The Independent Socialist Group stands (ISG) in active solidarity with the hundreds of Clark University undergraduate workers on strike seeking union recognition with the Teamsters. Student workers are fighting low pay, understaffing, a lack of guaranteed hours, unsafe working conditions, and a lack of safety training. Undergraduate student workers have jobs that include working grounds crew, labs, library, IT, recreation, tours, info desk, and others, helping to run critical school operations.
Approximately, 400 student workers have signed union cards so far, but Clark University refuses to voluntarily recognize the student workers union or allow a union election vote. Clark’s upper management is threatening to take the Teamsters to court to possibly overturn the 2016 NLRB ruling against Columbia University’s corporate board that ruled in favor of undergraduate and graduate student workers being able to form or join unions. Clark undergraduate student workers are demanding the university voluntarily recognize the union based on the number of union cards signed by student workers.
Clark University, like many higher ed institutions, exploits students and workers for massive profits. Clark in particular saddles students with $59,000/year in tuition costs, and many student workers struggle to afford rent on the low wages they make. The school has previously engaged in union-busting against dining hall workers who had joined a union. All workers at Clark should be in unions, including faculty and staff who are facing cuts to programs, contracts, and staffing levels.
ISG calls for active solidarity from Clark students, staff, and faculty as well as community members and the wider labor movement. Clark graduate student workers (CUGWU, Clark University Graduate Workers Union) are part of the Teamsters union, Teamsters Local 170. The undergraduate workers are joining the same Teamsters union local that the graduate student workers are already in. It’s crucial that the Teamsters organize the graduate student union workers to refuse to cross the picket lines, to join the undergrad workers’ picket lines, and to take strike action in support of the undergraduate workers. Supporters and other unions should actively turn out rank-and-file union members to the picket lines and refuse to cross the picket lines, including not making deliveries or providing services. Unions, students, and working people in general should also donate to the See You Collective, which “is helping to organize a mutual aid fund to provide economic relief for strikers who need extra financial support.” Link to donate funds and other information here: https://linktr.ee/cu.ugwu
We will continue to actively support the undergraduate student workers, their union efforts, and their strike. We will also support other union organizing efforts and contract struggles at Clark, including those of the graduate student workers in CUGWU.
Independent Socialist Group 