Rank and File Educators at Temple University Issue Statement against Cops

Temple University recently announced a new initiative to increase “campus security,” that is, the power of campus police and the extent to which they work with the Philadelphia Police Department.

The following is a statement by Rank-and-File Temple (RAFT), the rank-and-file caucus of TAUP (AFT Local 4531). TAUP is the union for teachers, librarians, and other education workers at Temple University. RAFT has also helped lead the struggle to disaffiliate the union national AFT from all cop unions.

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Temple says they want more cops for “security.” They already have the biggest, most expensive campus police force in the country.

Cops are not the answer. We say no to TUPD and all police.

In the 2022 budget, Temple allocated over $29.6 million to “campus safety.” That’s over $10 million more than they allocated for the entire College of Education, and over $12 million more than the School of Pharmacy.

For more, read RAFT’s 2020 statement: “Why ‘Defund the Police’?”

Police have no place in the labor movement. AFT members: sign our call on the AFT to disaffiliate from cop unions.

Cops Out of Our Unions

Labor Movement

Against the Criminalization of Opinion and in Defense of Our Right to Support Palestine: We Must Stand Up!

In France, the repression of Palestine supporters is escalating. A conference by La France Insoumise (LFI) has been banned; a union leader has been arrested and charged for speaking out for Palestine; court cases have increased against those who “condone terrorism”; and the state has stepped up its “anti-terrorism” efforts. In the face of all this, we must stand together.

Left Voice Magazine for April 2024 — Labor Notes Edition!

In this issue, we delve into the state and future of the labor movement today. We take a look at the prospects for Palestinian liberation through the lens of Leon Trotsky’s theory of Permanent Revolution, and discuss the way that Amazon has created new conditions of exploitation and how workers across the world are fighting back.

All Eyes on Columbia: We Must Build a National Campaign to Defend the Right to Protest for Palestine

After suspending and evicting students and ordering the repression of a student occupation, Columbia University has become the ground zero for attacks against the pro-Palestine movement. What happens at Columbia in the coming days has implications for our basic democratic rights, such as the right to protest.

Labor Movement