‘The people organized will never be defeated’: United Campus Workers lead the way

Brianna Cobbs, Contributing Writer

The United Campus Workers of Virginia, a union representing higher education workers statewide, convened at the State Capitol for their fourth annual Lobby Day on Jan. 17. The event united faculty, staff and students from institutions across the Commonwealth, including Virginia Commonwealth University, to demand collective bargaining rights, affordable education and systemic reforms in public higher education.

The rally featured speeches from union leaders, advocates and students, each emphasizing the need for systemic change in higher education.

Kristen Reed, an assistant professor at VCU and a founding member of its UCW chapter, shared the struggles faced by faculty and students over the past year.

“VCU has fired a record number of faculty members, increased class sizes, raised tuition and even canceled Federal Work-Study programs,” Reed said. “We are facing unprecedented challenges in public education, free speech and accessibility. But we are also standing up and fighting back.”

Reed also addressed the disruption of civil liberties on campuses, pointing to the use of riot police against peaceful student protests. She shared an incident at her alma mater, Indiana University, where pro-Palestinian protesters were met with riot shields, zip-tied handcuffs and detainment by state police in Dunn Meadow on April 25, 2024. The protesters, who had set up a Gaza solidarity encampment, were ordered to take down their tents before the police crackdown ensued.

“These events are a reminder of what we’re up against, but they also remind us why this fight is so necessary,” Reed said. “When we stand together, we prove that collective power can challenge injustice.”

Her call to action echoed through the park as attendees nodded, many holding signs reading “Invest in Education, Not Oppression” and “Collective Bargaining Now.”

Harry Szabo, the president of UCW-VA and an assistant professor at VCU, energized the crowd with a rallying cry.

“They want us to think this is the best we can do. But with collective bargaining, we can have so much more,” Szabo said.

The event also featured Gabriel Costello, a graduate worker and instructor from the University of Virginia, who discussed the ongoing “Cut the Checks” campaign to address systemic late payments to university employees.

“There is no reason that a university with a $13 billion endowment cannot meet this basic obligation to its employees,” Costello said. “This is about respect — respect for the workers who make these institutions function and respect for the students who depend on them.”

Mark Wood, a tenured faculty member at VCU, said they tied the fight for labor rights to broader struggles for justice, including solidarity with Palestinians and opposition to militarism in higher education.

“Our universities should invest in life, not death,” Wood said.

Wood also praised the students leading the charge for justice.

“They have shown us the way — with courage, intelligence and an unwavering belief in a better future,” Wood said.

The crowd of supporters — students, faculty, staff and members of the broader community — made it clear that the fight for public education reform is growing. Attendees stressed the importance of showing up and organizing, not just for higher wages and better working conditions, but for a vision of higher education that is accessible, inclusive and focused on the public good.

“This is just the beginning,” Reed said. “We’re here not just to demand change but to make it happen. Together, we’re building a movement that can’t be ignored.”