Join our fellow higher ed unionists as we demand that Congress preserve funding for scientific research in the upcoming Federal budget. See all of the details below!
We have had major successes fightingback against the federal government’s attacks on science and higher education together with academic workers across the country. But our fight is not over. The Trump Administration has proposed devastating cuts to NIH funding, and we have a critical window in which to act before the 2026 federal budget gets approved.
In order to prevent any cuts to scientific research, we are continuing to leverage the nationwide movement we’ve built to pressure officials in both political parties. Our ability to win more depends on showing our elected officials that we are all united in the fight to save science. The more of us who participate, the stronger our message will be.
On September 5, at 12pm PT/3pm ET, higher ed workers across the country will call representatives in Congress to demand NO CUTS to science funding in the federal budget. Fill out this form to join the phonebank.
“Strong men and broad minds only can resist the plutocracy and arrogant monopoly. Do not be frightened at troops, injunctions, or a subsidized press. Quit and remain firm. Commit no violence. American Railway Union will protect all, whether member or not when strike is off.”-Eugene Debs
Labor Day was first celebrated as a national holiday in 1894, its designation by President Grover Cleveland an act of reconciliation with organized labor after 13 people died during the Pullman Strike earlier that same year. The first Labor Day parade was held a decade earlier, on Sept. 5, 1882 in New York City.
This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first labor union led by Black workers to join the American Federation of Labor.
Workers and organizers have been fighting and dying to organize since before the American Revolution. Our predecessors fought for better wages, better working conditions and fair treatment. It is a fight we continue to this day. We stand on the shoulders of giants.
Union power grew throughout the 20th century to a peak in the mid-1950s when more than 30% of the American workforce was unionized. There were 21 million union members in 1979 and today only 10.3% of U.S. workers (14.4 million) are union members — 6.1% in the private sector, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
At the same time, interest in unions is growing; a 2024 Gallup poll last year showed 70% of Americans approve of labor unions, the second-highest rate since 1965.
An Aug. 20 Economic Policy Institute went further; in 2024, working families in union-friendly states took home $12,000 more than workers in low-density union states. Workers in union-friendly states more often benefited from paid sick leave legislation, health insurance coverage and far fewer voter restriction laws than their colleagues in low-density union states.
The report’s bottom line: “Rebuilding worker power by strengthening unions is not just good policy—it is a democratic imperative in the face of authoritarian backsliding.”
At UUP, we learn from the lessons of the past. We see how labor unions achieved their goals because of solidarity and became stronger as they became more diverse. We see how wage inequality correlates with falling union membership.
This Labor Day, we know we have work to do and we are inspired all that is possible if we work together.
This Fall semester will see the introduction of ever more AI applications and tools in our workplaces.
UUP Statewide is holding “AI Update with UUP” sessions on Tuesday, Sept 9 at 4pm and Monday, Sept 15 at 10am. They’ll discuss how these applications could impact our work and how our rights as UUP members apply to the introduction of AI platforms and programs. They’ll also address recently-enacted state law and legislative efforts AI, as well as developments in collective bargaining over AI.
UUP’s popular monthly Pre-Retirement Workshops are scheduled for August 19th and August 21st, 2025. The part 1 workshop will take place on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 12:00pm which will cover Healthcare/Medicare.
The part 2 workshop will take place on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 12:00pm which will cover union benefits (dental & vision)
You may take these workshops as many times as you like as the information is rather complex especially with Medicare and feel free to have your spouse/partner attend with you. Also, you can take these two workshops in any order as they don’t depend on each other. For this and other UUP programing information go to the UUP Events Calendar:https://uupinfo.org/calendar/
You will need to register for the workshops and a Zoom link is sent the day before the workshop to the email address that you register under.
We do notrecord these workshops because of privacy concerns and because the information does change, and we want to make sure you have the most current information.
Over 12 million people in the United States are struggling to make their monthly student loan payments, and millions more see economic and personal opportunities pass as they prioritize paying down their debt. Does this sound like you or someone you know?
Many of these people may qualify for free federal programs that can help reduce their monthly payments and eventually lead to student loan forgiveness, but these lifeline programs are significantly under-enrolled. In an effort to help our members get access to these programs, United University Professions and the American Federation of Teachers are proud to host a Student Debt Clinic which will provide information on how to enroll in Income-Driven Repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
We will be offering virtual Members Only Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Clinics on the following dates:
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 from 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM via Zoom
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM via Zoom
To attend one of the virtual Members Only Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Clinics, you must pre-register here: http://go.aft.org/StudentDebtClinicRSVP
From the “student debt clinic” drop down menu, please select the UUP clinic that you are interested in attending – they are labeled “UUP [Virtual Student Debt Clinic] [date] [time].” In the affiliate field, type in the full name of our local (United University Professions), and it will autofill after a few keystrokes.
