Break the Chain
Explosives and weapons bound for Israel's military are loaded onto planes at JFK every week. Together New Yorkers like you can Break The Chain.
Weapons and military equipment, including explosives and F-35 bomber components, are being shipped to Israel from JFK Airport. On the same runways as passenger flights.
The workers who move cargo at JFK didn't sign up to arm a genocide. But they can choose to stop it.
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Weapons bound for Israel move through NY-NJ every week. Here's how New Yorkers are breaking the chain.
Military cargo bound for Israel passes through JFK Airport regularly, sometimes multiple times per week.
Multinational shipping companies like Maersk and Zim are using our civilian infrastructure to arm Israel's military. Port Elizabeth in New Jersey and JFK in Queens have become key nodes in the supply chain.
Recent estimates put the death toll in Gaza as high as 600,000, more than 1 in 4 Palestinians killed in the last two years. This ongoing catastrophe relies on a steady flow of weapons, equipment, and fuel, primarily supplied by the United States.
It's time to break the chain, starting in our own backyard.
Search below to find out if your company is involved in weapons transfers to Israel. Knowledge is power, and the first step toward taking action.
Break the Chain is a people's arms embargo campaign organized by NYC DSA's Anti-War Working Group. We are a coalition of workers, families, students, and neighbors demanding that New York's infrastructure stop serving as a pipeline for weapons bound for Israel's military.
New York's strength comes from its people, not from weapons. By demanding an arms embargo on Israel, we turn the city's productive power toward building life, not fueling conflict. Every New Yorker who flies through JFK, every family in Queens, every student and commuter deserves to know that our airports and ports serve peace, not war.
Civilian air travel must prioritize passengers, not weapons. Every family boarding at JFK deserves the certainty that the cargo hold carries luggage, not arms destined for war zones.
No one should be forced to serve a militarized supply chain. A cargo handler at JFK or a machinist at the Brooklyn Navy Yard has the right to refuse loading weapons that fuel the Israeli war effort.
The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) calls on workers everywhere to halt the production and transport of weapons used in the occupation of Palestine. We answer that call.
We demand an immediate, total embargo on all arms exports to Israel. An arms embargo ends New York's indirect participation in the killing of civilians in Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran.
A tiny elite profits from the war economy while ordinary people bear the costs: crumbling infrastructure, underfunded schools, and a skyline built on arms money. We choose a different New York.
The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) has issued a historic call for global solidarity. Their three demands provide a framework for meaningful action that every New Yorker can support:
Training JFK workers to understand their rights, pass union resolutions, and take collective action, inspired by dockworkers in Italy, Belgium, and Spain who refused to load Israeli-bound cargo.
Investigating shipments, exposing the supply chain, and building the case for enforceable policies that keep weapons of war out of our civilian airports.
Tabling, canvassing, and mobilizing across NYC to educate neighbors about what's happening at JFK and build public pressure for an arms embargo.
See where weapons pass through New York's infrastructure. Click a location to learn more.
Organizations, unions, and elected officials standing for an arms embargo.
National
UE passed its "End the Genocide in Palestine" resolution at their August 2025 national convention in Chicago, calling for an immediate halt to U.S. arms transfers to Israel. UE was also among the 7-union joint letter signers in July 2024.
View ResolutionNational
DSA's 2025 National Convention passed Resolution 42 (R42), a strategic directive mandating all chapters to pursue Labor for an Arms Embargo resolutions in their local labor councils and unions. R42 formalized the national organization's commitment to the arms embargo campaign.
View ResolutionSan Francisco, CA
SEIU Local 1021 adopted a "Resolution On Solidarity with the Palestine New Federation of Trade Unions" supporting Palestinian workers and calling for an end to U.S. military aid. Their executive board also adopted a ceasefire resolution in December 2023.
View ResolutionNational
UAW's International Executive Board called for a ceasefire on December 1, 2023, and later joined the 7-union joint letter on July 23, 2024 calling for a halt to U.S. military aid to Israel.
View ResolutionNational
AFA-CWA was among 7 national unions that signed a joint letter on July 23, 2024, calling on the Biden administration to halt military aid to Israel.
View ResolutionNational
IUPAT was among 7 national unions that signed a joint letter on July 23, 2024, calling on the Biden administration to halt military aid to Israel. They have also directed their international pension fund to divest from companies profiting from the conflict.
View ResolutionNational
The NEA was among 7 national unions that signed a joint letter on July 23, 2024, calling on the Biden administration to halt military aid to Israel.
