Biden’s Policy Causes Anger Among Low-Wage Workers and Immigrants in Wisconsin

A group of low-wage workers and immigrants in Wisconsin are expressing frustration with President Joe Biden’s handling of the Gaza conflict and are calling for an “uninstructed” vote in the state’s Democratic primary on Tuesday, as reported by The Guardian on Monday.

Fueled by the Michigan campaign’s rejection of Biden during its February primary due to his military support for Israel, Listen to Wisconsin has gained support from rank-and-file union members who are unhappy with Biden’s actions.

“Members of the labor community have been very active,” said Janan Najeeb, the leader of Listen to Wisconsin.

The labor movement has been divided by the Israel-Hamas conflict, with many members opposing the war and looking to their unions for support in urging the Biden administration to pressure Israel to end the violence.

Jacob Flom, president of the union representing workers at the Milwaukee Public Museum and a board member of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, stated: “As trade unionists, we feel it is our duty to stand in solidarity with them and to push our elected officials and unions to do more to stop U.S. support for the violence in Gaza.”

Despite this, most major U.S. unions have not endorsed the protest vote, and affiliated unions in Wisconsin have generally followed suit, according to The Guardian.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, which supports the Listen to Wisconsin campaign, emphasized that selecting “uninstructed” is also a way for members of the Latino voter network to express disapproval of Biden’s immigration policies.

Neumann-Ortiz called on Biden to use his executive authority to enhance protections for undocumented immigrants.

In the 2022 midterm elections, Voces de la Frontera Action played a key role in mobilizing Democratic support, with volunteer members reaching thousands of voters through various outreach efforts.