Dear Colleagues,
Please see the following from Statewide President, Mr. Fred Kowal:
Colleagues,
With only 35 days until Election Day, it is more important than ever to mobilize our members and our coalition partners to elect strong candidates that fight for public higher education and healthcare and to prepare for the challenging times ahead.
UUP has been working with members, leaders, and chapters for months on preparing for November 3rd, and so many of you are already active in local, state, and federal campaigns. This work is essential to building the future we want for our students, our families, and our university system. All these efforts are linked to our history of struggle for social justice — the fight that is more relevant now than ever.
To build upon this important work, please join us for roundtable discussions with community activists and coalition partners centered around social justice issues on October 16 from 1-4 p.m. and political action on October 17 from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. Seating is limited, and registration will close October 13. Day one will be focused on political coalition building and day two will be focused on the 2020 election and include time for virtual phone banking to key battleground states. You can register for the two-day virtual event here. Login information will be sent to registrants the week of the event. Employee Organizational Leave (EOL) is available for both days.
This invitation has been shared with all UUP Statewide Committee members because this work is so important and wide participation is necessary to win these fights. The coalition building and engagement that many of you are already taking part in is the key to a broader reach and bigger impact. If you have a coalition partner that you are already engaged with and you believe others would benefit from hearing about your joint work, we would like you to submit your and their name for the issue-based coalition partner panel, which will take place on October 16. You can submit your names here no later than October 7. All panel decisions will be made by October 8.
Being actively involved in this election is key, not only because COVID-19 has changed the way we engage with our members and voters, but also because the stakes are higher than ever. Michelle Obama urges us to “vote like our lives depend on it.” I hope you will join us on October 16 and 17 as we continue the fight not only for our lives but for our students, our patients, our families, and our communities.
In solidarity,
Fred