Dear colleague,
We write to you in anger. Anger at the killing of Alex Pretti, following the killings of Renee Good and Keith Porter in recent weeks. Anger at the rampant lawlessness, racism and xenophobia. Anger that our streets have been taken over by masked agents who terrorize and kill with impunity. We take inspiration from the tens of thousands of Minnesotans who are resisting, who struck and marched together on Friday to disrupt business as usual. Our unions stand for the common good and against tyranny, violence and repression.
We are in touch with higher education unions on the ground in Minneapolis, and we are profoundly inspired by their organizing. On Saturday, hours after the shooting of VA nurse Alex Pretti, Jenna Chernega of the Inter-Faculty Organization in Minnesota wrote the following to fellow Minnesota higher ed workers:
“Yesterday was amazing! Thank you so much for all of you who came out, who brought colleagues, friends and family. Together with tens of thousands of other Minnesotans, we demonstrated to the world what power we have in both shutting down the economy and showing up with and for each other under the harshest of circumstances. It was truly beautiful. Then this morning, before we could even celebrate yesterday’s amazing accomplishments, we are faced with tragic, senseless violence yet again.[…] In the face of incredible challenges, you continue to make spaces for people to learn and grow. Higher ed has long been the site of struggle against oppression and we will carry that tradition forward here in Minnesota.”
We will only stop this if we organize together, in our workplaces and in our neighborhoods. In the coming days, we will be in touch with more ways to organize together. In the meantime, please show up for local actions. Our friends on the ground in Minnesota have also called for donations to the Unite Here Local 17 hardship fund.
We are all trying to balance many things. Allowing space to grieve and organize, while prioritizing our students, our patients, our critical research and our outreach and service to our communities. As we prepare to bargain our new contracts, we know that we will need to do many things at once, resisting the authoritarian onslaught while tending to those around us. The only way we can do this is if we act collectively, organizing together and caring for each other.
Please talk to your colleagues and students, connect with your neighbors, and prepare to join together to resist the ongoing onslaught.
Abolish ICE.
In solidarity,
Becky, HP, and Cathy
Rebecca Givan, President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Heather Pierce, President, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union
Dr. Catherine Monteleone, President, AAUP-BHSNJ (Biomedical and Health Sciences of NJ)