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Vol. 141, No. 2
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
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Two-Week UAW Strike Ends on Labor Day UAW, Cornell reach agreement endorsed by 77 percent of UAW Local 2300 voters By JULIA SENZON and ERIC REILLY Sun Managing Editor and Sun Assistant Managing Editor
MING DEMERS / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Agreement achieved | United Auto Workers Local 2300 voted Sept. 2 to ratify an agreement with Cornell, ending a two-week-long strike.
Sept. 2 — “The tentative agreement has been ratified, and the strike is officially over,” the UAW Local 2300 website read as of Monday evening. The United Auto Workers Local 2300 and Cornell have ratified an agreement, endorsed by 77 percent of UAW Local 2300 voters. Lonnie Everett, a UAW international servicing representative for Region 9, announced the result in a statement posted on the UAW Local 2300 website “This is a monumental victory, proving that when we come together, we are unstoppable,” Everett wrote. The statement calls for UAW workers to return to their regular shifts starting as early as 10 p.m. Monday. Terms of the agreement include a 21 to 25.4 percent wage increase with a cost-of-living adjustment, among other benefits, according to the UAW Local 2300 statement. Altogether, the agreement represents a $43 million contract over the next 4 years. The agreement follows four months of bargain-
ing and two weeks of strikes, during which Cornell reduced its dining options and recruited former workers to fill the temporarily empty positions. In an email sent to the Cornell community at noon on Tuesday, administrators encouraged “everyone [to] act with kindness and respect one another’s personal choices, whether that was to strike or to continue working,” as the campus transitions to normal staff levels. Students without a meal plan that includes swipes were told to continue utilizing non-Cornell dining options, while the University aims to reopen Cornell Dining locations later in the week. Food trucks will be at various campus locations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday to increase meal options for non-swipe meal plan holders. “Welcome back to those who have been on strike,” the University statement read, “and once again thank you to the countless staff and faculty who helped to fill operational gaps caused by the strike and to the community as a whole for your continued patience.” Julia Senzon and Eric Reilly can be reached at jsenzon@cornellsun.com and ereilly@cornellsun. com.
Jewish Community Honors Hostages Killed in Gaza at Vigil By ANUSHKA SHOREWALA Sun Assistant News Editor
Sept. 2 — About 150 members from the Cornell and Ithaca community gathered at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 2 at a vigil held in honor of the six hostages who were found dead in Gaza. Organized by Cornellians for Israel, the Roitman Chabad Center, Cornell Hillel and the Center for Jewish Living, attendees joined on Ho Plaza and draped American and Israeli flags over their shoulders. Amanda Silberstein ’26, vice president of the Chabad Center and Cornellians for Israel, began the vigil by discussing the ongoing struggles of the hostages in Gaza. “We gather here with shattered hearts to mourn the 1,200 previous individuals ruthlessly slaughtered and the 250 innocent souls taken from their lives and dragged to the dark tunnels of Gaza,” Silberstein said. “Over the past 332 days, we have gotten to know about each of the hostages and their faces have become etched into our minds and hearts. This weekend we learned of the tragic murder of the six beloved souls.” On Oct. 7, 2023, about 1,200 people were killed by Hamas in Israel and about 250 were taken to be held as hostages in Gaza. On Saturday, the bodies of six hostages were found dead in a tunnel in Gaza — Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Almond Sarusi, Alexander Lobanvi and Hersh GolbergPolin. According to the Israeli Defense Forces, the hostages were killed shortly before soldiers reached them. After their deaths were confirmed, protests erupted across Israel, criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
approach to cease-fire negotiations. Throughout the vigil, students expressed grief and shed tears as they shared stories of the six hostages, with six students taking turns to speak about each of them. “Every Shabbos, I pray that when I turn back on my phone after Shabbos ends on Motzei Shabbos, I will see that all the hostages return safely back to their homes and families,” said Yael Schranz ’26, who spoke about Eden Yerushalmi at the vigil. “This Motzei Shabbos I saw the opposite. I saw the terrors that still persist. I saw the life of six beautiful people come to an end after they’ve suffered so much already.” Netanel Shapira ’25 spoke in honor of Golberg-Polin, emphasizing the importance of remembering him and all the hostages who remain captive. Golberg-Polin was a 23-yearold dual American and Israeli citizen. “While we can not bring Hersh home alive, it is our duty to bring him everywhere else. And one last thing, though certainly not least — don’t forget any of the hostages,” Shapira said. The Israeli government believes that there are currently 101 hostages held in Gaza with 35 thought to be dead. Originally, eight U.S. citizens were taken by Hamas, according to All Isreal News. With the confirmation of Golberg-Polin’s death, four U.S. citizens remain hostages in Gaza. “Say their names, fight for them because the rest of the world refuses to do so,” Shapira said. After the stories were shared, the gathering observed a minute of silence — ten seconds for each hostage — followed by prayers and singing.
Kayla Singer ’25, co-engagement chair of Cornellians for Israel, expressed that the vigil helped provide her support and served as a reminder of her community. “For me, when I heard the news, … these are kids in Israel who are just like I am in America and to see an American citizen be killed was very saddening,” Singer said. “I wanted to be near my community at this time and to remember and call for the remaining hostages underneath Gaza in tunnels to be returned home.” Singer also emphasized the importance of unity in the face of tragedy. “I think a lot about this war has been a polarizing issue, but the hostages shouldn’t be polarizing,” Singer said. “For people who want to call for the safe and healthy return of
these hostages, these kinds of vigils and places of mourning and places of community can give individuals in the community a space to come together.” Silberstein highlighted the ongoing plight of the remaining hostages and the importance of these vigils to keep their memory alive. “There are 101 innocent civilians — beloved individuals who are being held by a terrorist organization — and I think the world needs to know they are not alone,” Silberstein said. “[We] hold these events, these vigils, to come together, say their names, and recognize that they will not be forgotten, that they are in our minds every minute of our lives.” Anushka Shorewala can be reached at ashorewala@cornellsun.com.
MING DEMERS / SUN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
In remembrace | Vigil attendees mourn six hostages who were recently found dead in Gaza.