At least 300 union members representing faculty and staff at the City University of New York called out sick as part of an “illegal” strike in support of anti-Israel demonstrators arrested on campus this week.
James Davis, president of the publicly funded college’s Professional Staff Congress, which oversees more than 30,000 members, said the suspension or strike would be considered an illegal stoppage or strike under New York state law. “Absence due to illness” was denied. Email to colleagues.
“This planned health crisis has not been recognized by the professional staff council,” Davis said in a letter to union members. “The PSC does not condone this behavior and discourages PSC members from participating.”
His letter, obtained by the newspaper, said the Université de la Ville de Paris cast 250 votes in favor of a strike condemning Tuesday night’s NYPD attack on the Manhattan campus of the Université de la Ville de Paris, run by members of the PSC-Université de la Ville de Paris. It was reported that City University is participating in the strike. Nearly 200 demonstrators were arrested.
Davis warned union members that participating in Wednesday’s action could result in fines, jail time, and even termination, and that such strikes could damage the union’s future bargaining power. did.
Despite the warning, City University on the strike touted that at least 300 union members took part in the sickout, calling it “historic” as the first strike in the union’s 52 years of existence. .
In addition to agreeing to the strike, members also voted to support the demands of CUNY’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
As on college campuses across the country, protesters are demanding that schools strip all funding to Israel, boycott academic exchanges with the Jewish state and demonstrate support for Palestine.
Students also want the city to “demilitarize” all campuses and restore city universities’ tuition-free status.
The striking workers are also demanding amnesty for the protesters who were arrested and charged with crimes.
Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, a former longtime director of the City University of New York Board of Regents, said unions should be more vigilant about how many members participated.
“Three hundred is a significant number,” Wiesenfeld told the Post Thursday. “I like to call it a wildcat strike.”
Wiesenfeld added that ultimately the blame lies with the union leadership, who were unable to maintain the actions of their members and at the same time sought to distance themselves from the PSC union.
Jackson Schwartz, an economics professor at John Jay College, was among the City University employees who participated in the strike, according to an email sent to students obtained by the newspaper.
“In solidarity with other students and faculty, [who were arrested]rank-and-file members of CUNY’s Professional Staff Council (our faculty union) called for an academic strike,” Schwartz wrote.
“We will join this strike in support of the organizers and cancel classes,” he added, before calling on students to join the campus protests.
Neither Mr. Schwartz nor the City University of New York responded to The Post’s requests for comment Thursday.
