HELU’s Wall-to-Wall & Coast-to-Coast Report: June 2026

From Levin Kim, HELU Chair and member of UAW 4121:

Throughout June, we connected with hundreds of HELU member unions, leaders, delegates, at-large members, and fellow workers across the broader higher ed labor movement. At Labor Notes in Chicago, it was incredibly energizing to spend time in person identifying shared concerns, discussing coordinated strategies, and gearing up for federal fights necessary to rewrite the future of our sector.

These conversations highlighted how our working conditions across the sector – the broad network of community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), academic medical centers, regional public universities, public and private colleges and universities, and more – are directly tied to the quality of life that our institutions have the capacity to support. Higher education institutions across the US function as infrastructure, delivering crucial lifesaving medical care, driving economic growth, developing real estate, and more. 

Building Political Power: Higher Ed Labor Champions  

Looking towards the midterm elections and the political horizons beyond, higher ed workers from wall to wall and coast to coast have the opportunity to assert our priorities to make higher ed serve the public interest. At the beginning of June, PSC-CUNY, Rutgers AAUP-AFT, and HELU held a nonpartisan Higher Education Labor Congressional Town Hall on Friday, June 5 in NYC. Candidates met with union members and answered questions about free college, academic freedom, job security, and labor rights for higher ed workers, and were asked to commit to fight for a progressive vision for higher ed if elected. 

Last week, three candidates who committed to becoming Higher Ed Labor Champions won their elections!

Interested in hosting a Higher Ed Labor Town Hall in your area? To learn more and get involved, check out the HELU federal policy platform and join other higher ed workers at the next HELU Politics & Policy Committee meeting.

Schools Drop ICE Campaign Update

HELU has been involved in the national Schools Drop ICE campaign alongside Sunrise Movement, Students for International Labor Solidarity, AAUP, the Emergency Campaign for Higher Education, and others. This spring we had some big wins – the University of Michigan dropped their contract with ICE Air, Cal Poly Pomona announced they will not be renewing their contract with Flock, and more. All of these wins were the direct result of students and workers organizing around concrete campaigns on campuses while also coordinating as a broader movement. 

As we head into the fall, we’re shifting our focus to Flock Safety, whose surveillance technology puts immigrant communities at increased risk. Whether or not your campus already has a Flock contract, there is a role for you in this fight. More resources, training, and a coordinated fall action plan are coming. Sign up here to get involved in a Schools Drop ICE campaign on your campus.

Organizing across the labor movement: Labor Notes & Higher Ed Happy Hour  

June 12-14 in Chicago, HELU leaders and staff attended the Labor Notes Conference along with hundreds of other higher ed labor organizers. On the evening of June 12, we held a happy hour for Labor Notes and AAUP conference attendees, which was attended by more than 100 incredible organizers. We had hundreds of conversations with higher ed workers concerned about the same issues, including job security, collective bargaining rights, the influence of artificial intelligence on our jobs and campuses, and much more. Stay tuned for ways to get involved in building out our work and projects on these topics! 

Next week in Denver, HELU is hosting a higher ed happy hour alongside the NEA Representative Assembly on July 6 at 5pm – RSVP here!

Want to get plugged into our work? Fill out this form or email us at info@higheredlaborunited.org. We look forward to building power and winning better working conditions with you.

In solidarity,

Levin Kim

HELU Chair 

• July 6 – NEA 2026 Higher Ed Worker Solidarity Hour Registration 
  Register for the Higher Ed Worker Solidarity Hour at the 2026 NEA Conference in Denver.
  
  
• July 9 – Tell the Feds: Hands Off Higher Ed! 
  Time: 7pm ET/6pm CT/5pm MT/4pm PT
  Location: Zoom
  The federal administration’s attacks on higher education are moving into a new phase. During summer break, the federal administration proposed rules around accreditation, grants, and potential Pell changes. Come learn about what’s happening and how you and your colleagues can fight back.
  
  
• July 25 – Grievance Procedures, Anti-Discrimination Protections & Organizing Strategy in Higher Education 
  Time: Noon-3pm ET/11am-2pm CT/10am-1pm MT/9am-Noon PT
  Location: 5 Steeple St, Providence, RI 02903 or Online (Zoom)
  The Graduate Labor Organization at Brown University (GLO-AFT Local 6516) and HELU invite you to a deep-dive session about grievance procedures, anti-discrimination protections, and organizing to win better and more comprehensive defenses in our workplaces.
  
  
• College for All Jubilee School with Debt Collective
• • July 9 (8-9.30pm EDT): University Governing Boards – Autocrats or Puppets? With Timothy Kaufman-Osborn and Constance Penley
  • July 16 (5-6.30pm EDT): Democratizing Knowledge Creation Beyond the University with Jennifer Ruth and Karim Mattar
  • July 23 (8-9.30pm EDT): The Fight for a Free CUNY with Conor Tomás Reed, Noelle Mapes, and Travis S.
  • July 30 (5-6.30pm EDT): A History of the Fight for Free College with Mark Huelsman and Michelle Miller-Adams
  • August 13 (7.30pm-9pm EDT): How to Win with Aissa Canchola-Bañez and Sara Garcia

by Scott Douglas

In early 2026, the Long Beach Community College District in Long Beach, California, agreed to an approximately $18 million settlement in a class-action wage-and-hour lawsuit brought by adjunct faculty. The case was backed by the California Teachers Association, which retained outside plaintiff-side employment counsel to litigate the claims.

We invite you to support HELU’s work by making a direct financial contribution. While HELU’s main source of income is solidarity pledges from member organizations, these funds from individuals help us to grow capacity as we work to align the higher ed labor movement.