In August, Trumka signed a petition to President Obama, which reads, (in part):
Racial bias is real. Whether implicit or explicit, it influences perceptions and behaviors and can be deadly. Law enforcement personnel in every department in the country, under guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), should be required to undergo racial bias training as a part of ongoing professional development and training.
In October, the AFL-CIO became more overtly involved in the Ferguson-related protest movement, declaring on its blog:
As working people in Missouri gather for days of action demanding justice for Michael Brown, the labor movement and the AFL-CIO are joining them and supporting the groundwork being laid for racial and economic justice for the people of Ferguson and all over the country. [Emphasis added.]
Over the weekend, following weeks of protests–including the December 13th union-coordinated protests that led to the arrest of a SEIU union organizer for violently assaulting police–two NYPD officers were assassinated by a deranged gunman who vowed revenge for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
On this latest tragedy, Trumka issued the following release:
There are no words that can encompass the grief and pain following the killing of New York City police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos and the shooting of a young woman in Baltimore.
The men and women who wear the uniforms of our nation’s police, face vulnerability that no amount of training or equipment can make go away—the reality of being a potential target of violence. All police officers know every day they put on the uniform could be a day when they don’t make it home.
As we go about the hard and necessary work of building trust between working peoples’ communities and the law enforcement community, all of us must never forget this terrible truth.
Now, in the wake of the tragic shooting over the weekend, it appears that, like others who have stoked the fires of racial unrest, Richard Trumka is dialing back the rhetoric.
Related:
- Ohio Street Gang Calls for White Police Deaths Prior to NY Shooting
- Al Sharpton Leads March in DC as NYC Protesters Chant: ‘What Do We Want? Dead Cops!’
Great 2 join #MarchofMillions NYC Thanks 2 our #32bj organizers that help marshall & 2 members/staff 4 marching here & DC #BlackLivesMatter
— Hector J Figueroa (@figue32bj) December 14, 2014
