MINNEAPOLIS, June 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today joined the Minnesota AFL-CIO and issued the following statement on behalf of USW District 11 Director Emil Ramirez calling for Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis President Bob Kroll to resign or otherwise be removed from office effective immediately:
"Bob Kroll ascended to a position of power as the reward for taking advantage of a system that never held him accountable for his unsettling history of racist antagonism or complaints about excessive violence.
"While communities across our nation seek systemic reforms that reflect the true value of Black lives, Kroll instead chose to stand with the indefensible by trying to justify the actions of the four former police officers who participated in the killing of George Floyd and seeking their reinstatement.
"We do not trust Kroll to serve and protect the public and absolutely cannot trust his leadership to serve members of his union while the entire world watches Minneapolis respond to the forlorn cries of the Floyd family and nation-wide calls for sweeping police reform.
"Our professional law enforcement unions and their leaders are in a unique position to solve the problem of police officers using deadly force against Black men, women and children and employing military-style tactics against the citizens and communities they are sworn to protect.
"The labor movement around the world and especially here in the United States would welcome the opportunity to provide support, training and anything else police unions and communities need to advance a more peaceful, fair and just society instead of continuing to promote violence and protect racists who hide behind badges."
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and health care as well as in the service and public sectors. For more information: www.usw.org.
More information, contact: Tony Montana (USW) – 412-562-2592 or tmontana@usw.org
View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usw-urges-minneapolis-police-union-president-krolls-resignation-or-ouster-301072957.html
SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)