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“Students, staff and faculty unite! One struggle, one fight!” rang through the air throughout the final day of our unfair labor practice strike.
We didn’t just chant this powerful expression of solidarity, we lived it – on the picket line and through our lively and creative midday rally.
After yesterday’s march, today’s ULP strike line was focused on putting our principles into practice, building our coalition and showing the USD admin what it really means to live your values.
It was, as our MC for the day, David Miller described it, “integrative learning.”
Several members of our union faculty spoke about why we withheld our labor through our ULP strike and how our commitment to our students is at the heart of our union campaign. Student Sabrina Bevill reciprocated by sharing the student perspective and the support we have from our pupils.
Tenure-track professor Emily Reimer-Barry gave a speech in solidarity with our efforts, along with a short lesson on Catholic social teaching on labor.
Students and faculty shared not only speeches in support of our union, but also musical and theatrical performances.
We channeled Luis Valdez and the United Farm Workers’ Teatro Campesino with faculty members Soroya Rowley and Antonio Ionnotta and student Vivianna Moiso performing skits about the perilous situation of NTT faculty.
Rev. Rebecca Littlejohn added an ecumenical voice to the day and used USD’s own mission statement in a powerful rebuke of the university’s lawbreaking and treatment of workers.
In addition to acting, bargaining team member Soroya Rowley performed a USD-specific version of Big Yellow Taxi and closed out the rally with Titanium.
We kept up the energy throughout the day with community supporter DJ Mack-A-Tony & Cheese spinning live vinyl mixes as we chanted, marched and danced on the picket line.
Check out our video recap of the day below:
Through our two-day ULP strike, we’ve shown USD that we’re not afraid. We won’t be disrespected and we won’t allow them to break the law. We’ve set the tone for not just our first contract negotiation but also for the contracts to follow and the future union members who will pick up our mantle.
We’re not alone either. The outpouring of support and solidarity from students, tenured faculty and other campus and community supporters proves that our message is spreading and our power is building.
By standing up to USD’s unfair labor practices and demanding that the school live up to its stated values, we’ve empowered others to do the same – building a coalition that can create the campus we all want to see.
Our fight is not over, but we’ve sent a powerful message.
See more with our full photo album from today’s ULP strike:
