Letter from Israel: Union Leaders Fail Workers

Here in Israel, I attended a rally for McDonald’s workers’ rights. Most of the protesters were Jewish students. For the past couple years, they have been fighting for increased wages and rights. However, when workers attend protests, they have gotten fired, suspended, or otherwise harassed.  This protest was in solidarity with those workers to show the bosses that our class will not be intimidated and the movement will not be crushed.
Red Leadership Needed
Before the trade union leaders of Histadrut let me speak on the microphone, they wanted to know what I had to say. I told them, “I wanted to say that in the U.S. there is a similar movement for fast food workers (FF15) and that exploitation in Israel is the same as exploitation worldwide. All working class people have the same struggles and interests and we must unite against our oppressors, the capitalists.”
Upon hearing that, the leader said he represents the union and I cannot talk about exploitation because they are involved in a legal battle. If they claim workers are being exploited, it could be used against them in court. How outrageous! The union leadership is just as fake in Israel as in the U.S.! In fact, they make wimpy U.S. unions look strong. Workers in Israel make about $6.50 an hour. To not call that what it is — exploitation — is ridiculous. True victories have never been won in court but through workers organizing and fighting back.
Histadrut is a Zionist union that supports attacks on Gaza. It collaborated with the ruling class of South Africa under apartheid, and received funding from the CIA as well as the AFL-CIO, the trade union federation in the United States. Workers in Histadrut led a general strike in 2012 for low-wage and subcontracted workers that led to a settlement, including a three-year ban on any further strikes. The role of unions under capitalism is to negotiate the terms of workers’ exploitation, and play workers into the hands of ruling-class parties. This is true worldwide.
Confidence in the Working Class
What gave me hope, however, is talking to everyday people at the rally. I found a lot of people who agreed that workers in Israel and Palestine face the same struggles because of capitalism. Contrary to what I’ve heard, not everyone has been won to Israeli fascism. There are still workers who want to unite with their class in Palestine to create a better world. There are antiracist Jewish workers here, like everywhere else, who are open to communism. We should always have confidence in the working class to understand and fight for communist revolution. Join the fight!