The Communist Party USA Labor Commission stands in unwavering solidarity with the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2710, its President Grant Miner, and all Columbia University student workers in the face of this egregious attack on workers’ rights, free speech, and the right to organize. The expulsion and firing of Grant Miner, a dedicated union leader, on the eve of contract negotiations is a blatant act of union-busting and a direct assault on the whole of the working class. It is a disgraceful attempt to silence workers and intimidate those who dare to fight back.

This attack is not an isolated incident but part of a broader offensive by the ruling class — spearheaded by its most reactionary elements, such as the Trump–Musk faction — against the working class and our fundamental rights, including our right to a quality education. The ruling class fears the power of organized labor and the growing movements for peace, justice, and equality. The bosses and their lackeyes in Washington understand that to attack education, they must first target education workers — and therefore our unions.

We condemn Columbia University’s attack on First Amendment rights and its role in supporting the Trump administration’s escalating crackdown on student and worker activism, particularly those advocating for peace and an end to the genocide in Gaza. The ruling class is sending a chilling message to workers everywhere: that dissent will be punished, that solidarity will be crushed, and that the rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — free speech, free assembly, and the right to organize — are meaningless when they challenge the interests of the ruling class.

“Let us be clear: this is an attack on our basic freedoms and a move designed to intimidate those who dare to speak out against genocide against the Palestinian people,” Brandon Mancilla, UAW Region 9A Director said.

The labor movement has always been a target of the ruling class because it represents the collective power of workers to challenge exploitation and inequality. The firing of Grant Miner is a reminder that the struggle for workers’ rights is inseparable from the fight for civil liberties, academic freedom, and peace.

We agree with the UAW International that “if they can come for graduate workers, if they can arrest, deport, expel, or imprison union leaders and activists for their protected political speech, then they can come for you. For your contract. For your paycheck. For your family. And for your rights.”

The Communist Party USA Labor Commission calls on all trade unionists, progressive forces, and defenders of genuine democracy to stand with UAW Local 2710 and Grant Miner. We urge all allies of the working class to mobilize in defense of free speech, the right to organize, and the right to protest. We must expose and resist the ruling class’ attacks on our movements and build a people’s front to defend our rights and our futures.

An injury to one is an injury to all!

Image: UAW grad workers on the picket line in 2021 by @pknichols44 / UAW (Facebook)

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