The Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Committee and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality at the University of Michigan call on members of the Lecturers’ Employee Organization to vote “No” on the sellout contract announced by the LEO leadership and organize a strike to halt the repression of peaceful student protests at U-M and nationwide against US/Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Mancilla, a former official from the Harvard grad student union, is attempting to get out in front of the anti-war sentiment. He played a leading role in passing a UAW ceasefire resolution in December. But that remained a dead letter, and the UAW endorsed Biden only weeks later, with Mancilla in attendance.
Students have taken a courageous stand. But their actions anticipate an even more powerful movement in the working class. The issues they have raised can only be resolved not on the campuses but in the factories, warehouses, railroads and docks.
Even if industrial action is called, this will be of a token character with no call for support from other steelworkers in Britain, Europe and internationally. And without such an appeal workers will continue to be played off against one another in an endless race to the bottom.