SEIU 'Forced' Communist Union Leader to Resign Over Pro-Palestinian Rant
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has allegedly “forced” Kooper Caraway, the executive director of the SEIU’s Connecticut State Council, to resign over his pro-Palestinian statements.
“Our enemies are not in Gaza; our comrades are in Gaza!," Caraway stated in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on October 10th.
Five days later, Caraway’s comments were quoted in a Wall Street Journal that noted how “union and progressive activists are so blinded by their disdain for capitalism that they can’t bring themselves to acknowledge the role of economic freedom in creating Israel’s prosperity.”
According to Justine Medina, an ex-aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who now works as a senior official in the New York State Communist Party, Caraway is also part of the Communist Party USA Labor Commission.
Medina, who also worked as a union “salt” to unionize Amazon’s JFK8 facility in Staten Island, expressed her outrage over her comrade’s resignation on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
Since the October 7th attacks on Israel by Hamas, in which 1,400 mostly-unarmed people—including women and children were killed and more than 200 hostages taken—unions in the United States have struggled with containing those within their ranks from appearing to be anti-Semitic.
On its Facebook page, the SEIU issued a release that stated:
SEIU’s Connecticut State Council Executive Director Presents Resignation
HARTFORD, CT – The SEIU’s Connecticut State Council received Thursday the resignation of Kooper Caraway as Executive Director of the organization, effective immediately. The State Council will have no further comment on Mr. Caraway’s departure except to reiterate the following statement:
SEIU believes that all Israelis and Palestinians deserve safety, freedom from violence, and the opportunity to thrive. Our union includes many who have family members, Israeli and Palestinian, who have been impacted by the recent violence. We stand against antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and hate in all its forms around the world.
SEIU unequivocally condemns the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas that took place on October 7th, and all violence against innocent civilians, no matter their background. We are also deeply troubled by the emerging humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We join other organizations calling for an end to attacks on civilians, immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, the safe return of hostages, and long-term solutions that will bring safety, peace and justice to the people of the region.
We are committed to working for a future where every child, from Gaza City to Tel Aviv and across the globe, can be safe, happy and live with dignity.
By Thursday evening, Caraway has not commented on social media about his forced resignation.