Columbia University has dismissed Grant Miner, President of UAW Local 2710, just one day before the start of contract negotiations. This action is part of what some are calling a broader suppression of free speech among students and workers who have protested for peace and against the conflict in Gaza.
The UAW asserts that this move by Columbia University, alongside actions by the federal government, represents an attack on First Amendment rights. “It is no accident that this comes days after the federal government froze Columbia’s funding,” the statement reads. The timing of Miner’s dismissal coincides with the beginning of contract talks and follows a previous strike led by his union.
The union emphasizes that such actions could set a precedent affecting all workers’ rights to protest and speak freely. “If they can come for graduate workers… then they can come for you,” warns the statement.
UAW Local 2710 plans to mobilize a response and urges supporters to stand against what it describes as a “gross injustice.”
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