TWU vows legal action against Columbia over pro-Palestinian protests, accusing university of failing to protect workers from abusive demonstrators

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) is planning to take legal action against Columbia University in response to the university’s handling of recent pro-Palestinian protests. The union, which represents custodians at Columbia, claims that its members were targeted by “spoiled” and “bratty” protesters during the occupation of Hamilton Hall. TWU International President John Samuelsen told Fox & Friends that his rank and file are “particularly incensed at Columbia for not protecting the workers” during the protest, with some custodians having to fight their way out of the building. In a letter to Columbia President Minouche Shafik, Samuelsen demanded the names of the protesters arrested during the occupation, as well as security footage and a meeting regarding safety measures for future protests. He described the experience of the TWU Security Officer, an African-American woman, as “extremely offensive”, and stated that employees who came to work to earn a day’s pay ended up being held against their will while being subjected to physical and verbal abuse. Overall, Samuelsen accused Columbia of showing “an epic disregard and epically failed to protect the workforce”.