My great-grandfather moved to the US from Russia in the years before the First World War, in part forced out due to his trade union activities. Although working at a University isn’t exactly the equivalent of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, or my great-grandfather’s construction sites in New York City, I was pleased to find out about the Association of University Teachers, representing academics at UK universities (along with a related union, NAFTHE, with whom the AUT is likely to amalgamate in the near future — workers of the UK, unite…).
Last week, at their national conference, the AUT voted to boycott several universities in Israel, despite the opposition of the national executive, and quite a bit of evidence that the vote was railroaded through by a few frankly anti-Israel activists (obsessives?).
Of course, many academics, even culturally and genealogically Jewish ones like me, have huge problems with Israel’s political and diplomatic actions (as do many Israelis themselves), and indeed some actions undertaken by the Universities being boycotted. But sanctioning universities — centers of at least some amount of free-thinking, and some amount of integration between Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians — seems to me not only largely symbolic, but symbolic of exactly the wrong sentiment. Instead, we should be encouraging dissent, supporting education in the Occupied Territories, and championing peace initiatives. Some AUT members have already quit the union over this; I am waiting to see how it turns out.
(Please see also quite a lot of interesting commentary over on Crooked Timber).
2 responses to “There is power in a Union?”
Re your great-grandfather moving to the US from Russia in the years before the First World War, in part forced out due to his trade union activities, you might want to take look at the website of the Jewish Labor Committee, where I work — http://www.jewishlabor.org — and let me note the readings lists [near end of the basic menu] dealing with the American Jewish Labor Movement, and traditional texts and workers rights. FYI, every year, we participate in the commemoration at the site of the Triangle Shirtwiast Fire, which is within blocks of New York University [the building is now owned by NYU].
True, working at a University isn’t exactly the equivalent of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, or your great-grandfather’s construction sites in New York City, but there are a number of recent efforts of university and college graduate students / teaching assistants securing the benefits of union representation. In the U.S., some belong to the locals of the American Federation of Teachers; others, to locals of the United Auto Workers [so it goes.] I don’t know of the situation in the U.K.
As to the AUT vote to boycott several universities in Israel, despite the opposition of the national executive, and quite a bit of evidence that the vote was railroaded through by a few frankly anti-Israel activists … please see the website of ENGAGE — http://liberoblog.com/ — let me quote from it, fyi:
“Engage was set up in response to the Association of University Teacher?s decision to take steps towards an academic and cultural boycott of Israel
Engage opposes Israel?s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. We are in favour of the foundation of a Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel. We do not believe that Israel is an ?illegitimate state?. We are for reconciliation between Israeli Jews and Palestinians.
1 . Engage opposes the idea of an academic or cultural boycott of Israel.
2 . Engage aims to encourage, facilitate and publicise positive links between Israeli, Palestinian, British and global academia. Engage is for closer engagement, not boycotts.
3 . Engage stands up against antisemitism in our universities, in our unions and in our students unions.
Read its full statement here. http://liberoblog.com/about-engage/
You’re of course correct, many academics, even culturally and genealogically Jewish ones such as yourself, have huge problems with Israel’s political and diplomatic actions (as do many Israelis themselves), and indeed some actions undertaken by the Universities being boycotted.
And also with your comment that sanctioning universities — centers of at least some amount of free-thinking, and some amount of integration between Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians — seems to me not only largely symbolic, but symbolic of exactly the wrong sentiment.
It has been the position of the U.S. group with which I am affiliated, Meretz USA — http://www.meretzusa.org — that indeed we should be encouraging dissent, supporting education in the Occupied Territories, and championing peace initiatives.
Please see the statement we recently sent out to well over 1,000 of our contacts — http://www.meretzusa.org/doc_aut0505.shtml —
As you may be aware, the British Association of University Teachers (AUT) voted to boycott two Israeli Universities – Haifa University, for its alleged mistreatment of Professor Ilan Pappe, and Bar Ilan University, because of extension courses it supports at the College of Judea and Samaria in the Israeli settlement of Ariel. The boycott means, for example, that faculty from these universities will not be invited to participate at AUT campus conferences, publications, etc. unless they can prove that they have actively resisted the policies of which their universities are accused.
The Academic Affairs Committee of Meretz USA is unequivocally opposed to the AUT’s resolution calling for the boycott of these two Israeli universities. And that is why we are reaching out to you now.
ACTION REQUESTED:
A petition is currently being circulated on the internet calling for the AUT to rescind its boycott (in a vote scheduled for later this month).
We strongly advocate that you sign this petition. {http://www.petitiononline.com/j141789/petition.html ]
A concerted effort is being conducted in the UK to not only oppose, but reverse the boycott call of the AUT. As of this writing, UK activists have been able to get a special meeting of the AUT to reconsider this boycott. As you may well imagine, much of this activism is taking place online.
For instance, the group called ENGAGE is playing a leading role. Please take a look at their website. As you can see, the political perspective of those who assembled this campaign/project is quite similar to that of Meretz USA. Whether or not you agree with every point of ENGAGE, this is a useful and important source of up-to-date information on this issue.
You may know someone in the UK who is an academic. Please let them know about the campaign mentioned above. If you have the time and the energy, you can send your protests / concerns directly to the leadership of the AUT. See listing at end of this message.
Please share this message with others with whom you are in contact including individuals in the UK.
And by all means let us know your thoughts on this matter.
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RELEVANT AUT OFFICERS:
AUT General secretary, Sally Hunt sally.hunt@aut.org.uk
AUT President, Angela Roger angela.roger@aut.org.uk
Deputy general secretary, Malcolm Keight malcolm.keight@aut.org.uk
Assistant general secretary, Rachel Curley rachel.curley@aut.org.uk
Senior research officer, Stephen Court stephen.court@aut.org.uk
Policy officer, Jane Thompson jane.thompson@aut.org.uk
Campaigns officer, Justine Stephens justine.stephens@aut.org.uk
Education Policy Assistant general secretary, Paul Cottrell paul.cottrell@aut.org.uk
Education Policy officer, Rob Copeland rob.copeland@aut.org.uk
Equal Opportunities Assistant general secretary, Rachel Curley rachel.curley@aut.org.uk
Equal Opportunities Policy officer, Yasmin Khan yasmin.khan@aut.org.uk
International issues – Assistant General Secretary, Brian Everett brian.everett@aut.org.uk
Parliamentary and Public Affairs Officer, Jonathan Whitehead jonathan.whitehead@aut.org.uk
Industrial Action?
This week is the 100th anniversary of one of the most important events in the Labor movement (at least back in the US): the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, a disaster in which the garment factory’s sweatshop conditions led to the death of almos…