Labor Must Mobilize for the Minneapolis Fifteen

In an era when fascist politicians are carrying out a full-scale assault on democracy and equality, we remain committed to unconditional solidarity with those who resist. As has been true throughout history and across the world, when the labor movement is engaged in the fight against authoritarianism, working people have the power to fight back and win.

The most important labor story of 2026 has been the way rank-and-file workers and union members built one of the most effective grassroots networks of the 21st century to defend their neighbors from Donald Trump’s cruel campaign of mass deportation and militarized ICE raids.

We watched unions like SEIU, AFT, and CWA come together to build networks of mutual aid, support community members forced underground, and defend schools and other public institutions from federal intrusion. In Minneapolis, these efforts helped spark a General Strike that brought more than 300,000 workers into collective action, alongside consumer boycotts and education strikes. This marked a turning point. Resistance to an immediate threat helped build the relationships, confidence, and infrastructure necessary for the many fights ahead to improve the lives of working people.

Now those same activists are facing unprecedented repression for speaking out, organizing their neighbors, and daring to dissent. Fifteen rank-and-file union members have been arrested and charged with a sweeping list of offenses carrying the possibility of decades in prison. This appears to be a test case by the Trump administration to determine whether it can further criminalize resistance movements and treat civil action as terrorism, much as it attempted to do in the recent Prairieland case. We consider this an attack on all of us, and, especially, an attack on the labor movement since these workers were singled out because their activism came from a position of strength. If we find tactics that work, those threatened by worker power will try to make them illegal. Their indictments even mention the general strike, and they singled out leading rank-and-file workers who have become active in moving their unions towards collective action. It’s our effectiveness that they are attempting to destroy, but also hoping that fear will dissuade our solidarity.

Now is the time to act and speak out. As a labor organization, we believe worker solidarity is the foundation of everything we do. What is happening to these workers in Minneapolis could happen to any of us. We pledge to support these defendants in every way we can and encourage our coalition partners to pass resolutions of support and prepare to take action in solidarity with these courageous union activists.

We will continue supporting the Minneapolis Fifteen however we can, including participating in a global day of action if and when one is called and helping connect coalition members to fundraising efforts in support of the defendants. This is only the beginning of what will likely be a long fight, but every union and community organization that speaks out strengthens our collective ability to confront this alarming escalation of authoritarian repression.