Connecticut union leader out over remarks about Middle East war

A top Connecticut union leader has resigned following comments regarding the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.

Kooper Caraway resigned Thursday as executive director of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Connecticut State Council after comments that he made in an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal. Author Alyssia Finley quoted Caraway at a pro-Palestinian rally in New Haven that came two days after the invasion and kidnapping of Israelis on Oct. 7 by Hamas. SEIU is a powerful union with 60,000 members.

Caraway, a New Haven resident, was quoted as saying, “Our bosses, our government want us to think [Hamas] are enemies of working class people, but they are not. Our enemies are the CEOs,” and “our comrades are in Gaza.”

He also criticized capitalism as he also spoke about “colonialism” and “occupation,” according to the article.

The comments were originally reported by Hartford Courant columnist Kevin F. Rennie in his online blog.

On Thursday, the state council announced that Caraway had resigned, effective immediately. The union said it would not speak further about the resignation but re-issued a previous statement about the ongoing war in the Middle East.

“SEIU believes that all Israelis and Palestinians deserve safety, freedom from violence, and the opportunity to thrive,” the council said. “Our union includes many who have family members, Israeli and Palestinian, who have been impacted by the recent violence. We stand against antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and hate in all its forms around the world.

“SEIU unequivocally condemns the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas that took place on October 7th, and all violence against innocent civilians, no matter their background. We are also deeply troubled by the emerging humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We join other organizations calling for an end to attacks on civilians, immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, the safe return of hostages, and long-term solutions that will bring safety, peace and justice to the people of the region.

The union concluded, “We are committed to working for a future where every child, from Gaza City to Tel Aviv and across the globe, can be safe, happy and live with dignity.”

Caraway has long been active in the labor movement, previously serving as president of the state AFL-CIO in South Dakota. At the time, he described himself as “the youngest state labor federation president in the nation.”

Recently, he retweeted comments by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a Democratic member of “The Squad,” who has been involved in multiple controversies regarding the Middle East. The House voted earlier this year to remove her from the Foreign Affairs Committee after previous comments about Israel.

Omar recently referred to comments made on Oct. 10 by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham that the current situation is “a religious war, and I unapologetically stand with Israel.” Caraway then retweeted Omar’s response on Twitter in which she said, “Declaring a holy war on national tv and calling to ‘level’ a civilian population over 2 million is dangerous and insane. Someone please ask Republicans if they will condemn these repugnant remarks.”

Caraway has testified at the state Capitol complex in Hartford, including for increased education funding.

“I’m a member of Recovery For All – a statewide coalition bringing together more than 60 community, faith, and labor organizations across Connecticut,” he testified. “It is of critical importance to the organized working class as a whole and to SEIU members in particular that our state’s education system not only be full funded, but funded in a way that ensures we are working towards an equitable education system, accessible to all.”

Caraway’s departure was similar to a top Connecticut union official who had held the same position in the past.

In October 2016, Paul Filson, the executive director of the SEIU Connecticut State Council, stepped down after a digital campaign advertisement linked Dr. William Petit to then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s “attack on women and families.” Petit was the lone survivor of the 2007 Cheshire home invasion.

As one of the state’s top union officials, Filson was well known at the state Capitol and had been heavily involved in the rough-and-tumble world of union issues and campaigns for years. The SEIU of Connecticut has more than 55,000 members.

The union council released a strongly worded statement announcing Filson’s resignation, and distanced itself from the political ad that was created by an independent expenditure group known as Labor United for Connecticut. The SEIU was a primary donor to the group.

“We offer our sincere apology to Dr. Petit and feel strongly this ad should have never run in his district under any circumstances,” the council said at the time. “It is extremely regrettable that such poor judgment was exhibited by those tasked with running the independent expenditure, and we have taken action to remove those responsible from the campaign.”

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com