View ResolutionNational
APWU delegates at their 27th Biennial National Convention (July 15-18, 2024, Detroit, MI) adopted a resolution calling for a halt to military aid to Israel. APWU was also among the 7-union joint letter signers.
View ResolutionNational
NNU has issued its own calls for a ceasefire and a halt to U.S. military aid to Israel. Note: NNU was not among the 7 national unions that signed the July 23, 2024 joint letter; the 7 signatories were AFA-CWA, APWU, IUPAT, NEA, SEIU, UAW, and UE.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
NYSNA's biennial convention (Oct 29-30, 2024) adopted Resolution 16: "In Support of a Permanent Ceasefire in the Middle East," calling for an end to hostilities, tax-funded weapons, and highlighting the healthcare crisis in Gaza.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
1199SEIU, the nation's largest healthcare union, called for both an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza and a U.S. arms embargo against Israel in an official statement.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
In September 2024, AFSCME Local 3005 members overwhelmingly voted to pass a motion advocating for the divestment of NYCERS pensions from Israeli bonds and holdings.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
NYC-DSA's Anti-War Working Group launched the Break the Chain campaign, making arms embargo work and anti-war organizing a chapter priority. (Date and internal resolution details pending team confirmation; do not conflate with national DSA R22.)
View ResolutionNew York, NY
The Association of Legislative Employees (ALE), representing New York City Council staffers, passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and urging the city's pension fund to divest from Israeli investments.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
On January 10, 2024, the NYTWA voted to endorse an immediate and permanent ceasefire, calling on the U.S. to stop funding the genocide.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
USW Local 9544 (the NYSNA / WGAE staff union) endorsed the National Labor Network for Ceasefire's call to halt U.S. military aid to Israel and bring about a ceasefire.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
PSC-CUNY's Delegate Assembly voted in December 2023 to join 78 unions calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, representing 30,000 faculty and staff at CUNY. Note: The May 2024 DA meeting rejected a stronger Palestine solidarity resolution.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
GSOC-UAW 2110 (NYU graduate workers) issued statements in solidarity with Palestinians in October 2023.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
ALAA-UAW Local 2325 adopted a resolution explicitly endorsing Break the Chain by name, calling for an end to shipments of military supplies to Israel through NYC ports, airports, and streets. Also endorses the Labor for an Arms Embargo campaign.
View ResolutionNational
The National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW-UAW Local 2320) adopted its "Resolution for an Arms Embargo on Israel, Cessation of Forever Wars, and Investment of U.S. Public Resources in U.S. Communities," demanding an immediate arms embargo and an end to U.S. military aid. It explicitly endorses the Mask Off Maersk campaign to stop shipping companies from using airports, seaports, and other public resources to ship arms to Israel.
View ResolutionNew York, NY
Student Workers of Columbia (SWC-UAW Local 2710) adopted a resolution calling for an immediate arms embargo on Israel and endorsing Break the Chain by name, to end military shipments through the city's ports, airports, and streets. It names Maersk as the top shipper of military cargo to Israel and backs the Labor for an Arms Embargo campaign.
View ResolutionIs your union, chapter, or organization ready to join them?
Endorse the campaign → How to pass a resolution: the Labor Organizing ToolkitResources for workers at JFK-area companies. Know your rights, connect with unions, and protect yourself.
Our full guide for union members: why Palestine matters to your union, how to have organizing conversations, powermap your local, and pass an arms-embargo resolution. Read it on the site or download the printable PDF.
If you work at JFK Airport, Port Newark-Elizabeth, or any facility in the NYC metro area that handles military cargo, you have rights. Whether you are a cargo handler, airline employee, warehouse worker, truck driver, or port worker, the law protects your ability to speak up, organize, and refuse to participate in activities you believe are wrong.
Workers may engage in political activities on their own time. You cannot face discipline for participating in lawful protests, rallies, or political organizing outside of work hours. If you are a public-sector employee, review your agency's code of conduct for specific guidelines, but your right to political expression off the clock is protected.
Under OSHA regulations, you have the right to refuse work that you reasonably believe poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical harm. If you are asked to handle cargo that you believe contains hazardous materials without proper safety protocols, you may have grounds to refuse. Document the situation and report it to your supervisor in writing.
Federal and New York State laws protect employees who report illegal activities, safety violations, or fraud. If you witness undisclosed weapons shipments, safety violations in cargo handling, or falsified shipping documents, you are protected when reporting to authorities. You cannot be legally fired, demoted, or retaliated against for making a good-faith report.
