7 Arrested As Tufts Students Protest Janitor Layoffs

Tufts’s decision to lay off 35 janitors at the end of May - roughly one out of six of its custodial staff - prompted students and union activists to continue their ongoing series of protests on Thursday afternoon.

Seven of those who marched and chanted to save these jobs - organized by Employees International Union 32BJ - were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, according to the Tufts Daily.

The source reports that the more than 100-person-strong march traversed from College Avenue to Ballou Hall. The arrests - consisting of four Tufts students and three other individuals - took place in Power House Square.

The controversy between the university administration and union advocates has been carrying on since November, writes Tufts Daily. Tufts officials say the staff cuts may allow them to lower tuition costs. A representative of the Tufts Labor Coalition makes it seem unlikely that Thursday’s police action will frighten activists into submission.

“We don’t want the university to prioritize cuts over workers’ lives, their families’ lives,” Tufts Labor Coalition member Alison Sikowtiz told the source. “The more the administration continues to ignore us, the louder we will be.”

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