Issued October 09, 2017
WASHINGTON—SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement in support of the NFL players exercising their right to peaceful protest:
“SEIU stands in solidarity with our union brothers in the NFL Players Association who are united in a movement to protect their safety, rights, and freedoms--both on and off the field. When hard-working union members from all backgrounds stand together, no matter where they are from or what they look like, we can have the power in numbers to ensure opportunity and prosperity for all of us.
“SEIU members such as those who care for the elderly, work in correctional facilities and clean our nation’s buildings and airports too often face racial injustice, harassment, bullying and intimidation on the job. It is far past time this nation fully addressed the injustice of anti-Black and structural racism to ensure that everyone, no matter the color of their skin, can participate and prosper in our country.
“SEIU members represent the diversity of America, including members who have served in the military, and we all enter the conversation on race at different places, but we are committed to having uncomfortable conversations. We understand that to achieve change we must be willing to listen to one another and remain open to information and ideas that are different from our own experiences.
“I applaud the fearlessness and courage of the NFL players who have struggled together and their union, the NFL Players Association. When working people stick together in a union, they have a strong voice to work together for a better and more equitable world for generations to come.”