Teamsters Declare Sanctuary Union

By SETH SANDRONSKY

Immigrants work. Labor unions represent them. We turn to one path forward for both parties in the current political moment of immigrant detention and expulsion. Teamsters Joint Council 16 and its 27 affiliated locals (120,000 members in New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and Puerto Rico) became a sanctuary union last fall. I caught up with Alex Moore, communications director for Teamsters Joint Council 16, recently. We conducted the interview below by email.

Seth Sandronsky: What led to the forming of a sanctuary union?

Alex Moore: On Aug. 24, Teamster Eber Garcia Vasquez, 54, married and a dad of three kids born in the US, landed in immigration detention after a routine appointment with the authorities. He was deported shortly thereafter to his native Guatemala after 26 years as a Teamster. Our leadership decided proactively that protecting our immigrant members and standing in solidarity with their communities was a priority. The union committed to hold know-your-rights training sessions for our members, connect them with legal support for immigration matters, and basically do everything we can to prevent any more deportations.

SS: What has surprised you the most about immigration issues since becoming a sanctuary union?

AM: The more you learn about our immigration system, the more you realize how unfair it is. We have members who have followed the rules—they have the President Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals; they have Temporary Protected Status, and they applied for asylum—but those protections are being taken away and lives are being upended. The rights of immigrants are being trampled, and we all need to stand with these communities, whether we are immigrants or not, to provide as much protection as we can.

SS: What is a key part of the Teamsters training in terms of what US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and authorities can and cannot do?

AM: One point we stress is that if immigration agents come to your home, you should not open the door unless they have a warrant signed by a judge. They usually do not.

SS: What are the demographics of Teamsters Joint Council 16 and its 27 affiliated locals; e.g., from workers’ birthplaces and gender to industries?

AM: Our membership looks like New York City as a whole—racially diverse and many immigrants. We work in just about every industry, doing many different jobs, including transportation, warehousing, manufacturing, construction, airlines, and municipal agencies.

SS: What help has the AFL-CIO provided to the sanctuary union?

AM: For years, the AFL-CIO has been assisting labor unions in supporting immigrant members and the immigrant community at large. Last year the New York City Central Labor Council and the Consortium for Worker Education held a series of training sessions that helped guide and inform our sanctuary union efforts.

SS: How can people support the sanctuary union?

AM: This is a critical moment for immigrants in our communities. We can all do our part, so look for organizations where you live that are mobilizing support for immigrants, or think about how an organization that you are a member of can do more.

SS: I thank you for your time, Alex.

Seth Sandronsky is a journalist and member of the Pacific Media Workers Guild. Email sethsandronsky@gmail.com.

From The Progressive Populist, March 15, 2018

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