Washington, DC – Larry Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement on the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd:
“I extend heartfelt sympathies to the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and all those who have faced racial violence in America.
“In the labor movement, we believe an injustice to one is an injustice to all. That is why immediate and swift justice for those responsible for this loss of life is not enough. As Americans, we must all see racism for the deadly disease that it is and stand against the systemic oppression and murder of people of color that has been allowed to go on for so long in this country.
“Transportation labor stands with our brothers, sisters, and other community leaders who are exercising their first amendment freedoms to peacefully draw attention to the need for change. We outright reject those who seek to delegitimize the voices of peaceful protesters by sowing discord and causing destruction. No amount of violence or vandalism will stop us from doing what we have always done: fighting for racial, social, and economic justice.”