Budget Cuts Don’t Heal: Defend Higher Education Day of Action

By , on October 8th, 2010

Wichita State UniversityThe Pell Grant will be underfunded by $5.5 billion next year.  Tuition is going up 8% every year for a national average.  Student debt is now the largest form of debt in the United States, surpassing credit card debt.  65,000 students are denied the right to an education every year based on their documentation status.

These somber facts and figures led to students walking out of classes and holding more than 75 rallies in 25 states yesterday, as higher education faces the largest crisis it has ever come up against.  Students declared a National Day of Action to Defend Higher Education, organized in part by the Student Labor Action Project.

At Wichita State University, students created a guillotine with debt as the blade coming down on their heads. “Debt is cutting us off from the jobs we used to dream of having, like being a teacher,” said Aaron Rivers, a student at Wichita State. “It forces us into the corporate sector to find a higher paying job to pay off loans… and we don’t even know if these jobs exist.”

At the

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October 8th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , | Category: Campaigns, Everything Else, Public Money | Comments are closed

Major Victory to Kick-Off the National Student Labor Week of Action

By , on March 25th, 2010

Tonight we are on the verge of one of the biggest victories in the recent student movement: the passage of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA).

US Student Association lobbies for SAFRAThis victory has come with hard work from students nationwide who have marched, rallied and lobbied in support of this legislation.   Last Tuesday as part of the U.S. Student Association’s Legislative Conference, hundreds of students swarmed Capitol Hill demanding the passage of this legislation and reminding their Senators that they should prioritize students and workers over banks.  This effort by USSA has proven to be successful as we see the biggest reform in the student loan industry in the past years.

This march and victory is a great opening for the National Student Labor Week of Action. This week happening from March 28th and April 4th brings together students and workers in actions across the country demanding a prioritization in education and worker’s rights.

Check out the grid of actions to find an action near you!

Sign

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March 25th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Alliances | Comments are closed

Students and Workers Organizing for Justice

By , on March 10th, 2010

From Florida to California, March 4th marked an exceptional moment for the student and worker movement in recent U.S. history. People took to the streets to demonstrate their frustration with the government’s failure to pass legislation that would benefit young people such as Student Aid Reform and the DREAM Act.  The mainstream media seemed taken by surprise of all these coordinated actions across the country – How could students and workers come together on one specific day? Was this an organized effort? Were people demanding change from the government and legislators?

I got the opportunity to march along with students, staff, and faculty at U-Mass Amherst.  Being there reminded me about the power of organizing and strategic escalation. Students at this school provided a deadline for their administrators to accept their demands around fees, budget cuts, treating staff & faculty fairly, and improving the school’s climate.  We will be watching their administrations’ response and actions to come.  Check out video from the great actions at the University of Central Florida and the University of California system.  You can also go to Continue reading Students and Workers Organizing for Justice

March 10th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Category: Alliances, Campaigns, Economy, Leaders | Comments are closed