UE’s 79th convention opened in Chicago on Sunday, August 24 with the theme “One Voice, One Fight, One Future.” The fifth UE convention to be held in the Windy City, this convention was also the largest in recent memory, with over 150 delegates and alternates, joined by more than 60 staff and guests.
Hundreds of UE members took to the streets during the second day of the 79th UE Convention, shining a light on the role of a local Chicago billionaire, Valor Equity CEO Antonio Gracias, in engineering a massive transfer of resources into the pockets of corporations and the wealthy. Gracias, a friend of Elon Musk, served in Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), specifically targeting Social Security for cuts.
UE Director of Organization Mark Meinster began his Organizing Report on Monday afternoon by talking “about why we organize. Why does this small union with limited resources put so much of those resources into organizing?”
The 79th UE Convention unanimously adopted five resolutions dealing with racism, women’s rights, immigrant rights, discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and disability rights. Over 50 delegates, alternates, and guests— roughly a quarter of those in attendance — rose to speak on these resolutions, addressing both the harms caused by various forms of bigotry and the importance of talking openly about them in order to promote healing and forge working-class unity. Several speakers shared deeply personal stories, and many received standing ovations.
On Tuesday afternoon of convention, delegates heard remarks from several international guests, representatives of close UE allies in Mexico, Japan, Quebec, Canada, and Italy.
Eladio Abundiz Guadian, National Coordinator of the Frente Auténtico del Trabajo, an independent union federation in Mexico, said, “It is an honor for me to be at the convention of an independent, progressive union with a democratic structure, where major decisions are made from the bottom up,and which represents more than 40,000 members.”
On Tuesday afternoon, delegates unanimously endorsed a resolution, “End the Genocide in Palestine,” which demands that the U.S. government immediately cease all military aid to Israel, and instead pressure Israel to end its genocide against the Palestinian people. The resolution also reaffirms UE’s support for the worldwide Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which UE first endorsed in 2015.
One of the striking features of UE’s 79th National Convention, with the theme “One Voice, One Fight, One Future,” was the large number of delegates attending for the first time. Their reflections capture the energy and perspective of a new generation of UE leaders, a reflection of UE’s rapid growth over the past few years and the vitality of newer generations, many graduate workers, who are stepping into leadership.
“This resolution represents a vital fight before working-class Americans. [ … ] When my fellow academics ask me why I'm involved in my union and why I have no shame in being loud about my involvement, I say it is to make graduate education more accessible to everyone.”
—Grayson Arnold, Local 1105
“We work in order to live just like every one of us here, and we understand that education should be a human right.”
Elections for UE’s three top officer positions were held on Wednesday afternoon, August 27. Scott Slawson, the president of UE Local 506 in Erie, PA, was elected General President. Secretary-Treasurer Andrew Dinkelaker was re-elected as Secretary-Treasurer, and UE Staff Coordinator Kim Lawson was elected as Director of Organization.
On Wednesday afternoon of convention, delegates passed resolutions honoring General President Carl Rosen and Director of Organization Mark Meinster, with many rising to express their appreciation for these two UE leaders. Rosen is retiring at the end of his term in October, and Meinster chose not to run for re-election.