Union suing Columbia University for putting janitors in danger after pro-Hamas mob took over building
Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss why the union is taking legal action over the university's overall response to the pro-Palestinian protests.
A union representing custodians at Columbia University says it is gearing up to sue the Ivy League school for its response to the anti-Israel protests, in which its members allegedly were targeted by "spoiled" and "bratty" agitators who temporarily took over a campus building.
TWU International President John Samuelsen told ‘Fox & Friends’ on Thursday that his rank and file is "particularly incensed at Columbia for not protecting the workers and particularly pissed at those particular protesters that tried to hold our workers in the building" during the occupation of Hamilton Hall early last week.
"Everybody in the building, the entire TWU workforce in the building was fearful and rightfully so. They stormed in... but two of the custodians had to fight their way out. They were explicitly told ‘you’re staying here, you’re not going anywhere, this cause is bigger than you," Samuelsen said. "Imagine that... kind of smarmy, sort of entitled, spoiled, bratty occupiers of the building come in and tell these blue-collar men and women ‘you’re not going anywhere, you’re staying here because this cause is bigger than you’ when they had to get home to their families. It’s outrageous, it’s an affront to workers everywhere."
"Columbia should have never put the custodians or the security officer in that position and that is at the heart of the matter," Samuelsen also said. "Columbia showed an epic disregard and epically failed to protect the workforce.
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A maintenance crew member confronts demonstrators attempting to barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall at Columbia University on April 30 in New York City. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
Hamilton Hall eventually was cleared out by the NYPD last Tuesday, but the TWU said this week that it is "exploring legal action against the university and the Hamilton Hall occupiers."
In a letter Samuelsen addressed to Columbia University President Minouche Shafik, the union is demanding the names of the protesters arrested inside Hamilton Hall, security footage of the hostile takeover and a meeting with Shafik "regarding mitigation steps necessary to avoid future placement of members in harm’s way if the protests resume, and recompense to the TWU members who were subjected to this despicable conduct."
"The TWU Security Officer, an African-American woman, managed to leave the building before the barricades went up," he continued. "But she remains shaken by her encounter with the occupying protesters (aka privileged kids) who verbally attacked her in a very aggressive and extremely offensive manner.
A facilities worker went viral when he shoved an anti-Israel protester against a wall as chaos erupted at Columbia University. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
"President Shafik, imagine for a moment being in the boots of the blue-collar Custodians and Security Officer. They came to work to earn a day’s pay so they could take care of their families and ended up being held against their will while being subjected to physical and verbal abuse," Samuelsen also wrote. "Imagine yourself coming to work and being the victim of a serious crime because Columbia University didn’t care enough about you to engage in common sense protective measures."
New York Police Department officers detained dozens of anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University after they barricaded themselves at the Hamilton Hall building on April 30. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Columbia University did not immediately respond Thursday morning when asked by Fox News Digital to comment on the matter.
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