We will not be divided: Our statement on the racially motivated Buffalo supermarket shooting

We wish the tragic murder of workers and shoppers in Buffalo by a white supremacist was a singular tragedy. One that hurts, especially given the UFCW members who lost their lives and our SEIU siblings in Buffalo who treated the victims in the hospital. However, we know it is another in a series of racially motivated hate crimes — not just in our nation, but across the world. Hate driven by the untrue notion that people are being replaced. This is why as a union, the work we do every day, bridging our differences to build unity is more important than ever.

Our unity, our diversity, our power is the antidote to this hate and it’s why those who promote division for their own gain want to weaken us. We won’t back down, we will redouble our work to become an anti-racist organization, combat anti-Black racism, and continue leading the work in our state and across the country. Every conversation we have with a member, not-yet union worker, and person in the community about how our shared fates are linked is one less dark pocket where the roots of hate can take root.

More now than ever, we must remember we are in fact Stronger Together.