University Workers Advocate for Fair Funding at State Capitol

AFSCME Local 2361 member Shawn Makar joined his fellow university employees and union representatives at the State Capitol on October 21 to call for increased funding for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), as campuses face mounting financial pressures and potential job cuts.

Makar, who works at the Bloomsburg campus of Commonwealth University, spoke about the real-life consequences of asking workers to do more with less while costs continue to rise for everyone.

“We are being told we need to do more with less because costs for the system have gone up. Our costs have gone up, too. Same as everyone else in this room,” Makar said. “So, when you are telling workers to do more with less, you are telling them to keep driving that clunker, skip that vacation, figure out what medications you don’t actually need to stay alive.”

Other speakers at the press conference highlighted the broader consequences of university budget shortfalls. Faculty union members warned that job cuts threaten not only workers’ livelihoods but also academic programs, student mentorship, and universities’ ability to recruit and retain students.

AFSCME members and our allies are calling for increased state investment in public higher education, including a proposed 15% funding increase, while urging university leadership to work collaboratively with employees to address financial challenges without sacrificing jobs or educational opportunities.

For Makar, this fight is about more than employment. It is about the people who keep public universities running and the families and students who depend on them.

“Everyone in this room, everyone we are here speaking on behalf of, will never quit fighting for a fair and equitable budget. Because we never quit fighting for our families and those we serve,” he said. “This isn’t just a job. It’s a calling. Nobody does this work to get rich. But it doesn’t mean we are here to be taken advantage of.”

AFSCME Council 13 members will continue advocating for a fair budget, transparency, and solutions that protect university workers and sustain affordable, accessible public higher education for students.