U.S. News

On March 31, workers, students, and allies rallied together on the steps of Johnston Hall, which contains the office of the University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham’s, to protest what they criticize as the University’s failure to forcefully object to ICE’s recent abduction of a graduate student, and an onslaught of University policies limiting the freedom of speech across campus. By assembling in the hundreds, the crowd challenged the University’s policy that any gathering of more than 100 people must have a permit obtained two weeks in advance.

The rally was organized by AFSCME 3800, representing about 6,500 clerical workers across campus, and the Graduate Labor Union (GLU), representing about 4,000 graduate workers at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus. GLU, local 1105 of United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), won its first union contract earlier this year.

The union presidents went on to list a series of demands from the two campus unions: an immediate meeting with AFSCME 3800 and GLU-UE Local 1105; a written policy supporting non-citizens students with legal representation and financial support in deportation proceedings; a declaration that the University of Minnesota campus is an official sanctuary campus; the halting of layoffs for one year; rapid expansion of know-your-rights trainings; good-faith negotiations with campus unions; the repeal of policies that limit freedom of speech and assembly on campus; the assurance of no cuts to cultural departments; and a policy of refusing to collaborate with immigration officials, including refusing to share information, names, or nationalities of students.