Glenn Houlihan is a master’s student at the University of Wyoming researching graduate assistant (GA) unions. In June, he will be joining Yana Ludwig’s campaign for US Senate as the youth caucus and media coordinator.
Forty years ago today, 13,000 air traffic controllers went on strike. President Ronald Reagan would soon crush that strike — leading to devastating consequences for organized labor and all workers that we’re still dealing with today.
Graduate workers at Columbia University are currently on strike, the culmination of a yearslong campaign for a decent contract. This kind of confrontation with the neoliberal university is the only way to win decent pay and working conditions in higher education.
Whenever mass protests of any kind kick off, defenders of the status quo immediately accuse protesters as being duped by “outside agitators.” Don’t fall for it — the lie of the outside agitator is designed to weaken protests and downplay our widespread anger at injustice.