CUNY Fightback: Students, workers turn up the heat

BRONX, November 2–“Take a hand warmer. You’ll need it” Last week a dozen students and educational workers rallied in front of Bronx Community College due to of lack heat in the entire campus. We gave out hundreds of hand warmers and fliers calling on students, staff, and faculty to challenge racist austerity policies at City College of New York (CUNY) and to join our group that is building a strike movement. This rally was held just a week after we demonstrated a few miles south, at Hostos Community College, where the student cafeteria has been closed for over two years, vending machines and elevators are constantly out of order, and the outdoor spaces have been closed to students. The righteous anger of students and workers at the racist conditions that we’re forced to endure was on display, as people eagerly respond to our fightback message. As we fight for better student and worker conditions on campus we are also calling for communist revolution - a revolution that puts the needs of the international working class first.

What does racist austerity look like?
This fall, members of Progressive Labor Party (PLP) have been active with students and other education workers at Hostos Community College. We have helped to launch a mass petition campaign demanding the immediate reopening of the cafeteria and hiring of unionized cafeteria workers. This campaign, initiated by students, has gained much momentum as hundreds have stopped to sign and talk with us. Of course, everyone asks the same question- “What can we do about it?” Our answer is two-fold: We must fight to open the cafeteria, to get heat back on campus and to stand up to the college administration in whatever way we can. But we must also recognize that these fights aren’t enough and that students at CUNY and worldwide will only get the education that our class needs once we have destroyed capitalism and replaced it with communism. Communism means a society that is run for and by workers, and where there will always be free, quality, life-long education for all workers. Having CHALLENGE present at these rallies has helped us get this vital message across.

As we head into winter, students will have to head outside to buy food. Hostos is in the South Bronx, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country and in the middle of a true “food desert” with only fast food available. We point out that the CUNY bosses have whittled many campuses to the bare bones, including closing cafeterias in almost half of the 25 campuses across New York City. This is part of a strategy that includes early cancellation of classes and offering fewer and fewer services to students.  

New student leadership emerging
“I feel like I’ve been waiting for this my whole life” was the comment made by one new student who has stepped up to help lead and organize these fightbacks.

Students are seeing very clearly that these fightbacks must be led by students in order to have the best impact.

In the past month, new students have come forward to help organize petitioning, make signs, write speeches, and even help with a social justice history trip. We plan to win more students to join the Party. These struggles are a training ground for these students. As students combat racist and sexist inequality on campus they accumulate the knowledge and experience they need,alongside our class siblings, to eventually  build and run the communist world they deserve.


What do communist ideas look like in the struggle?
PLP members are always learning how to participate and help lead reform struggles while advancing communist politics. We have a study group that is meeting with students from different campuses around the Northeast, biweekly CHALLENGE rallies in the Bronx and an upcoming conference we are building for. We are challenging identity politics and are clear that having a Latin or Black administrator doesn’t mean they will be more responsive to our students.

Identity politics and reforms are not the end goal - it is communist revolution. Join PLP!