Socialist Alternative

***Students start Hunger Strike for Justice:***
CALL on BRUININKS to provide a FAIR SETTLEMENT

At least 10 University of Minnesota students will begin an indefinite
hunger strike on Monday in support of a fair settlement of the
clerical, technical and healthcare workers’ strike entering its third
week. In solidarity with this student-led effort, a faculty member,
a staff member, and a striking worker will join them in their action.

“Hunger Strikers Speak Out”
Press Conference & Speeches by:
the hunger strikers,an AFSCME worker
& Professor Tom Pepper - “The Corporate State versus Society:
Workers’ Struggles and Capitalist Neoliberal Nihilism”
In front of Morrill Hall
Noon - 1:30
Monday, September 17
AFSCME STRIKE: Day 13
HUNGER STRIKE: Day 1

**Throughout the week, hunger strikers will be holding “office hours”
between 9:30 and 6:00 on the East Bank Mall. Full press release is
below.**

OTHER EVENTS THIS WEEK:

*Monday, September 17*
“Student Strike Solidarity Meeting”
4:30- 6:00
Northrop Mall, U of M East Bank
AFSCME STRIKE: Day 14
HUNGER STRIKE: Day 2

*Tuesday, September 18*
noon-1pm “free lunch” with the hunger strikers
1:00-1:45 - teach-in with Professor Ajay Skaria - “on Ghandi”
and Professor Ron Greene - “Collective Bargaining for a Collective
Citizen”

*Wednesday, September 19*
Day of Protest

“Struck Speechless”
12:15- 12:45
President Bruininks said he’s not going to pay attention to the noise
outside his office. As faculty who object to the administration’s
disregard for the strikers and their supporters, we will try another
approach: A HALF HOUR OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY A MINUTE OF NOISE. We
will gather on the East Bank Mall at 12:15 on Wednesday, Sept 19.

“24 Hr Solidarity Hunger Strike for Justice!”
1PM, Wednesday, September 19th-
1PM, Thursday, September 20th
All are welcome to participate by joining the core group of Hunger
Strikers for Justice in a 24 hr solidarity hunger strike. To launch
the action, we will gather in front of Morrill Hall following the
“Struck Speechless” event. To sign-up, email solidarityhs@gmail.com
For more information and to pick-up an armband, visit the Hunger
Strikers for Justice during their “office hours,” 9:30–6:00 PM, East
Bank Mall.

For an updated list of events, visit www.uworkers.org
or email Eli Meyerhoff, meye0781@umn.edu

PRESS RELEASE:

Students start hunger strike for Justice: Call on Bruininks to provide
a fair settlement

PRESS CONFERENCE: Patio in front of Morrill Hall, north end of the
East Bank Mall,

University of Minnesota, NOON on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2007.

At least 10 University of Minnesota students will begin an indefinite
hunger strike on Monday in support of a fair settlement of the
clerical, technical and healthcare workers’ strike entering its third
week. In solidarity with this student-led effort, a faculty member, a
staff member, and a striking worker will join them in their action.
After exhausting all possibilities of communicating their message to
President Bruininks and his administration, the group of students has
organized the action as a HUNGER STRIKE FOR JUSTICE. Isaac Kamola, a
hunger striker and a graduate student in political science, said, “we
are frustrated by the inaccessibility of Bruininks’ administration.
They have closed off all avenues of discussion, they flood our email
with propaganda, and they are too afraid to debate in a public forum,
because their position is so unreasonable.”

Undergraduate hunger striker, Sofia Shank, said, “Bruininks doesn’t
seem to care about principles of democracy, justice, or equity. We
have chosen to embark on a hunger strike that will raise people’s
awareness of his lack of accountability to the public.”

The Hunger Strike for Justice aims to highlight the growing problem of
wage inequality on campus, in which the University is unwilling to pay
the relative pittance it would take to keep its lowest paid workers
abreast of inflation, an issue at the heart of the current labor
conflict. A survey conducted by the AFSCME union in 2005 found that
25% of union members working at the U had difficulties affording to
feed their families. “We want justice for our community, and that
means nobody in our university should go hungry,” explained Kyle
Johnson, an undergraduate in fine arts. “Our hunger strike is meant to
highlight a crisis that needs a resolution now: hundreds and hundreds
of workers are going home to their families without a paycheck every
day this strike drags on,” he concluded.

Students have vowed to refrain from all solid foods, and will subsist
on only juices, water and salt. Aerospace engineering graduate
student, Amit Singh, states, “The hunger strike will be difficult, but
we feel that our actions reflect the urgency of the situation. The
AFSCME workers have been on strike for twelve days now. The university
community has overwhelmingly come out in support of our essential
workers. But the administration continues to ignore requests for a
fair and livable contract.” For many letters from groups of students
and faculty supporting the union’s position, see
http://www.uworkers.org.

Weather permitting, the students plan to maintain a public presence on
the Northrop Mall. Students and their supporters will continue to go
about their daily routine as much as possible, coming together to
support each other and contributing to a debate on campus during their
off time. The group encourages all members of the University and
surrounding community to join them at the hunger strike site. Like
University instructors, the hunger strikers will hold daily “office
hours,” between 9:30am - 6 pm. During this time, they hope to engage
fellow students in education about the issues of the AFSCME strike and
answer any questions about the action.

In the evenings, the Hunger Strike for Justice will relocate to
University Baptist Church, 1219 University Ave. SE, which also serves
as the union’s strike headquarters.

Students are committing to continue their hunger strike in solidarity
with the AFSCME campus locals until the Administration meets the
union’s demands for a fair contract.

For further information, please contact the hunger strikers’ media
person:
Eli Meyerhoff, meye0781@umn.edu, 763-607-7034