A group of powerful labor unions on Monday called on the Harris-Waltz coalition to adopt a set of liberal education policies.
A coalition of unions representing higher education faculty Announced At a press conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday, leaders of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the National Education Association (NEA) and others announced their support for candidate Harris-Waltz and their plan to “reclaim higher education” from “right-wing fanatics.” They expressed several expectations for Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, including student loan forgiveness and allowing teachers to discuss “gender and identity” and race in the classroom.
“We call on your candidates and the entire Democratic Party to unite with us on the issues that matter,” the group said. Written The “Unity Statement” issued during the press conference included demands such as increased federal funding, “a complete end to student loan forgiveness,” and “enacting comprehensive immigration reform that removes barriers for undocumented immigrants, international students, and workers.”
NEA President Becky Pringle argued during the meeting that Republicans “want to set us back decades.”
“We're not only fighting to protect and advance the rights of education professors, unions, and students, we're defending the rights of our democracy,” she continued. “That's why we not only endorse, but we're working with, President-elect and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. But we need to have people who are for public education, who are for higher education, on all of our candidates.”
Pringle also called on Harris to allow teachers “academic freedom to teach and explore issues of race, class, gender, identity, religion and ideology without interference from politicians or the courts.” Meanwhile, Weingarten appeared to defend the thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters who have occupied college campuses across the country, saying “peaceful, nonviolent protest is a common good and must be in the interest of the university, regardless of who you are with.”
A small group of pro-Israel demonstrators gather in front of Columbia University for a “Debate Campus Hate” protest as the new semester begins in New York City on August 27, 2024. (Photo by Spencer Pratt/Getty Images)
Several speakers at the news conference lamented Republicans' stance against teachers unions and their push back against indoctrination in schools.
“[W]”We've seen right-wing demagogues attack our universities recently, people like soon-to-be failed vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, who has called professors the enemy and said he has a vision for himself and others to take over all of our universities so they can police what we teach, what we research, what students learn and what they can say,” said Todd Wolfson, a Rutgers University professor and president of the American Association of University Professors. “That's not going to happen.”
Another problem facing unions was “right-wing fanatics” and “racist reactionary politics” that were weakening union power, Margaret Cook of the Communications Workers of America said during the conference. Privatisation of the education sector was also widely opposed.
Speakers also called for “higher wages”, with Mia McIver, president of the Higher Education Workers Union (HELU), complaining that teachers earn “just $188,000” a year.
Harris' campaign promise The document states that he will “fight to make higher education more affordable,” but no other details of his education plan were included.
The Harris-Waltz campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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