HELU Blog

From Helena Worthen, Chair, HELU Media & Communications Committee In the recent Contingency Task Force discussion on job security for contingent faculty, the Garcetti case was mentioned. Here is a non-lawyer’s shakedown of what Garcetti means when we’re talking about job security, whether one is contingent or not. Basically, Garcetti created a false logic to […]

From Daniel Bayer GREENSBORO – North Carolina presently has the second-lowest union membership in the United States, after South Carolina. But North Carolina has a long history of union organizing. To understand the increasing activity among AAUP higher education advocacy chapters, it is important to learn something about the labor history of North Carolina on

by Josh Dohmen, UCW Mississippi Josh Dohmen wrote the following to respond to common misconceptions about tenure. 

From Joe Ramsey, HELU Steering Committee and Chair of the Contingency Task Force The passing of Bill Lipkin is very sad news indeed. Bill Lipkin was a serious, passionate fighter for adjunct faculty rights across New Jersey and within HELU. From the very beginning, Bill was a key member of HELU’s organizing efforts (even before

From Evan Bowman, co-chair of the HELU Media & Communications Committee and IT Chair of AFSCME Local 328.  In a university-wide email sent late in the afternoon on Thursday, June 6th, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) President Danny Jacobs and his executive team provided “An update on our ongoing Strategic Alignment work, including necessary

Note: With interest in Higher Education Labor United (HELU) growing among higher education workers, The National Council of Faculty Senates requested that a representative from HELU address their Annual Meeting. I spoke at their hybrid meeting originating from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and began by introducing myself and HELU. What follows is a

From Helena Worthen: Why is CWA campaigning to create a federal public sector collective bargaining law? Their campaign message explains: There is currently no federal law that guarantees public sector workers the freedom to organize or engage in collective bargaining. That’s why we are demanding Congress pass the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act to

From Helena Worthen Organizers from North Dakota United (NDU) recently met with HELU organizers to discuss ND higher education workers’ situation and make connections with activists in other states. NDU is an 11,000 member state-level education and public employee union. In 2023, with the help of NDU advocacy, a bill in the North Dakota legislature,

From Justine Hecht and Joe Ramsey Contingency Contract Language and Strategy Exchange On June 11, 2024 Higher Education Labor United’s Contingency Task Force (CTF) joined with HELU member organization, the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), alongside MTA’s Higher Education for All campaign, to co-host a “Contingency Contract Language Exchange and Strategy Session.” Over 60 adjunct and contingent

From Ian Gavigan, HELU Recent developments in the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) show how HELU’s principles are reshaping the higher education labor movement.  In a landslide victory, the United Faculty of the Common Good (UFCG) slate won four of the five open seats on AAUP’s National Council in the election held at the