Workers and Students Unite!

This is a compilation of clips from two large rallies held during spring 2009 at the University of Washington in Seattle. Both involved numerous workers (particularly custodians), students, and community members. The rallies were called in response to the drastic budget cuts being handed down by the state legislature and the University administration. As a result of the cuts, students now face a 28% tuition increase over the next two years; library services are being slashed; writing centers are closing; the Women's Center budget was threatened to be cut in half; and the Disabilities Studies program was on the chopping block. Perhaps the section of campus hit hardest were the custodians, an overwhelming majority of whom are immigrants of color. They were facing a forced transfer of all nightshift workers to dayshift. This threatened their families and livelihoods, as most of the nightshift workers worked evenings because they had another job during the day or were responsible for children and other family members. The management of custodial services refused to listen to the demand that this transfer be stopped. In response, they started organizing, and quickly put some direct pressure on management and the University administration. After two rallies, management caved in and 50 of the 85 nightshift workers won the right to keep their shifts. However, since then, management has engaged in frequent retaliation against workers who have been organizing and participating in the actions. Additionally, there has been a huge increase in work load, which has effectively led to exhaustion and unsafe working conditions. We understand these tactics to be part of the larger goal of those that run the University to privatize this institution and break the unions. If we do not stop this, UW will become increasingly inaccessible to people of color, and workers of color will be further exploited. Of course, workers and students have not stopped organizing, and we are dedicated to fight for a democratic university free from white supremacy, patriarchy, and heterosexism; a school where workers, students, and community members make the decisions.

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Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• labor
• struggles;
• Seattle;
• University
• of
• Washington;
• International
• Workers
• and
• Students
• for
• Justice;
• activism;
• solidarity