Much has been reported on the Trump Administration’s attack on Diversity, Equity and Inclusions (DEI) Initiatives, including its purging of 300,000 Black Women from the Federal Workforce by demolishing DEI Affirmative Action.

For example, WNYLaborToday.com recently published a report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) in Washington, D.C. that detailed how Trump is weaponizing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EOCC) against the Workers it was built to protect, most notably: Accusing employers of reverse racism against White Workers and targeting People of Color employed in a variety of Federal positions within the U.S. Government (Read: From The Economic Policy Institute: How Trump ‘Is Weaponizing The EEOC Against The Workers It Was Built To Protect’ - ‘A More Diverse Workforce Isn’t DEI-Motivated Discrimination, It’s Just Demographic Change’ - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York)

It is an unsettling - and frankly, shameful, move by the Trump Administration as it is diversity that makes our country great.

But in stark contrast, United University Professions (UUP) - the Nation’s largest Higher Education Union that represents 42,000 Academic and Professional Faculty and Retirees across New York State, is continuing to grow its ranks by including and reaching out to not only increase the number of People of Color and Women in its Rank-and-File Membership, but within its group of Officers and on its Executive Board.

Of its five-Member group of Statewide Officers, UUP currently counts three Women and one African-American Member - and on its 15-Member Executive Board, 10 Women and two African-Americans. And among those Officers and Executive Board Members there are Latin, Native American and LGBTQ+ Members.

“We’re ‘Union’ and ‘we have to be the best’ employer,” UUP President Fred Kowal told WNYLaborToday.com during a recent telephone interview from the Union’s Statewide Headquarters in Albany. “We’ve had a DEI Committee ‘for more than fifteen years now and this is all happening in the spirit of solidarity - no matter what race or gender one is.’ ‘And it makes sense’ because SUNY (the State University of New York with 29 State-operated campuses, including SUNY’s Public Teaching Hospitals and Science Centers in Brooklyn, Long Island and Syracuse) ‘is more diverse.’ ‘It’s important what we do.’”

UUP also maintains a Black Faculty and Staff Committee, a Women’s Action Committee, a LGBTQ+ Club (which works to protect the rights of UUP Members employed at institutions located in “‘deep’ Trump Country,” which can be “scary,” Kowal says) and a Human Rights Committee “that all coordinate together.”

UUP also maintains an Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) that helps those within the Union who are interested in running for UUP Chapter Office positions.

UUP’s “‘grassroots culture of exceeding’ diversity” in its ranks “caught fire” in 2013 when Kowal became President and since that time, the Union has “worked as hard as we can to develop a pipeline” to ensure its Leadership continues to become as diversified as it can be.

“It’s ‘been a bit of a struggle, but we have a Union Movement that’s committed to this,’ including the State AFL-CIO and its President, Mario Cilento, and its Secretary-Treasurer Terry Melvin. They’re ‘phenomenal.’ NYSUT (The New York State United Teachers Union, which UUP is affiliated with) ‘has the same outlook,’” noted Kowal to other Unions that are creating opportunities and pipelines that help develop “new Union Activists of Color.”

“We’ve ‘got to turn it up now because of what Trump has done,’” the UUP President continued. “Unions are ‘melting pots’ (made up of all kinds of different races and cultures) and ‘it will make our Unions stronger and our country better.’ ‘I want to see continued’ diversity (in Labor’s ranks).”

However, Kowal (Pictured Below) “misses those who have moved on” from UUP/SUNY - most notably because of the rate of pay, who he believed had a bright future in his Union - but suggests New York State should take advantage of those who’ve lost their jobs due to Republican DEI purges in the States of Florida and Texas, for example.

“Let’s ‘look at those who worked in Higher Ed and take advantage of those States’ brain drain that will help continue to build our’ diversity,” he suggests. “We’ve ‘got to reach out to people who have it tough (working in Non-Union States) to get them to understand the value of Unions and if we do now - in two to three years, we will be headed in a direction of not only more diversity, but with youth.’”

When it comes to getting Workers, from People of Color to young Workers, “seeing the value” of what Labor Unions bring to the table for them, you have to take them back to the days of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus and Fredericks’ rulings, which allowed Public Employees to be represented by the Unions in their workplaces-  but were excused from paying Union dues.

As a result, an array of Public Employee Unions were forced to come up with a new game plan to revisit each and every Member in order to educate them as to why their Union was not only important, but was always there for them when they needed them - which, in the long run, make perfect sense as to why Union Members pay Union dues.

“We also ‘took the lessons’ of Wisconsin and Michigan (where Public Employees were under similar attack by Republicans in their State Legislatures) ‘and began a very diverse organizing effort.’ ‘Our work has paid off, but there’s still a lot of work to do,’” Kowal said.

“Look, I’m a ‘White’ guy - with heritage from Greece and Africa, ‘but the point is we are fighting for all of us by making Unions more popular.’ ‘We are a welcoming place for everyone and we do good stuff,’” he concluded.

DEI Graphic Courtesy Of The Daily Citizen By Focus On The Family’s Web Site.