As you’ve likely experienced firsthand, our university community is still subject to identification checks, armed private security, and locked gates when we try to access the campus where we work, learn, and live.
As a university allegedly committed to inclusivity and equity, this is not acceptable. The impacts of these measures have only grown; colleagues are facing discriminatory enforcement and hard-earned academic events disrupted by security measures. In April, our union cited this as a unilateral, unfair change to our workplace in the Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge that was filed against the University after their egregious response to peaceful protests on campus.
Today, I’m writing to announce a sign-on petition that our union has launched in partnership with USC postdocs, faculty, undergraduates, and staff demanding the end of these discriminatory measures. The letter, which you can read here, calls upon USC to re-open campus fully, end the existing security restrictions, and represent the values of openness and diversity that the university claims to hold.
A majority of graduate student workers, in conjunction with workers across campus, are adding our names to the letter to show USC we demand their reversal of these restrictive and discriminatory practices.
The letter is co-signed by:
- USC American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
- Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation (SCALE)
- USC Researchers and Fellows United
- National Union of Healthcare Workers
- Service Employees International (SEIU) Local 721
We are proud to fight together for a more inclusive and equitable USC as we approach the 2024-2025 academic year.
If you would like to join in asking your coworkers to sign-on to this petition and build a stronger union to take on USC’s unfair labor practices, reply here!