UWGB-United Plays Key Role in AFT-W Higher Ed Council’s “Fund the Freeze” Campaign

From the modest beginnings of a small meeting in Stevens Point in September 2016, the AFT-Wisconsin Higher Education Council (HEC) developed a state-wide budget campaign called “Fund the Freeze.” Revolving around a pledge that called for fully funding tuition freeze over the next two biennia, the HEC got the support of SGA’s, Faculty Senates, and Academic Staff Senates across the state, in addition to two state senators and seven assembly representatives (including Green Bay’s own Senator Dave Hansen and Assembly Representative Eric Genrich).

AFT-W locals across the UW system held on campus events during “Fund the Freeze” week late March, and our panel discussion and march were among the most well attended in Wisconsin. (Thanks to both Dave Hansen and Eric Genrich for speaking at both!)

With generous financial support from AFT-Wisconsin and from UW-Milwaukee’s Local 3535, the HEC launched a facebook ad connected to the pledge. The post garnered 4,000 “likes” and the pledge and additional 1,500 signatures from faculty, staff, students, and the public across Wisconsin.

The HEC capped it all off with a media conference call in May. Union leaders Dan Strouthes (Eau Claire), Andy Felt (Stevens Point), and Jon Shelton (Green Bay) joined a call with three pledge signatories form the legislature: Jill Billings (La Crosse), Katrina Shankland (Stevens Point), and Genrich. You can read all about the conference call here.

Thanks to all of our members in Green Bay and the HEC for all of their hard work in changing the narrative around funding public higher education in Wisconsin!