Hello,
My name is Emily Aguilar, I am a member of University of California-Davis United Students Against Sweatshops, Local 143.
I, like many of you, am ENRAGED after hearing about the most recent attack on working people, Janus v. AFSCME. This decision, funded by a small group of corporate-backed foundations, threatens unions’ ability to sustain themselves and further erodes workers’ ability to collectively bargain. This is all part of the arger trend to privatize our public institutions.
At my university, campus workers have always been on the front lines of fighting back against privatization. When service workers with AFSCME 3299 went on strike for three days, my local members and I felt the need to support in any way we could. We had less than a month to bring awareness to campus, but in such little time, we were still able to accomplish so much.
On the first day, we marched through campus all the way to the picket line. We chanted, sang, and invited students to join us. The workers were not expecting us and when they saw us they said, “¡Mira! Ahi vienen los estudiantes” (“Look! The students are coming”). They ran to greet us and expressed their gratitude. Throughout the three days, we yelled, cried, laughed and even danced! We ate together and got to know the people who truly run our university. Several professors even held their classes at the picket lines to show support. This is only the beginning.
Students will continue to be in solidarity with the workers because we are family. Our strike is over, but our fight continues.
On August 11th-12th, students from across the country are traveling to Washington, DC for organizing trainings, skill-building workshops, and strategy sessions at our 2018 Summer Convention.
Will you help make our 2018 Summer Convention a reality by donating $100 today?
We know that by coming together to plan our collective response to these attacks on workers, we can win big.
In solidarity,
Emily Aguilar
University of California – Davis
USAS Local 143
Organizing for student & worker power since 1997. Support our work by donating today.