John --
Let’s get one thing straight: Police associations are NOT unions, they are organized crime!
To be clear, labor unions are vital in our fight for Black liberation. Unionizing is one of the best ways workers can address racial inequities in the workplace, and help the fight for other benefits like higher wages and better health care. They allow for collective bargaining for millions of people, and build solidarity among working class people. Unions move us forward into a future grounded in equity and justice.
But police associations provide protections to cops who perpetuate violence, racism, and white supremacy.
Speaking of which, did you catch this headline from Wednesday?
Ed Mullins, President of the New York City Police Department’s second-largest police association, Sergeants Benevolent Association, resigned earlier this week amidst FBI searches of his home and the association headquarters. Mullins was asked to step down by the association’s board due to being the target of the federal investigation.
In light of this criminal investigation, we're demanding that the Biden administration deploy federal investigations into all police associations nationally. We are also calling on the AFL-CIO to expel police associations from their ranks.
We implore elected officials and candidates for office to reject all contributions from police associations. We also know that power comes from the people, and we invite all of those who seek justice to join the fight by showing up in the streets, advocating online, and doing the work to
#EndPoliceAssociations.
We can’t create safe communities when police are allowed to kill and abuse their power without consequences. Sign the petition now and demand the AFL-CIO expel police associations from the House of Labor.
Rather than move in solidarity with working-class people, the unchecked power that police have gained through their associations is used by the ownership class to bust unions, break strikes, and criminalize protest. After they gained association protections, state-sanctioned violence increased significantly.
Police are directly responsible for the murders of union members and their families. #GrecharioMack is the son of a member of United Teachers Los Angeles. #MikeBrown’s mother, Lezley McSpadden, is a member of United Food and Commercial Workers. #RyanTwyman’s sister, Chiquita Twyman, is a board member with SEIU 2015.
The complete list is much longer, with torturous stories accompanying each hashtag. It's time to
#EndPoliceAssociations entirely and get law enforcement out of the House of Labor once and for all.
John, across the country, police associations shield police officers from accountability. They bully and bribe by using their deep pockets to elect corrupt representatives and enact laws that harm communities and make them less safe.
It’s time to put an end to police associations for once and for all. Their dishonest bargaining, state-sanctioned violence, and racist system of white supremacy are killing our people and plaguing our communities. So please, let’s fight and fight hard to #EndPoliceAssociations. Add your name and demand the AFL-CIO expel police associations from their organizations immediately.
In love and solidarity,
Black Lives Matter
