Over the past year, Kristin Reed, a career educator at Virginia Commonwealth University, has witnessed the university’s board of visitors vote to increase tuition after it laid off a record number of faculty members and increased class sizes, in addition to eliminating racial literacy general education requirements.

After 25 years in higher education, she has also witnessed the university she works for attempt to stifle pro-Palestinian activism on campus, Reed said.

“This year was the first that I saw my university sic riot police and chemical agents against my students, and that didn’t just happen at my university,” Reed said.

Reed, along with members of the United Campus Workers of Virginia union met with legislators at the State Capitol on Friday, Jan. 17. They spoke in support of restoring collective bargaining rights for public sector workers, promoting democratic governance of universities, and advocating for policies to lower costs for campus employees.

Amy Laufer, a former teacher’s union member and state delegate for the 55th District, spoke at the rally. She introduced HB 1621, which would require boards of public universities to have faculty and staff representatives.

“We know that our faculty and our staff are the closest to our students. We know that staff represent over 60% of many of these colleges, and they deserve a place at the table where decisions are being made,” Laufer said.

The organization is in opposition to HB 2529, which would prohibit colleges from divesting from any country not sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department, and HB 2207, which would prohibit “terrorist activities” on campus. These bills intend to punish students, faculty and staff who are involved in pro-Palestinian protests, according to Mark Wood, associate professor of world studies at VCU and a member of UCWVA.

“State legislatures are passing bills aimed to shut down all Palestinian activism and outlaw efforts to implement boycotts, sanctions and divestments,” Wood said.

Educator demands included better health insurance, fair pay and the right to protest and teach American history without fear of retaliation, according to Harry Szabo, president of the UCWVA. Through collective bargaining, all of these can be achieved, they said.

“The people in power – our administrations, the governor, the president – benefit when they are able to separate us from what we want,” Szabo said. “When they tell us to want a lot less, we need to get comfortable wanting a lot more.”