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WASHINGTON — Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) sent a letter to Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (Local 2325) President Lisa Ohta asking for more information and documents regarding the union’s vote on a measure titled “Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and Support for Workers’ Political Speech.” The Resolution—which has garnered several lawsuits from Local 2325 members—calls for an economic boycott of Israel, fails to acknowledge the horrific actions committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and puts Jewish union members in a compromising position. 

In the letter, Foxx writes: “The Committee requests information related to a contentious vote on a controversial resolution at the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW Local 2325 (Local 2325) that has alienated a sizable portion of your members. We write seeking information about this serious matter and to ensure that Local 2325 is meeting its duty of fair representation for its members. … In addition to the positions adopted in it, the Resolution is concerning for its characterization of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, venturing only to refer to it as a ‘violent tragedy.’ It is deplorable that this Resolution fails to condemn or even acknowledge Hamas’ role in the attack in any way, shape, or form.”

Foxx continues: “The Resolution’s words were so concerning that four of Local 2325’s members filed a lawsuit and obtained a temporary restraining order preventing the vote from taking place. These members argued that if the Resolution were adopted, it would create irreconcilable conflicts of interest that would deprive them of the ability to do their jobs properly as public defenders.”

Foxx concludes: “This Resolution has forced Jewish members of Local 2325 to take a critical position on their faith, Israel, and Israel’s sovereignty. Several attorneys represented by Local 2325 are now forced to be associated with a union that has taken a stance they believe creates a conflict of interest and an ethical dilemma in their practice of law.”

Read the full letter here. 

 

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