Brothers and Sisters:

For many of our friends, family, and loved ones living in Ukraine, the terror of war has upended their lives. Families are separated, homes and businesses are shuttered or destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have become refugees overnight.

Whatever your politics, the conflict in Ukraine has reminded us all of a sad truth: war is hell. And as the war continues to rage and intensify across Ukraine, the situation on the ground for millions of Ukrainian families will rapidly go from bad to worse.

That is why, on behalf of the membership of Local 78, the Executive Board and I have made a donation of $24,500 to Razom (Ukrainian for “together”), a New York City-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to unlocking the potential of Ukraine.

That means many things in the long term, but in the short term, Razom is providing critical emergency supplies to everyday Ukrainians, including blood, bandages, PPE, first aid, and hospital-grade medical supplies.

As family men and women, we know the joy of being able to provide food, water, shelter, and safety for our families and the fear and panic when we cannot. It’s why we do the hard, dangerous work we do. Ukrainians from Kherson to Kyiv have been living with this fear and panic for days now as war claims their cities.

As Laborers, we know the right way and the wrong way to demolish a building, and we know all of the short- and long-term health risks we face when a demolition isn’t done correctly. Millions of Ukrainians now face those risks as they attempt to stay safe and stay alive while their communities are indiscriminately turned to rubble.

And, as trade unionists, we know we are strongest when we are together, when we are razom. The Ukrainian people are reminding the world of what we, and they, already know: that there is an unbreakable strength in solidarity.

With our union’s donation, we have shown the Ukrainian people that we are with them. If you feel moved to make a personal show of solidarity by what you’ve read here or what you’ve seen or read in the news, Razom and others could use your support.


Razom Ukrainian Emergency Relief Efforts:
https://razomforukraine.org/donate/

International Committee of the Red Cross Ukrainian Relief:
https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/ukraine-b

Doctors Without Borders Ukrainian Relief Efforts:
https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/news/msf-mobilizes-response-ukraine-and-nearby-countries#p1

UNICEF USA Relief Efforts in Ukraine:
https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/flight-ukraine-unicef-support-refugees-blue-dot-hubs/39556


We are together. Ми разом.

Pawel Gruchacz
Business Manager
Local 78