CGSU-UE Bargaining Committee Statement on the

Interim Expressive Activity Policy

We strongly condemn the Cornell Administration’s temporary suspension of two international graduate workers and two undergraduate students for participating in a peaceful protest. We further condemn the continued threats of discipline, suspensions, and arrests made by Cornell Administration and CUPD against students, staff, faculty, and graduate workers protesting in the Arts Quad Liberated Zone. These threats and suspensions completely disregard our freedom of expression.

We demand that Cornell immediately reverse the suspensions imposed on the affected graduate workers and undergraduate students. We further demand that Cornell refrains from retaliating against graduate workers for exercising their freedom of expression. We support the right of workers and students to protest and freely express their views. The ability to protest and assemble are core to both labor organizing and our right to academic freedom. Discipline, including temporary suspensions, cannot occur without just cause and due process.

The suspension of these graduate workers under the new Interim Expressive Activity Policy constitutes a flagrant assault on our Union. The Interim Expressive Activity Policy, introduced unilaterally by University administration with no real community input, disregards all community members’ rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. We demand Cornell retract the Interim Expressive Activity Policy immediately and bargain any changes to our working conditions with our Union. Sign our community petition today to demand that Cornell retract the Interim Expressive Activity Policy.

We stand with the Cornell Coalition for Mutual Liberation as they urge the Cornell Administration to reverse the temporary suspensions. To support the suspended grad workers and students, sign their petition. We also stand in solidarity with persecuted graduate workers and students across the country. As a Union, we are committed to protecting graduate workers from all forms of unjust discipline, including suspension for peacefully protesting.

The CGSU-UE Bargaining Committee