Labor honors AFGE member Alex Pretti at candlelight vigil

By Sheri Williams

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and union allies held a nationwide candlelight vigil in early February to honor the life and legacy of Alex Pretti, a member of AFGE Local 3669 in Minneapolis and an intensive care unit nurse at the local veterans hospital. Pretti was killed by federal law enforcement last month while protesting immigration sweeps.

“Thank you everyone for coming here tonight,” AFGE Local 1206 President Luz Fuller told the small crowd gathered at the VA Hospital at the former Mather Air Force base. “It really means a lot, not only to the union, and to your co-workers, but to our community and the nation.”

The gathering in Sacramento drew more than a dozen union members and allies. The event opened with a prayer from civil rights advocate and pastor Tecoy Porter.

“We lift up the life of Alex Pretti for his service, for his compassion, for the care he gave to veterans, co-workers and community. We pray for his family, his loved ones and his union family assembled across this nation, that they will be surrounded by strength, where the nights feel long, that they will have peace, where the questions feel unanswered, and by love when the weight feels too great to carry,” Porter said. “We pray for every healthcare worker, every public servant, every neighbor standing here tonight, that courage will rise where fear tries to settle, that unity will grow where division tries to take root, and that hope will shine even when the path ahead feels uncertain.”

Numerous union members also spoke, highlighting Pretti’s courage and the need to take action. Keith Umemoto, an executive board member of the California Alliance for Retired Americans, spoke about his family’s internment in a camp in Wyoming during World War II, drawing parallels to the detainment of immigrants today.

“That many years ago, there weren’t a lot of people standing up for the Japanese Americans,” he said. “Life has changed for the good. We should all be proud of that, yes, because we are out here to fight for what is right, fight for our Constitution … That’s what Alex was doing, and he died protecting it.”

Pretti’s death followed that of another Minneapolis resident killed by federal agents, Renee Good, who was also honored at the vigil.

Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, had devoted much of his professional life to caring for veterans. According to multiple news reports, he was well-regarded by colleagues and patients for his compassion and dedication to his work as a registered nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. He was shot ten times, including multiple times in the back, according to reports.

AFGE Local 3669, which represents more than a thousand employees at the Minneapolis VA, issued a powerful statement following Pretti’s death. The union said it was “deeply saddened and angered by the tragic and senseless killing of our union brother, Alex Pretti.” In the statement, the local emphasized Pretti’s commitment to veterans and contrasted it with the circumstances of his death.

“Alex died while protecting a woman and exercising his First and Second Amendment rights. He was dedicated to caring for veterans and treated them with decency and respect, sometimes in their final moments—which is the exact opposite of how he was treated during his,” the union said in a statement.

The statement also criticized public comments from federal officials in the aftermath of the shooting. AFGE Local 3669 expressed its dismay at rhetoric falsely labeling him as a “terrorist,” noting that Pretti was “a son, a colleague, and a fellow union brother, not an ‘assassin’ or a ‘domestic terrorist,’” and lamented remarks from VA Secretary Doug Collins, who the local claimed used the tragedy “to push partisan, political narratives.”

The union urged for a “full, transparent, independent third-party investigation into his killing.” The statement further called on Congress to work toward sustainable solutions on immigration policy “to ensure that this type of tragedy never happens again.” The union concluded with a call for support.

“AFGE Local 3669 encourages all to donate in support of the Pretti family. Alex was the best of us and he will be dearly missed. Rest in power, brother.”

Large demonstrations and vigils against the current immigration sweeps have taken place in cities like Minneapolis and Chicago as communities seek clarity and justice. In addition, healthcare workers in other regions have gathered to remember Pretti, emphasizing his service and urging accountability.