The National Labor Relations Act guarantees your right to form, join, or assist a union. You have the right to discuss working conditions with coworkers, distribute literature during non-work time, and engage in collective action. If your workplace handles military cargo and you want to organize around that issue, your right to do so is federally protected.
It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for exercising any of these rights. If you experience retaliation (termination, demotion, schedule changes, harassment, or intimidation), document everything with dates and details. Contact your union representative immediately, or reach out to the NLRB or a labor attorney.
If you are arrested during a protest or action, report the arrest to your employer within 48 hours (or per your agency's policy). Do not attend protests in your work uniform or with items that identify your employer. Contact the National Lawyers Guild or your union for legal support.
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal questions about your situation, consult a qualified labor attorney or contact the NLRB.
The primary union for JFK & Newark airport service workers: baggage handlers, security officers, terminal cleaners, and cargo handlers. Over 10,000 airport workers represented.
seiu32bj.orgRepresents port workers at Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal. Historically significant in labor actions refusing to handle military cargo.
ilaunion.orgTransit Workers Union: represents NYC transit workers. A key ally in coalition actions for workers' rights and public safety.
twulocal100.orgFile unfair labor practice charges if your employer retaliates against organizing. The NLRB protects your right to form, join, or assist a union.
nlrb.gov (Region 2)Free and low-cost legal support for workers and activists. Contact for arrest support, labor rights consultations, and know-your-rights trainings.
nlgnyc.orgYou have the right to refuse work you believe is immediately dangerous. File safety complaints confidentially. Retaliation is illegal.
osha.gov/workersThere are many ways to join the fight for a people's arms embargo. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, your participation matters.
Add your name to demand the Port Authority of NY & NJ end all military shipments to Israel. Every signature sends a direct message to Port Authority leadership.
Sign NowSign up to join Break the Chain. You will get action alerts, event announcements, and concrete ways to plug into the fight for a people's arms embargo.
Sign UpJoin us for rallies, teach-ins, canvassing sessions, and community meetings across NYC. Our events calendar is coming soon. Sign up for the newsletter to get notified.
View EventsFollow @breakthechain4pal for real-time updates, shareable graphics, and stories from the movement. Help amplify our message by sharing posts with your network.
Follow UsHave questions, tips, or want to collaborate? Reach out to us directly. We welcome media inquiries, partnership proposals, and community feedback.
Send a MessageBreak the Chain is part of a broader movement. Join the NYC DSA Anti-War Working Group network to connect with organizers across the city fighting for peace and justice.
Join the NetworkWhether you're a journalist covering the arms trade, a union organizer building solidarity, or a community member with questions, we want to hear from you.
Or email us directly: breakthechainjfk@proton.me
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Join the NewsletterAdd your name to demand the Port Authority of NY & NJ end all military shipments to Israel.
Tell the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) to protect both Palestinians and NY-NJ residents. Every family boarding at JFK deserves the certainty that the cargo hold carries people, not arms destined for war zones. An immediate, total embargo on all arms exports to Israel ends New York's indirect participation in the killing of civilians in Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, and beyond.
The embargo is the keystone of a just transition: without it, any shift toward a peace economy is merely symbolic. When New Yorkers stand with Palestinian workers, we break the chain that turns our city into a logistics hub for Israel's war machine.
Your signature sends a direct message to Port Authority leadership. Every name counts.
Click below to sign the petition on ActionNetwork. It only takes a minute.
Sign the PetitionEducational materials, tools, and further reading to deepen your understanding of the arms embargo movement and how you can contribute.
A Just Transition is a framework for moving from an extractive, militarized economy to a regenerative one that centers people and the planet. The arms embargo is a keystone of this transition: without it, any shift toward a peace economy is merely symbolic. When we demand that NYC's infrastructure serve life instead of war, we're building the foundation for renewable energy jobs, public transit investment, affordable housing, and a future that works for every New Yorker.
Learn more about Just Transition at Movement GenerationThe Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) is the largest federation of trade unions in Palestine, representing workers across all sectors. Facing a siege designed to destroy their economy, the PGFTU has issued a historic call for global working-class solidarity. They ask workers everywhere to refuse to produce and transport weapons used against Palestinians, to halt military trade with Israel, and to boycott companies profiting from apartheid. Their call is a vanguard of moral clarity showing us the way.
The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) calls on workers everywhere to halt the production and transport of weapons used in the occupation of Palestine.
Whether you're a JFK worker, a union member, or a concerned neighbor, there's a role for you in this movement.
