Above photo: UAW.
“In its Proudest Moments, the Labor Movement has Stood Firmly on the Side of the Oppressed.”
We republish a statement written by Student Workers of Columbia union president, Grant Miner, in response to his expulsion and firing from Columbia University.
Student Workers of Columbia president Grant Miner wrote the following response to Columbia University expelling and firing him, which we are republishing. Miner’s expulsion and firing comes as Donald Trump, Columbia University, and universities throughout the country escalate repression of the movement for Palestine. Importantly, this statement speaks to the potential of the labor movement and higher education workers to play an important role in resisting these political attacks.
Last week, I was expelled from Columbia University for protesting the U.S.-backed genocide in Gaza. As president of Student Workers of Columbia, Columbia’s student workers union, I was also fired from my job. The Trump administration is pushing their narrative. Here’s the real story.
Thousands of students across the country have been exercising our First Amendment rights to oppose genocide. Standing against genocide is not just a moral imperative—it is an act of anti-racism and solidarity. Columbia’s response? Expulsions, suspensions, and retaliation.
The Trump administration claims the student movement for Palestine is antisemitic and violent. They sent the DOJ to crack down on universities, kidnapped Mahmoud Khalil and other students, and are trying to silence us with fear.
I am Jewish, I work in Jewish studies, and I am not alone in opposing the ongoing genocide. The Jewish people know what genocide is. That’s why so many of us, alongside people of all backgrounds, are standing up against what’s happening in Palestine.
In its proudest moments, the labor movement has stood firmly on the side of the oppressed, and therefore on the side of justice. As president Student Workers of Columbia, I had an even greater responsibility to stand with my members who were beaten by the police just for protesting.
Columbia has caved to Trump’s demands at every turn. They have brought the NYPD onto campus to brutalize students. Now, they’ve let the Department of Homeland Security terrorize students in their own dorms.
Our union is here to defend student workers, and we won’t stand for this blatant repression from Columbia and Trump. Firing and expelling me just before bargaining is a transparent attempt to dodge accountability for endangering students. At the same time, we are facing over $400 million in politically motivated cuts to vital research, all in the service of suppressing pro-Palestine protest. Both our local and the United Auto Workers will fight to get these cuts reversed and ensure our members can continue their work.
The Trump admin crackdown has already failed. Last week, massive protests took place every single day. We are organizing. We are fighting back. This movement isn’t going anywhere. Release Mahmoud Khalil! Reinstate all students and workers. And as always, #FreePalestine