Registration is first-come, first-serve, and we must cap attendance for a single clinic at 125 participants to ensure that we are able to provide maximum assistance to attendees. Registration will close 48 hours prior to the virtual clinic. Webinar login information will be provided prior to the clinic to all who register. [If you can’t make one of these virtual clinics, don’t worry – we’re planning on offering them every payday. If you want to help host a chapter-specific virtual clinic, please let us know!]
Managing your student loan debt is the first step in taking on the inequities which plague our system of higher education, and we look forward to seeing you at the virtual Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Clinic and working together to find a collective solution to the problems of student debt and college affordability!
We have added an additional “UUP 101” webinar for those who have been unable to attend previous workshops. This workshop will cover UUP’s structure, who we are, who we represent, what we do, and our role in the larger labor movement.
Webinars will now be held on:
Wednesday, September 17 from 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
To join the discussion, please register using the link below.
All UUP Oneonta Members are invited to attend a Chapter Meeting!
Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month throughout the school year from September-May.The location is Le Cafe in Morris Complex, unless otherwise noted.
We often have a speaker or theme for each Chapter Meeting. Full lunch is served. Please see the schedule below. Invites will be sent out about two weeks ahead of each event.
We encourage you to come out to a Chapter Meeting and see what is going on with UUP Oneonta, and share good times with your colleagues!
UUP Oneonta Chapter Meeting Dates:
September 10 October 8 November 12 – Location TBD Most likely: Butternut Room – Hunt Union December 10 February 11 March 11 April 8 May 13
UUP’s contract doesn’t expire for another 11 months, but the union’s Negotiations Team has already been hard at work, preparing for possibility opening talks on a new agreement with the state in the next few months.
Usually, negotiations for a new contract begin closer to the end of the current pact, but things could move swiftly this year. With a gubernatorial election in November 2026, there’s every possibility that UUP could be at the table well in advance of its negotiations timetable for the last several contracts, including the 2022-2026 agreement—ratified by members some 13 months after the previous contract (2018-2022) ran out.
“We think we have a chance to get to the table in the fall, which would be notably in advance of what we’ve done in the past,” said UUP Chief Negotiator Bret Benjamin. “If that opportunity turns out to be available, we want to be ready to walk through that door.”
To facilitate that, the Team has already scheduled its “Virtual Listening Tour,” a series of listening sessions to give members an opportunity to share what they’d like to see in a new UUP contract.
And here’s a change: Instead of holding forums for each chapter individually, the Team will hold some sessions with chapters grouped together geographically. For example, Canton, Plattsburgh and Potsdam chapter members will attend the same forum Aug. 28. A session for members at Farmingdale, Maritime and Old Westbury is set for Sept. 15.
“We’ve combined some campuses because we’re trying to expedite our preparations to get to the table early,” Benjamin said. “With our listening sessions, we want to hear whatever people see as pressing concerns in their work lives. We’re eager to hear what people are saying and we will do our best to address their concerns as a union.”
The Team has also scheduled three statewide virtual listening sessions for members who missed their chapter forum or just want to attend to find out more about the negotiations process. Those meetings are scheduled at noon on Sept. 16 and Sept. 22; and at 4 p.m. on Sept. 19.
Over 12 million people in the United States are struggling to make their monthly student loan payments, and millions more see economic and personal opportunities pass as they prioritize paying down their debt. Does this sound like you or someone you know?
Many of these people may qualify for free federal programs that can help reduce their monthly payments and eventually lead to student loan forgiveness, but these lifeline programs are significantly under-enrolled. In an effort to help our members get access to these programs, United University Professions and the American Federation of Teachers are proud to host a Student Debt Clinic which will provide information on how to enroll in Income-Driven Repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
We will be offering virtual Members Only Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Clinics on the following dates:
Wednesday, August 13, 2025 from 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM via Zoom
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM via Zoom
To attend one of the virtual Members Only Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Clinics, you must pre-register here: http://go.aft.org/StudentDebtClinicRSVP
From the “student debt clinic” drop down menu, please select the UUP clinic that you are interested in attending – they are labeled “UUP [Virtual Student Debt Clinic] [date] [time].” In the affiliate field, type in the full name of our local (United University Professions), and it will autofill after a few keystrokes.
Registration is first-come, first-serve, and we must cap attendance for a single clinic at 125 participants to ensure that we are able to provide maximum assistance to attendees. Registration will close 48 hours prior to the virtual clinic. Webinar login information will be provided prior to the clinic to all who register. [If you can’t make one of these virtual clinics, don’t worry – we’re planning on offering them every payday. If you want to help host a chapter-specific virtual clinic, please let us know!]
Managing your student loan debt is the first step in taking on the inequities which plague our system of higher education, and we look forward to seeing you at the virtual Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Clinic and working together to find a collective solution to the problems of student debt and college affordability!
