We've all heard the line before, maybe even used it. The fact is, however, it's an empty excuse for going on to make a derogatory remark about a member or members of a racial minority group. We may not be able to stop such harmful comments everywhere, but we can make sure they're stopped in a union workplace. Because unionism is based on a commitment to seek equality and justice for all working people. Racism is a denial of that goal and if we allow any racism in our workplaces, we are undermining the basic beliefs of our trade union movement.
Racism separates, confuses, invalidates, and immobilizes everyone.
When we allow even one among us to be singled out for injustice because of the color of his or her skin, we all suffer. Workers shouldn't be fighting each other. They should be fighting the boss for better wages, conditions, benefits, and treatment on the job. Simply put, giving in to racism is playing into the bosses' game of divide and conquer. When we do that, we hurt ourselves because we are weakened and less able to collectively pursue our interests.