Takeaway: Watch the video of a press conference organized by 11 national labor unions that outlined a united vision for the future of higher education—and how to fight for it.
Dear colleague,
Our unions were represented at a press conference yesterday where leaders of 11 national unions talked about the crisis that higher education faces today—and how labor can unite behind an agenda that ensures our future through winning renewed federal investment in public colleges and universities.
You can watch the video of the press conference by clicking here.
Our own Todd Wolfson, president of Rutgers AAUP-AFT and recently elected president of the national American Association of University Professors, said:
Higher education is under attack. As a sector, we have suffered through 50 years of defunding from the federal and state governments, which has led to skyrocketing tuition and trillions in student debt and institutional debt, a lack of job security for workers on our campuses, and mission drift where administrators and presidents that lead our institutions have forgotten the core purpose: teaching the next generation, creating critical, cutting-edge research, and serving our communities.
Todd and other union leaders, including AFT national president Randi Weingarten, called on Kamala Harris to embrace their goals for higher education, including debt-free college, strong support for collective bargaining at public universities, and more federal funding of higher education. Among the other unions in the coalition are the National Education Association, United Auto Workers, and Service Employees International Union.
Higher Ed Labor United (HELU), the national organization our unions helped launch three years ago, helped organize the event. As Mia McIver, HELU’s chair and a lecturer at UCLA, said: “College in this country should be something that everyone has access to and everyone benefits from, and that’s why we’re fighting back against the big money interests and corporate takeovers that are hollowing out our colleges and universities.”
In solidarity,
Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union, and AAUP-BHSNJ
Rutgers AAUP-AFT Facebook page: https://facebook.com/RUaaup/
Follow us on Twitter @ruaaup and Instagram @rutgersaaup
Freedom School YouTubeChannel: https://rutgersaaup.org/YouTube
Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rutgersptlfc
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @ruaaup_ptl
Visit our website: https://rutgers-ptlfc.org/
AAUP-BHSNJ website: https://aaupbhsnj.org/
AAUP-BHSNJ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RUaaupbhsnj