Students show support for union workers
By Lauren Harrell, Assistant Behind the Scenes Editor
October 2, 2007 | 10:44 p.m.
Under the calm foliage of College Green, students gathered in outrage this week to support those who have assisted them for so long. Student support for the union workers who were fired has swelled, leading to discontent, protests and picketing.
The controversy began when several union workers were fired, in what many see as an unfair move. According to Article 12 of the union’s collective bargaining agreement, Ohio University will try to avoid layoffs unless there is a lack of funds or a lack of work. The union contends, however, that there are plenty of funds and more than enough work to go around. According to pamphlets members have been passing out, 770,000 dollars was taken from the facilities budget and distributed to other areas. These events have sparked outrage among the union workers who have been picketing and many students as well.
From the beginning, both the Ohio University Democrats (OU Dems) and the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) have lended their support to the union. Some students have even gone so far as to join the picket lines with them, passing out pamphlets and educating other students about what is going on. At the football game against Kent State on Saturday, students stood with the union workers, proudly picketing along side them. Throughout the month, they have also been picketing with them on College Green and other spots.
On Friday, September 28, on College Green, students gathered to voice their support for the union. Many of the students feel that their voices are being ignored and that the union workers have been treated unfairly. Student speaker Nate Nelson said, “If they tell you you don’t belong here, you belong.” Several other students spoke of the need for students’ voices to be heard, and many spoke in appreciation of the work that the union workers do for them. The students also presented a list of demands, which included an immediate end to the free speech zones and an immediate rehiring of the fired union workers, among other things. The students took the list of demands and hung them on the door of the administration, all the while chanting, “our education won’t be run by corporations. That’s bullshit, get off it. Students over profit.”
For the union workers, the student support is very much appreciated. Speaking to the crowd, one union worker said, “This union believes in the students. The students are who we are here to serve.” He then went on to express his gratitude for OU Dems and SDS, who have supported the union from the beginning.
The union recognizes that student support is crucial to its fight. It is clear that although not all students sympathize with the union workers, those who do are speaking up. Those who gathered in protest have sent a strong message to the administration. These students have proudly voiced their opinion, and now all that is left is to see whether it will be heard.
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