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.
On Monday morning of convention, UE delegates heard from Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who praised UE for its history of standing up for the working class, and for “bringing people together from so many different walks of life, blue-collar workers, graduate students, understanding that we are all in this together.”
National Nurses United (NNU) Executive Director Puneet Maharaj addressed the convention on Tuesday morning, following the reading of the resolution “Medicare for All.” She commended UE for the union’s decades-long commitment to establishing a universal, Medicare for All-style single-payer healthcare system, saying, “We know we have to fight against the attacks that are before us, but we also have to create the future that we all deserve as the working class.”
UE’s Higher Education Conference Board released a statement today calling on universities to reject the so-called “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” being promoted by the Trump administration, which asks universities to exchange autonomy for preferential funding. On Monday at 7pm ET / 4pm PT, the conference board will be hosting a “Workers Over Deals” webinar to discuss how higher ed workers can push back through collective organizing.
On the final day of the 79th UE Convention, delegates debated and passed resolutions on jobs, peace, healthcare, civil liberties, public education, climate, and the economy. Taken together, these resolutions outline a comprehensive vision of a future in which all working people have good jobs and safe workplaces; housing, education, healthcare, and a secure retirement; the freedom to speak their mind without fear of retaliation; and a peaceful and livable planet to leave to their children.
Elections for UE’s three top officer positions were held this afternoon at the 79th UE Convention. Scott Slawson, the president of UE Local 506 in Erie, PA, was elected General President of the National Union. Secretary-Treasurer Andrew Dinkelaker was re-elected as Secretary-Treasurer, and UE Staff Coordinator Kim Lawson was elected as Director of Organization. Lawson will be the first woman to serve as Director of Organization, and the second woman to serve UE as a national officer.
Today, delegates to the 79th UE Convention 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.
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