The group that represents 50,000 union workers in Western Massachusetts voted to support a ceasefire, citing a call from Palestinian labor groups and a belief that the U.S. has done too little to curtail violence between Israel and Hamas. Mark tells WAMC the core values of the labor movement he has been a part of and championed as a legislator are about recognizing dignity and respect for workers everywhere.
“When you when you take those lessons, and you look at the horrible situation that certainly isn't new, certainly has been going on for a very long time, and you think about the costs in terms of economic, in terms of loss of life, in terms of lack of humanitarianism- I think it's important that people don't focus on vengeance," Mark told WAMC. "People focus on stability, but people also focus on the future. And when you think about the future, peace is almost always the right way to go.”
Hamas killed 1,200 and took over 200 hostages on October 7th. Ongoing Israeli military reprisals have killed more than 11,000 Palestinians including 4,500 minors. President Biden has rejected calls for a ceasefire.
