IUPAT Condemns Arrest and Injury of SEIU-USWW President David Huerta During Peaceful Action
Press Releases
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) strongly condemns the violent arrest and injury of SEIU-USWW President David Huerta, who was assaulted and detained by federal agents while peacefully observing an ICE raid in Los Angeles.
President Huerta, an outspoken labor leader and longtime advocate for immigrant workers, was targeted simply for doing what union leaders do: showing up in solidarity. He was hospitalized after being slammed to the ground and now faces a baseless federal charge for “conspiracy to interfere with federal agents.” It is a clear attempt to silence and intimidate the labor movement, not a pursuit of justice.
“This is a disgrace,” said IUPAT General President Jimmy Williams, Jr. “David was exercising his First Amendment rights and standing with the very people our movement is built to protect. Now he’s in a hospital bed, facing a federal charge, because he dared to witness and speak out. That should scare every one of us.”
These attacks are not just on one union or one leader. They are an attack on all working people and the rights we fight to defend every single day. Peaceful protest is not a crime, it is a cornerstone of our democracy.
“We stand with David and demand that the charges against him be dropped immediately,” Williams continued. “This union doesn’t back down, and we don’t leave our people behind. David, we’ve got your back, and we’ll be standing with you every step of the way.”
Contact: Ryan Kekeris | 443-936-5095 | rkekeris@iupat.org
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The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) represents a growing community of over 140,000 active and retired craftspeople in the United States and Canada. The IUPAT membership extends far beyond the workplace. Recognized as one of the most active unions in the labor movement, IUPAT members help shape their communities in many ways: through an abiding commitment to service, by fighting passionately for workers’ rights that benefit all working families, and through effective worker education and mobilization.