What are the resolutions and what do they say?

The Seattle Education Association resolution, passed on October 12th, calls for a post-election meeting that will determine if any election interference has occurred, and will decide on appropriate action in the event that it has. In an interview with LaborNotes, Peter Henry (SEA Board Rep for Substitute Teachers) said that he was compelled to bring forth this resolution because he felt that it was urgent to be proactive so as to be prepared for necessary mobilization. Essentially, the SEA resolution was an excellent template for others looking to prepare for an anti-coup action and is a model for how social justice unions can organize for national causes in order to mitigate potential harm. Because this resolution was passed quickly and easily, the precedent for union action, particularly by rank-and-file members, has grown even stronger.

The MLK Labor Resolution takes specific care to mention the direct harms that President Trump has caused to their community and their affiliate communities. It then encourages its members to sign the Choose Democracy pledge outlined in the Juan Cole article, which uses if-this-then-that framing, and also plans to form its own specific actions in conjunction with other organizations for members to attend.

So what?

-If unions nationwide strike, they can force our ballots to be counted. Even though this hasn’t been necessary for this election, it’s still good to know that it’s possible.

-Justice-oriented educators came up with plans that will both mobilize their communities and push their unions. These plans can be used for future justice-oriented actions on a national or local scale.

-This is another example of the continuing framework of labor and labor unions in defending democracy.