Student Protest
Protest on American University's campus in Fall 2022
WUSA Reporting on the AU strike
Members of the AU Staff Union strike for better pay and contracts. After more than 91% of the Union voted in favor of the action , the Union announced their strike. (1)
The Eagle, American University's campus newspaper, reports on students walking out of freshman convocation. Students walked out of the freshman convcocation to show solidarity with the Staff Union. President Burwell was preparing her remarks when the students abruptly stood up and walked out.
A letter of solidarity from the AU Staff Union to the AU community informing them of their intent to strike.
This letter is the official administration response to learning about the action.
AU Students & Staff with homemade signs
Students supported staff members nby making homemade signs and chanting protests during the actions.
AU Students & Staff call on the President of the Campus
Students call out President Sylvia Burwell and provide a number for protesters to call to be heard.
AU Staff Union invites faculty to show support
AU's Staff union garnered support from all aspects of the AU community. Here they looked for support from faculty and called out the Provost, Peter Starr.
AU Staff Win
An agreement was reached shortly after the strike began. Largely considered a win, the staff union bargained for better condition, higher wages, and more benefits that helped bridge the gap between low wages and the high cost of living.
American University's Staff Union, consisting of approximately 550 employees, stuck a deal with the university! With support from the local SEIU 500 AU Staff union signed a tentative agreement providing full time workers a raise between 7.5-13.5% over two years. The union had intended on filing unfair labor practice charges against the university, but the agreement included withrawing all but two of those charges. (1)
HISTORIC STUDENT PROTESTS
Kent State Anti-Vietnam War Protests
Beginning May 1st, 1970, students attending Kent State University in Kent, Ohio organized a demonstration to protest the invasion of Cambodia. The following three days would would be filled with chaos and violence in retaliation of the Ohio National Guard presence on campus.
Kent State Shooting
On May 4th, 1970, the Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on the crowd of student protestors and faculty, killing four and wounding nine. The four victims were identified as Jeffrey Miller, Allison Krause, William Schroeder, and Sandra Scheuer. The picture above shows fourteen year old Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling beside the body of Jeffrey Miller.
Kent State Strike Papers
The Kent State Strike Papers were published in 1970, printed in May and June of the same year, and containted information regarding the Black Panther Party, boycotts, anti-war demonstrations, the May 4th Kent State Massacre, labor movements, and other national strikes. Many other colleges across the United States followed suit and published their own Strike Papers.
Student Activism and Protests
College students have a long history of activism in regards to war, racial and economic inequality, and politics.
Vietnam
Students at college campuses across the country organized into anti-war groups as part of the anti-war and counterculture movement in the 1960s and 70s. Many national organizations were formed had chapters on campuses throughout the country.
Iraq
Similar to Vietnam, students protested the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. The protests were not as extensive, but they were commonplace on college campuses in the early 2000s. There were other activist movements during the entire War on Terror until 2021.
Apartheid
American college students protested the apartheid government in South Africa in the 1980s. They wanted their universities to divest from all holdings in South Africa and oppose the jailing of Nelson Mandela and other Black leaders.
Student Strike Papers
The Talker, 1968
Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute
UMD Campus Democrat, 1969
University of Minnesota Duluth
Student Newspaper and Flyers, 1969
University of Arizona
The Dakota Student, 1970
University of North Dakota
Rutgers University Strike: April 10th to April 15th, 2023
This recent strike was perpetuated by three of Rutgers largest labor unions, including the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty, the AAUP-AFT and the AAUP-BHSNJ. The Unions represented over 9,000 staff and faculty workers. In a fight for equal pay, living wages, race and gender equity and salary hikes the unions called for a strike. The strike went on for a full week where the student body of over 67,000 students did not have to attend classes. Read more below about what the University agreed to on April 15th to end the strike.
https://www.rutgers.edu/president/we-have-agreed-to-a-framework-on-new-contracts
(1) https://www.npr.org/2022/08/22/1118761359/american-university-workers-strike-washington-dc?utm_term=nprnews&utm_campaign=npr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com