From Levin Kim, HELU Chair and member of UAW 4121:
Last week in New York City, HELU members and delegates joined hundreds of striking workers and higher ed union members at the Contract Faculty United-UAW picket line. Despite the blustery weather, the solidarity was clearly palpable – and after 2 days on strike, CFU-UAW won a $14,000 raise for all workers starting Fall 2026, higher minimum salaries for new hires, and 3.5% annual raises (among other wins).
At January’s Northeast Regional Bargaining Summit (NERB), 55 unions across the 9 states of the Northeast came together to draft a shared bargaining platform called the “Amherst Compact” outlining key contract priorities aimed at raising the floor for all workers across our sector. Following the conclusion of this year’s Hunter Conference for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Ed, HELU members and delegates gathered to strategize how to win stronger contract language around family and parental leave, as well as pathways to permanency for contingent workers. With several higher ed unions in the Northeast and across the country gearing up to launch and escalate contract campaigns, this kind of coordination across our sector is laying strong foundations for future action. Workers will drive institutions in a race to the top – to fulfill a vision for higher ed that truly serves the public – rather than the decades-long race to the bottom that has created the crises that we face today. As May Day approaches, HELU delegates and members are using this opportunity to organize our coworkers and build metro and statewide coalitions to build the power necessary to take on fights that we can’t win alone. Stay tuned for additional resources to organize your own campus May Day actions as a way to launch strategic coalitions and strengthen your union, and share what you will be fighting for on May Day – we’d love to amplify your take on social media.