The House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by North Carolina Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, issued a subpoena on Tuesday morning for the president of the New York-based Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW Local 2325 to appear before Congress after failing to cooperate with the Committee’s investigation into the union’s alleged interference with its members’ rights under federal labor law after adopting its ceasefire resolution.
On December 19, the union passed its “Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza, an End to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and Support for Workers’ Political Speech,” which additionally called for an end to Israeli apartheid and occupation of Palestinian lands, opposed military aid to Israel and supported BDS movements and the right of return.
Almost 600 union members opposed the resolution.
In November, four Local 2325 members obtained a temporary restraining order in Nassau County attempting to prevent the resolution’s adoption, claiming its “unambiguous, rank antisemitism” would create the appearance of a conflict of interest for its Legal Aid Society attorneys to ethically represent any clients of Jewish descent, depriving them of federal and state rights to qualify for a public defender.
Several nonprofits whose employees are represented by Local 2325 also opposed the resolution, with one saying the resolution is coded with antisemitic language and does not “advance the legal interests of our clients, does not comport with our mission and values, and is divisive and hurtful.”
Foxx first requested information from Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) President Lisa Ohta in a January letter expressing concern over the union meeting its duty of fair representation for its members.
“The [Committee] is conducting investigations into antisemitism across its jurisdiction. As part of these investigations, the Committee requests information related to a contentious vote on a controversial resolution at [Local 2325] that has alienated a sizable portion of your members,” the letter said.
In the letter, Foxx said the resolution forced Jewish members of Local 2325 to take “a critical position on their faith, Israel, and Israel’s sovereignty.”
Union refuses to comply
In February, the union said it would not respond to the committee’s inquiry. Several weeks later, the committee served Ohta a subpoena for documents, which the ALAA objected to.
According to Foxx, Local 2325 is deliberately impeding the committee’s investigation. Foxx said the committee has jurisdiction over all matters involving “labor generally” and jurisdiction over legislation relating to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA).
“The Committee is investigating this matter to determine whether there is a need to make reforms to the NLRA or LMRDA to protect labor union members’ rights, to ensure that labor unions act in a manner that advances members’ interests, and to provide appropriate transparency to members,” according to the letter Foxx sent Ohta on Tuesday with the subpoena.
Ohta is requested to participate in a disposition on May 29.
Since October 7, Foxx’s committee has been at the helm of the Congressional investigations into antisemitism at Ivy League institutions and major public school districts across the country that have shaped the country’s discourse on institutional antisemitism.