Believe in the power of higher ed workers, united. Join HELU.

Higher Education Labor United is a member-funded organization. We grow in scale with our membership. While we accept some donations and grants from individuals and organizations, our budget and existence depend on the involvement and commitment of our member organizations and at-large members.

Becoming a HELU Member Organization

• Democratic participation in a national organized higher education labor movement.
• Community with diverse labor organizers from across the country. Opportunities to share knowledge with and learn from other labor organizers.
• Solidarity with and support from other HELU member organizations. The collective power of HELU member organizations with you in your local fights.
• Collaborative environments in which to learn and grow your own union.
  • Representatives of member unions can participate in planning educational events and the creation of resources to distribute to other higher ed labor organizations.
  • Members of member organizations get access to HELU’s Slack workspace and internal listserv, which can serve as powerful organizing tools allowing members to collaborate with and learn from others doing similar organizing work.
• Amplifying and multiplying your union’s power, campaigns, and efforts through collaborative organizing, training, and messaging.
• Shifting from site-by-site grievances and fights into a national movement to demand changes throughout higher education.

• Appointing delegates (number determined by a union’s membership size) to the HELU general assembly. These delegates should be committed to regular attendance, participation, and voting on HELU matters.
• Amplifying HELU solidarity asks to union members through various communications channels.
• Contributing solidarity pledges. This is a financial contribution towards HELU’s work that scales to the budget of your organization.
• Sharing space and resources with HELU members to build a democratic and collective higher education labor movement across campuses, categories, and regions.

At-Large Membership

At-large members are not members of any HELU member organization. They are individuals who want to be involved in the higher education labor movement and are committed to HELU’s vision. At-large members cannot be elected as HELU officers and cannot vote in General Assembly or Steering Committee meetings.

• Have an active role in the higher education labor movement, even when not represented by a union or not employed. We welcome student, alumni, and retiree members, as well as anyone else who believes in and signs on to HELU’s vision platform.
• Meet colleagues from around the country and learn from their experiences.

• At-large members can be as active as they want to be in HELU work, actions, and committees, but are not eligible to serve as delegates, steering committee members, or officers.
• Contributing solidarity pledges. For at-large members, these are generally $50/year for those who work full-time and make above a living wage, but that amount scales to your means and ability to contribute.

Solidarity Pledges

HELU members contribute solidarity pledges to our ongoing work. Solidarity pledges fund a small HELU staff and overhead costs. These pledges allow HELU to do political, educational, and organizing work and scale up to fight on a national level. Having paid staff ensures sustainability, continuity, and the flexibility to further our vision. By sharing resources through a national coalition, everyone is strengthened. HELU is working to overcome the fragmentation that undermines higher ed labor’s leverage and keeps us isolated in campus or state fights.

Solidarity pledges are based on a relatively simple calculation: 0.5-1.5% of an organization’s budget after affiliation fees/per capita fees.

HELU is member-funded. The amount contributed in solidarity pledges by our member organizations determines what we have the resources and capacity to accomplish.

The range for solidarity pledges allows flexibility for different organizations’ financial situations. Organizations wishing to become HELU member organizations have the authority to set their solidarity pledge amount anywhere within that range.

Interested in becoming a HELU member organization? Calculate your organization’s solidarity pledge range here and contact us to help.

FAQ

What kinds of organizations can join HELU?

Unions and allied membership-based organizations are eligible for membership in HELU.

Our organization does not have financial resources to commit to solidarity pledges. Can we still become a HELU member organization?

The HELU steering committee works with organizations without financial resources to find alternative ways to pledge solidarity – like sharing staff hours, providing technology accounts, and more. Please contact info@higheredlaborunited.org to learn more.

Why should we share our resources with this national movement?

In order to be effective and to accomplish the goals set by HELU member organizations, we need everyone on board. That includes new organizing committees without resources and large unions with rich histories. While solidarity pledges are not transactional, there is much to gain for each of us, individually, if we share resources. Unions both large and small can amplify their power, find new allies, and learn from counterparts around the country.

Can I get involved if I’m not part of a HELU member organization?

Yes. Anyone is welcome to participate in HELU public events and actions. At-large members are encouraged to join in the work around HELU’s committees and projects.

What if my union’s budget is set for the next year?

We appreciate that some organizations have their budgets set for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. If you aren’t able to make a solidarity pledge within the range specified here, we are happy to work with you on pledge amounts, especially in our inaugural year. Please contact us to start that conversation.

We are not a union, we are a chapter/worker collective/faculty or staff group, can we join?

Yes. Any membership-based organization is welcome to join HELU.