May 6, 2024
As unions representing tens of thousands of workers at university campuses across the country, we strongly condemn the use of violent force and disciplinary actions by university administrations against students and workers peacefully protesting to demand their university administrations divest from the Israeli military and from companies profiting from the genocide in Gaza.
As unionized workers, we understand that the freedom to assemble and protest are foundational to democracy and to our ability as workers to collectively fight for meaningful changes in our workplaces and the world. We recognize the disciplinary actions and mobilization of police forces against peaceful protestors as attempts by university administrations to curtail the freedom of speech and protest on campuses.
We stand in solidarity with all of the students, graduate workers, faculty, and staff exercising their rights to free speech and protest. We call on all university administrations to live up to their values of academic freedom and to guarantee the right to freedom of speech, assembly, and protest on campuses.
Signed:
UE Local 256 MIT Graduate Student Union
GOLD-UE Local 261
Teachers and Researchers United UE Local 197
UGW UNM UE Local 1466
NUGW-UE Local 1122 Interim Grievance Committee
UE Local 896 COGS
CGSU-UE Local 300 Bargaining Committee
University of Minnesota Graduate Labor Union (GLU) UE Local 1105
NMSU Graduate Workers United UE Local 1498
UE Local 1103 Graduate Students United
UAW Local 4811
GEO at UIUC IFT/AFT #3600
GSWOC-UAW Local 872
Northwestern University Library Workers Union (SEIU Local 73)
University of Chicago Faculty Forward Union (Affiliate of SEIU Local 73)
UNITE HERE Local 26
Temple University Graduate Students’ Association – TUGSA/AFT Local 6290
Emerson Union for Resident Assistants (OPEIU Local 153)
BUGWU SEIU 509 Rank-and-File Caucus
University of Oregon Student Workers Union
SWC-UAW 2710
Brown Graduate Labor Organization, AFT/RIFT Local 6516
Rutgers AAUP-AFT
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa
UMass Lowell Graduate Employee Organization (UAW Local 1596)
Graduate Employees of Northeastern University UAW
Duke Graduate Students Union (SEIU Workers United Southern Region Local 27)
UE Local 150, North Carolina Public Service Workers Union
United Campus Workers of Tennessee, Local 3865
