May Day, or International Workers' Day, commemorates the historical struggle and ongoing battle for workers’ rights. The victories won in the past are the foundation to ensuring fair treatment, safe conditions, and economic well-being for individuals around the world. May Day commemorates the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago and serves as a crucial reminder of the sacrifices and continuing need for action in protecting and expanding the rights of all workers. Today is a day of solidarity, advocacy, and a call to action for democracy, dignity, and fairness in the workplace.
Today, we are facing a generational fight against a federal government determined to undermine the power of collective bargaining and the availability of inclusive higher education. I know that we are all drained from the chaos and fear around us, but it is vital that we maintain hope and solidarity as we engage in a battle for our basic rights. We can find hope and energy in some current short-term wins, such as:
Restoration of international students’ visa status.
Courts temporarily stopping the Dept. of Education Dear Colleague Letter on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
The lawsuits filed by elite institutions to protect academic freedom and campus autonomy.
The IFO bringing your voice into national coalitions supporting the lawsuits and actions against attacks on faculty, students, and campuses.
Attorneys General from across the country fighting the arbitrary and capricious attacks on higher education and other fundamental rights.
Numerous victories won in Minnesota at the bargaining table and in the legislature to protect workers’ rights, access to higher education, academic freedom, and more.
However, there are still bigger fights ahead. We need members engaged over the summer as the federal budget reconciliation process proceeds. We expect that attacks on higher education, Medicaid, Social Security, research funding, Pell grants and more to increase as we get closer to the October 1 deadline for a national budget. Just yesterday, U.S. House Republicans announced plans to cut federal higher education funding by $330 billion. This plan ends or dramatically scales back programs students rely on to access higher education, such as:
Makes colleges partially responsible for unpaid student loans.
Eliminates all subsidized student loans.
Eliminates all graduate student loans.
Consolidates and eliminates most income-driven repayment plans.
Rollbacks for Pell Grant eligibility, and more.
You can make a difference today. Please click here to send a message to your U.S. House member letting them know that you’re opposed to cutting these crucial programs and benefits.
The labor movement has taught us over the last 150 years that the real power to make change resides in the hands of workers. We will continue this legacy, even in the face of what feels like overwhelming odds, because when we fight, we win!