HELU Blog

Jenna Chernega, Ph.D, President of Inter Faculty Organization (IFO), Winona State University Thanks to Minnesota’s new North Star Promise program, enrollment in public and tribal higher education is increasing for the first time in over a decade. This initiative, which the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) and other unions organized hard to win, was implemented in […]

From Brendan McGovern – President, United University Professions, Binghamton As we prepare for the incoming Trump administration, the challenges ahead for unions and higher education are likely to intensify. The formation of Campus Labor Councils (CLCs) is an essential strategy to build unity, reinforce our collective power, and protect our rights. By joining forces, campus

From Bill Shields, retired Chair of the Labor and Community Studies Program at HELU member AFT Local 2121, City College of San Francisco. The Italian education union, the Federazione Lavoratori della Conoscenza, (FLC) went on a 1-day strike on October 31, with demonstrations, sit-ins and flash mobs in 40 cities. Bargaining on a national basis

From Ian Gavigan, HELU National Director In October, HELU launched its Higher Ed for All Roadshows in two battleground states: Pennsylvania and Michigan.  On October 17 at the Community College of Philadelphia, several dozen higher education workers took part in the conversation from six different unions, including HELU member unions the Faculty and Staff Federation

From Helena Worthen, Chair, HELU Media & Communications Committee On September 16, 2024, HELU held a press conference in Philadelphia to celebrate the release of a Statement of Unity. The statement lays out progressive higher ed policy for the next presidential administration. The statement is signed by 12 national unions and labor organizations including the

From Mike Budd, United Faculty of Florida NEA/AFT/AAUP/AFL-CIO The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is becoming more of a labor union and less of an old-fashioned advocacy organization, with new, more activist leadership, influenced by increased organizing in the higher education labor movement, and moving to counter more authoritarian management by higher education bosses. 

Event held on September 12, 2024 SFNDHE organized another virtual forum as part of its series to both raise awareness and provide guidance on effective action to address the crisis in higher education. It was co-sponsored by HELU and UCW-GA. Jennifer Ruth facilitated the conversation with Timothy Kaufman-Osborn, who argued that the project of shared