The New School’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) released a statement of solidarity with the ongoing SENS-UAW Local 7902 strike earlier today.
In the statement addressed to AAUP members and its allies, the organization said, “The AAUP Leadership Council recognizes the critical work that academic student workers play in our institution … academic student workers are the future of our many disciplines and professions — their fair, dignified treatment is a baseline for the very health of our collective enterprise.”
The message also listed a range of guidelines that AAUP members could adopt in order to support the strike, including discussing strike plans with students and assuring them they will not be penalized for refusing to cross picket lines; supporting the NewSWU Solidarity Strike Fund, attending bargaining sessions; and expressing concerns directly to university leadership, including President Donna Shalala.
Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts Department of History professor Jeremy Varon, an officer for the AAUP, said that he has been honoring the SENS picket line by holding classes on a non-university Zoom account.
“I am excusing absences of any student who wishes not to attend class in solidarity with the strike and pledging to work with anybody who does after the strike is over to make up for lost learning,” Varon told the Free Press..
He described the importance of honoring SENS’ request to stand in solidarity, while also remaining committed to providing a complete and uninterrupted education to students. Varon said holding classes online is, to some extent, disruptive, “and we hope it’s another thing that encourages the university to settle on terms sufficient to meet the core demands of the union.”
He added that this strike comes within the larger context of the lack of accessibility of higher education. “I’m hoping that this strike is another moment to sort of shine a light on this larger crisis to press at a national level towards a more comprehensive set of solutions,” Varon said.
According to the statement, AAUP plans to provide a forum for faculty from across the university to share dialogue, organize, and strengthen campus unity in the coming weeks.