UCPEA Sanctuary Union Resolution FAQ
Q: What is a Sanctuary Union?
A: A Sanctuary Union is a title earned by a union through the resolutions process. A union that is deemed "Sanctuary" takes specific actions to protect immigrants and their rights. It provides protections for its members and the communities in which they live, mitigating the fear of deportations that tear apart families and society.
Q: What distinguishes a Sanctuary Union from a Sanctuary Campus or Sanctuary City?
A: In UCPEA’s case, while we are not a physical location, we do social justice work that is similar to what people in a Sanctuary Campus or Sanctuary City do.
Q: What specific actions might a Sanctuary Union take?
A: Here are a few examples:
- Holding “Know Your Rights” trainings
- Not sharing personal details of its members or the community with federal agents unless required by law
- Collectively bargaining workplace protections for members who are targeted by immigration enforcement
- Resisting immigration enforcement’s attempts to intimidate and restrict the rights of members and the communities they live in
- Partnering with immigrant defense organizations and forming coalitions
Q: UCPEA members are state employees. None of us are undocumented. Why is this sanctuary union resolution being proposed?
A: While recent immigration enforcement efforts claim to be targeting undocumented immigrants, they have also targeted U.S. citizens and documented immigrants alike. We need to have the backs of fellow UCPEA members, regardless of their citizenship status. Furthermore, undocumented folks work, live, and study in the communities where we also work, live, and study. Union solidarity extends to those in our community, whether or not we personally know someone who is undocumented.
Q: Isn’t UCPEA already doing the things that sanctuary unions do? Why do we need to make a resolution about it?
A: Yes, UCPEA is doing work that aligns with other sanctuary unions. Here are some examples:
- Article 5 in UCPEA’s contract is extremely supportive of this work.
- UCPEA successfully bargained contract language to protect the jobs of employees abducted by ICE through the addition of Article 10, Section 3.
- UCPEA has purchased whistles to aid members and the community in resisting ICE and distributes them to our members and allies.
- UCPEA has hosted and sponsored trainings on responding to ICE. As examples:
- UCPEA sponsored a Know Your Rights training (3/7/25)
- UCPEA hosted a Reactive Organizing meeting (12/16/25)
- UCPEA tabled at the Student Union, making and distributing Know Your Rights materials (2/19/26)
- UCPEA members are in coalition with other immigrant defense activists on campus and the surrounding communities.
- UCPEA staff and officers already do not share member information unless required by law.
This resolution would formalize our work and commit us to continuing it in the future. Lastly, it would send a clear message of solidarity to anyone in our community targeted by unlawful immigration enforcement.
Q: What are other unions doing?
A: Our parent union, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), passed a resolution in 2018 that advocates for sanctuary schools and campuses: In Support of Sanctuary Schools and Campuses.
Here are examples of unions who have passed similar resolutions:
- Teamsters Joint Council 16 - Sanctuary Union Resolution (9/13/17)
- Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO - Resolution on Immigration and the Labor Movement (July 2018)
- Graduate Employees’ Organization, AFT/IFT Local 6300, AFL-CIO at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Sanctuary Union Resolution (8/10/18)
- National Union of Healthcare Workers - NUHW reaffirms, amends Sanctuary Union resolution (2/10/25)
- WFSE Local 443 (Washington Federation of State Employees) - Migrant Sanctuary Union Resolution (2/18/25)