University Unions United for Free Speech and Protest

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