Statement from RGVALF President Dan Maloney: ‘We must demand that justice be served in the case of George Floyd’

We in the labor movement have always known that we can only make true progress towards social and economic justice by standing together in solidarity. The death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis uniformed officer, has been denounced by police organizations, community groups, religious leaders, and various people of good conscience around the country. Yet his senseless death has put a spotlight on questions of structural racism and police brutality. This tragic event has re-opened a festering wound in the fabric of our society. We can only heal this wound and achieve justice by standing together against the forces of hate and evil. We must not allow any issue, individual, or group to divide and weaken our movement. The call for justice in the murder of George Floyd has been echoed and amplified throughout the our union membership. Justice will certainly come, and we can help insure meaningful change if we stay united.

Mayors and Governors from across our Nation have reported “outside agitators” purposely lit a match during peaceful protests to set off the dry tinder of a righteously angry crowd assembled to demand change. The chaos, riots, and looting that followed has detracted from the demand for justice. The effort to insure that the death of George Floyd will not be in vain, was dishonored by acts of violence and lawlessness. The age old strategy of divide and conquer seems to be at play here. This is not a time to fall apart, rather this is a moment to come together, fix what is broken, and move forward, together.

This is what the labor movement does best; organize, mobilize, create positive change, and expand social and economic justice. We can and should do our part to support peaceful protests, and in the era of COVID-19, insure people are safe while having their grievances heard. We must demand that justice be served in the case of George Floyd to restore trust in our American judicial system. We can and should use our political clout to pressure elected officials to enact legislation that will bring long term improvements for our most vulnerable communities. We can continue to advocate to insure the best outcomes for our families and our Nation. We can move the needle towards true social and economic justice, but only if we work together.