HELU's Wall-to-Wall & Coast-to-Coast Report: December 2025

 

Upcoming Online Events:

January 21 – HELU Open House February 4 – Library Workers Organizing Meeting & Strategy Session

From the Blog:

End-of-Year HELU Project Reports

Each of these projects grew organically out of a felt need as we set out on our wall-to-wall and coast-to-coast organizing project. Steering committee members, delegates, and at-large members then stepped up to make them happen.

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ICE Seizes UUP and CSEA Members at Hearing

While attending a scheduled immigration hearing on October 29, 2025, Upstate Medical Center UUP member Alex Ramírez González and CSEA member Yan Vázquez, a married couple who fled repression in Cuba, were seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

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“None of us can win it alone”: Northeast Regional Bargaining Summit January 9-10, 2026

To win the higher education system we want will require national, coordinated, multi-union organizing campaigns that build collective power across the sector. As one important step towards this broader goal, HELU is organizing a Northeast Regional Bargaining Summit in Amherst, MA on Jan 9-10, 2026.

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The Long Push for Collective Bargaining in Virginia: A Week in the Life

United Campus Workers of Virginia, CWA 2265, is dedicating January 2026 to getting a strong public sector collective bargaining bill for Virginia. As preparation for passing the bill, we are doing a Higher Ed Week of Action here in Virginia.

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United Campus Workers Arizona smacks Trump “compact” off the table – for now

In October 2025, the Trump Administration took its next swing at higher education — offering nine universities a Compact for Higher Education. Here in Arizona, the University of Arizona (UA) was one of the nine original targets of the administration, and United Campus Workers of Arizona (UCWAZ) was ready to respond.

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HELU Retreat: Big dark cold city, small bright warm group

On December 5 & 6, the city of Detroit and Wayne State University hosted the incoming and outgoing HELU steering committee, other electeds, and staff for a strategic planning retreat and lesson handover.

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Higher Ed Labor in the News:

Illinois State U student support workers file to unionize – WGLT UMaine graduate workers vote to ratify first union contract – Maine Morning Star On-campus unions push back against further pay increases for CSU presidents and execs – CSU LA University Times Penn State faculty file to hold union election. ‘We haven’t had a voice’ – Centre Daily Times Deep cuts at The New School threaten hundreds of positions – The Chief

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Image: Becky Givan, HELU Steering Committee member, wearing a first edition HELU sweatshirt