by Jenna Chernega, HELU Vice Chair and Chair of the HELU Politics & Policy Committee The Politics and Policy (P&P) committee is fairly large. I would guess that there are well over 20 people on the google groups list. Basically, we let anyone in who expresses interest in joining the committee, either when they join HELU […]
How the Politics and Policy Committee Works Read More »
by Helena Worthen, based on an interview with Thomas Gokey, Organizer for Debt Collective, a HELU member labor organization, and active with the HELU Policyand Politics Committee HELU’s basic idea of centering the hoped-for transformation of the higher ed sector around labor means confronting opposition on multiple levels. One level is obviously collective bargaining, where
Current Politics and Policy Committee Projects Read More »
From Levin Kim, HELU Chair and member of UAW 4121: This May Day, thousands of higher ed workers, students, alumni, and community members from coast to coast are taking to the streets. Will you be a part of the growing movement? Learn more and register for a May Day action near you. Additionally, hear from
April 2026 HELU Chair’s Message Read More »
By Carolyn Kube, Chair of HELU Outreach Committee, Steering Committee member for Healthcare Workers and Delegate from UUP. HELU organizes local unions and labor organizations, not individual people, although individuals can join. This makes HELU organizing different from organizing people into a local union. The idea behind HELU is that by drawing the local unions
How HELU Organizes Read More »
By Ian Gavigan, HELU Executive Director. HELU’s vision of higher ed organized wall-to-wall and coast-to-coast rests upon the idea that union locals are the starting point for an organizing strategy that builds power at the sectoral level in order to wage a national fight against our broken system of higher ed finance and governance. On
How does regional organizing fit with HELU’s wall-to-wall and coast-to-coast project? Read More »
by Brendan McGovern, UUP Binghamton Chapter President. May Day, observed each year on May 1, is one of the most important days in the global labor movement. Its origins trace back to the struggle for the eight-hour workday in the late 19th century, when hundreds of thousands of workers across the United States went on
May Day: A Labor Tradition and a Call to Action for Higher Education Workers Read More »
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
March 2026 HELU Chair’s Message Read More »
by Joe Berry, Delegate from AFT 2121 and Helena Worthen, Delegate from NWU A general strike on May Day 2026 – what does that bring to your mind? Thousands of workers marching with picket signs and shouting angry slogans? That’s the classic media image. But it’s not actually what a general strike mostly looks like. What
Why all campus workers should join the May Day 2026 General Strike Read More »
By Chris Robe, UFF (United Faculty of Florida) and Florida Atlantic University Ever since Florida became ground zero for the attacks against public higher education roughly five years ago, many misconceptions circulate regarding how academic freedom functions down here and the ways in which it is being compromised. A recent job candidate confided to a
Pre-Compliance: How They Get Us To Do It Read More »
From the HELU Michigan Coalition: HELU has been quietly engaged in regional organizing for the past year. There are regional organizing projects going on in the Northeast, around the Philadelphia area, in the Pacific Northwest and in New Mexico, among others. The work of these projects is specific to their region. This is a report
Regional Organizing: Report from Michigan Read More »