The Professional Staff Congress Graduate Center Chapter leadership offers our support and solidarity to our public university union comrades on strike at Rutgers University (AAUP-AFT, PTLFC, and AAUP-BHSNJ), the University  of Michigan (Graduate Employees’ Organization), and Governors State University (University Professionals of Illinois).

We condemn the administrations of Rutgers, U. Michigan, and Governors State for their obstinance, and we unconditionally support the demands of the workers for a living wage and adequate working conditions. University bureaucrats should be ashamed of the pay and benefits that they give themselves while at the same time fighting to keep wages and benefits down for those doing the majority of the work at their schools. But these people know no shame, so we cannot expect them to just do what is right. Only expressions of worker power can force their hand, as Rutgers, U. Michigan, and Governors State workers are showing us all right now and as Temple, University of California, and New School workers have shown us in the past few months.

We look forward to picketing with our comrades at Rutgers (some CUNY folks have already visited the Newark campus demonstrations). You can get all the updates about the Rutgers strike here and donate to their strike fund here. Follow them on Twitter (@ruaaup). Though we cannot picket with our comrades in Michigan, we are with them in spirit and encourage everyone to sign U. Michigan GEO’s letter of support and donate to their strike fund. Also, follow them on Twitter (@geo3550). Governor’s State also has a letter of support and a strike fund, and you can follow them on Twitter as well (@UPI4100atGSU).

Academic workers around the country are showing our universities that enough is enough! Solidarity to Rutgers workers! Solidarity to University of Michigan workers! Solidarity to Governors State Workers!

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