Protecting Public Higher Education

UAW members are leading the fight to protect Higher Education, Research Funding, and Workers Rights right here at UW and in local, state, and federal arenas. UAW members have made significant progress through mass rallies, lobby visits, lawsuits, and town halls with congress people that have led to the reinstatement of tens of millions of dollars in funding for the University. Here’s how we’re taking action: 

    • Organized phonebanks of hundreds of members to pressure Congress to stop cuts to research funding (including NIH, NSF, DOE, NASA, USDA, NEH and more)
    • Organized “Kill the Cuts” national days of action against research and education cuts on February 19 and April 8 that included thousands of people rallying in dozens of cities 
    • Leading legal efforts to stop grant cancellations
    • Plaintiff on cases seeking to reverse cancellations of NIH and NSF and to reverse federal funding freeze at Harvard University 
    • Supporting additional litigation by filing amicus briefs and declarations, including cases opposing cuts in indirect costs, and funding cancellations to Columbia University
    • Building support in Congress against research funding cuts including: organizing bipartisan sign-on letters in Congress in support of maintaining NIH funding that included including over half of the Senate and a total of 22 Republicans; and organizing Congressional town halls on research funding 
    • Leading efforts on stop budget cuts to state-level education funding, including stopping an proposed 8% cut to state funding for the University of California and California State University

    It’s going to take all of us to continue fighting back, not just the already unionized employees, to protect and advance our jobs in higher education. Joining UAW means amplifying your voice to help set a pro-worker, pro-education agenda at our university, in our state, and in Washington, DC.

     

    On February 19th, 2025 thousands rallied across the United States in response to the federal administration’s attacks on our healthcare, research, and jobs. At UW over 500 University students, staff, faculty, administrators, and allies stood together, demanding funding for science, protections for research, and a future where knowledge serves the people–not corporate greed.