Earlier this month, workers, students, faculty, and staff organized actions at more than 100 campuses across the US to call for a higher education system that centers affordability, security, and freedom. In New York, a cross-union coalition organized a successful action against Marc Rowan, the billionaire Trump ally who recently revealed himself as one of the architects of last month’s Compact.
Billionaires and the ultra-wealthy have no place in setting the future agenda for higher ed. We – the students, community members, workers that actually make the campus work – do. Since the Trump Administration took office earlier this year, HELU delegates have been organizing coworkers to form new unions and win strong contracts, forming coalitions to push for progressive policies at the state and federal levels, and leading mass mobilizations to meet the challenges and opportunities of this moment.
On Monday, more than 100 higher ed workers gathered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for a historic cross-union coalition action at the PA state capitol to lay out a progressive higher ed agenda ahead of the state’s legislative session. Earlier this month, HELU was proud to participate on a panel on building coalitions for change at the National Education Association’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Summit held in Atlanta, focusing on the necessity of building diverse coalitions to affect change at all levels. HELU delegates also organized mass meetings and events for academic healthcare workers, library workers and contingent faculty throughout the month, including a screening of Ron Najor’s film Adjunct put together by the HELU Contingency Task Force.
At the upcoming HELU General Assembly on November 20th, HELU will be holding leadership elections for our next Steering Committee. This past Monday, the HELU Elections Committee hosted the first-ever HELU Candidate Forum, marking an exciting milestone for our organization. All delegates are encouraged to attend the upcoming General Assembly to shape the direction of HELU and our shared movement, and learn more about ways to get involved in building power towards our wall-to-wall, coast-to-coast vision for higher ed.