The last two years have felt like the longest presidential campaign cycle in our history. It was nearly impossible to turn on the TV or open a newspaper without seeing endless coverage of the candidates. There was an incredible amount of anticipation for November 8, 2016, and the results late that evening have left many of us contemplating what will happen next.
We mustn’t forget that there were numerous successes across the country and at the local level. Yet, given the nature of the presidential campaign and the global attention to every move, dinner, speech, and tweet by the candidates, many of those local and state accomplishments have been overshadowed by the transition coverage of recently inaugurated President Trump.
Regardless of whom you supported in the election, our collective mission and goal remain the same: we will fight for our members and the students on campus to have the best environment to flourish. We will do everything in our power so our members are treated as professionals and respected for their contributions to the University.
Now, more than ever, members need the union. While the years ahead remain uncertain, our guiding principles have not waivered. Unions have been and always will be about our collective leverage. It is about the power of numbers versus the power of capital. Our union and the members and students we represent are much bigger than any individual or elected office.