, Biden’s campaign finally responded to the Listen to Michigan campaign, continuing to hedge about Gaza and suggesting that voters who support Palestinian rights have not considered the weight of their decision.
“We’re going to continue to talk to them and then ask them to think about the choices and what the consequences are about electing somebody who wants to have a Muslim ban,” said Mitch Landrieu, the Biden campaign’s national co-chair, in an interview with NPR, invoking a cruel policy based on a presidential authority that Biden is also considering using for an inhumane immigration ban.
Listen to Michigan sharply criticized this response.
“It’s deeply offensive that President Biden keeps suggesting he has a messaging issue among Arab Americans and young people rather than a funding bombs issue. Biden’s re-election chances will be judged by how much of Gaza is left standing by November,” said Listen to Michigan campaign manager Layla Elabed. “It is our hope that Biden chooses the people of America over sending Netanyahu a blank check for war and occupation.”
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Sharon Zhang is a news writer at Truthout covering politics, climate and labor. Before coming to Truthout, Sharon had written stories for Pacific Standard, The New Republic, and more. She has a master’s degree in environmental studies. She can be found on Twitter: @zhang_sharon.
“Uncommitted” Campaign Spreads With Endorsement From Washington’s Largest Union
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01.03.2024
The largest union in Washington has endorsed voting “uncommitted” over President Joe Biden in the state’s upcoming Democratic primary as the movement spreads to states across the nation after Michigan voters’ powerful rebuke of the Zionist Democrat this week.
Washington’s United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) chapter, UFCW 3000, announced Thursday that its board voted unanimously on Wednesday to endorse the campaign for voters to select “uncommitted” on their ballots in Washington’s primary on March 12.
The endorsement is about strategy for the Democratic Party and its allies, the union said, as well as a message to Biden that his unwavering support for Israel amid its genocide in Gaza must change. The union, which has over 50,000 members, said that voters joining them in this effort is the best way to strengthen the Democrats’ eventual nominee and keep President Donald Trump out of office this November.
“While Biden has been an ally to workers over the last four years, low-wage workers cannot afford setbacks when it comes to the right to organize and the protections we’ve won during Biden’s time in office. To protect workers, we must give ourselves the best chance to defeat anti-worker forces in the General Election,” the union said in a statement. “Currently, many voters, and UFCW 3000 executive board, feel that the best path to have the best nominee, and to........
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