97,000 Jobs Cut in the US in May: Criticism of the Trump Administration Amid AI Growth

The Columbia University Student Workers Union decided to withdraw its demand for the university to divest its funds from Israel during a negotiation meeting this week. This union represents over three thousand undergraduate and graduate students.

Union members voted for this decision at a general assembly on Monday. SWC-UAW withdrew a contract clause titled 'Obligations under International Law,' which insisted that the university must divest from companies and state entities violating international law as defined by the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.

Furthermore, the union had demanded that the university publish its financial statements twice per fiscal year, including all direct and indirect assets and holdings, and allowed the union to present a 'list of organizations the University must divest from,' detailing the violations of international law by these structures.

The union's argument was based on the premise that its members, as workers creating value for the university, have a right to vote on the institution's investment decisions.

This withdrawal marks a significant shift in the union's political orientation. Previously, it actively supported the student movement in solidarity with Palestine since the start of the genocide in Gaza by Israel. More than 73,000 people have died since the start of Israel's attack on the enclave following attacks organized by Hamas in southern Israel in October 2023.

Financial divestment from Israel was a central goal of the student movement supporting Palestine in Columbia. This movement established the 'Gaza Solidarity Camp' and occupied the Hamilton Hall building in April 2024.

Following these actions, SWC-UAW passed a resolution in June 2024 supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. The union also sought the suspension of Columbia University's dual degree program with Tel Aviv University and the termination of plans to open a new facility in Tel Aviv.

After two raids by the New York Police Department on the camp and Hamilton Hall, the union attempted to secure a permanent ban on NYPD officers being present on the Morningside Heights campus through another resolution in June titled 'Police Off Campus.'

The union has been negotiating with Columbia University for a new contract since March 2025, initially expecting the first contract to expire in June. However, a complete deadlock persists due to disagreements over what constitutes a 'work issue.'

Since then, the union has proposed 34 contract points covering compensation and demands for job security in the age of artificial intelligence. The university has not responded to these proposals, stating that they fall outside the scope of the 2018 framework, which limits negotiations to academic or operational matters.

National Level Labor Relations law requires both the union and the university to negotiate mandatory subjects such as wages or working conditions. Meanwhile, Columbia plans to open its global center in Tel Aviv this summer.

The Conta Lá employees have not received their salary for the month of July and are awaiting a general assembly to define the future of the project. Maurício Ribeiro, administrator of the resigning Executive Committee, informed sources connected to the process that solutions are being developed to ensure the viability of the venture.

A company source confirmed to Lusa that no payment was made on the day, leaving the workers without receiving their overdue wages, including those from July. In response to this situation, Maurício Ribeiro sent an email to the employees of the Conta Lá media project, in which he expressed his deep understanding of the anxiety and uncertainty experienced by everyone.

The member of the resigning Executive Committee recognized the real impact that the delay in salaries and other credits has on the lives of the workers and their families, stating that such concern is not indifferent to him. He reiterated his full commitment to monitoring the process until there is a decision on the fate of the Conta-lá project.

Ribeiro clarified that although a solution is being worked on to ensure the viability of the project, the final outcome will depend on the general shareholders' meeting, which is scheduled for August 6th. Until that date, he will not be able to disclose concrete news about the payment of outstanding salaries and credits, committing to informing all workers with maximum speed and transparency after the general assembly's decision.

Finally, Maurício Ribeiro thanked the serenity, professionalism, and dedication demonstrated by the workers during this challenging period, sharing the hope that a solution will be found that protects the future of the project and the interests of its employees.

The general assembly of the Conta Lá channel is scheduled for August 6th, when shareholders will vote on, among other topics, the appointment of a new Management Committee. Previously, on July 15th, the CEO of Conta Lá, Sérgio Figueiredo, announced his departure and called a general shareholders' meeting to approve the restructuring plan.

The items included in the agenda are the increase in share capital, the approval of the conversion plan, and the designation of the new Management Committee. Currently, the project has approximately 100 people, 40 of whom are journalists, according to internal information, and these professionals have had overdue salaries for three months.

Almost a year ago, the Regulatory Authority for Social Communication (ERC) authorized the operation of the Conta Lá Sul, Conta Lá Centro, Conta Lá Norte, and Conta Lá Rural channels, part of the project led by Sérgio Figueiredo. This initial project planned the creation of 205 jobs, distributed across various areas: 133 in the information area, 28 in programs and production, and the remaining 44 in technical support, management, human resources, finance, commercial, and legal. The professionals would be strategically allocated across regions of the country, including islands, to ensure decentralized and efficient operational coverage.

An illegal scheme related to the appropriation of land held in state reserve was uncovered in the Markhamat district of Andijan region. The head of one of the banking service centers and a driver of the irrigation system reservoirs for 'Norin-Qoradaryo' were involved in collusion.

These individuals told a citizen who trusted them in 1989 that they possessed documents concerning a land plot of 24 sotok located in the reserve of the Markhamat district administration, which supposedly belonged to the residential category. They demanded 39 thousand US dollars in exchange for officially registering this plot in the name of the mentioned citizen through their influential acquaintances.

As a result of an operational check conducted jointly by employees of the State Security Service, the Department for Combating Economic Crimes, and internal affairs bodies, the driver was detained with material evidence, having received an advance of 25 thousand US dollars.

A criminal case has currently been initiated on this matter, and investigative measures are underway. Citizens were also alerted to the possibility of reporting such violations, emphasizing that personal confidentiality is guaranteed when calling the number 1520 DHH.