Paraprofessionals and school-related personnel are often overlooked because of their support roles. They are the last ones hired and often the first ones fired when budgets get tight. This certainly seems true right now as the Trump administration withholds nearly $7 billion in education funds, effective July 1, which has hamstrung summer school programs, hindered English language support, halted professional development this summer, and left before- and after-school programs in limbo for the coming school year.

It is clear that higher education is under attack. The Trump administration has frozen funding for science, from cancer research to reproductive care; has hamstrung student financial aid programs; has stripped colleges and universities of diversity, equity and inclusion programming; has strangled affirmative action designed to expand access to college; and is demanding that some institutions sign a “compact” that forces them to adopt Trump’s ideology in exchange for federal funding.

Scarlett Ahmed has started counting the number of people sleeping outside the Queens Career Center in New York City when she arrives at work in the morning.

“It was already bad,” she said. “But this? This will just add to it.”

COLUMBUS — Today, a supermajority of Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) workers submitted signed union cards to Ohio’s State Employment Relations Board (SERB), initiating the union election process. Additionally, dozens of organizing committee members and union card signers delivered a short message to CML management this morning asking them to commit to remaining neutral during the union campaign. 

Columbus, OH — Today, educators and support staff at the Arts & College Preparatory Academy (ACPA) charter school called on their School Director and Board of Education to voluntarily recognize their union after delivering a statement to their school’s administration. ACPA teachers, instructional aides, intervention specialists, social workers, counselors and other workers submitted signed union cards from 81% of eligible staff to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). ion professionals. 

To our patrons and our community:

We are proud to publicly announce that hundreds of workers at Columbus Metropolitan Library are coming together to build our union. We do different jobs, and we work in different locations and departments across CML, but we are united in our pride for our library system and our dedication to serving our community. 

COLUMBUS — Sherrod Brown is narrowly leading the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Ohio with a 3-point advantage over GOP incumbent Jon Husted, according to polling conducted by Hart Research on behalf of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. The survey of 800 likely voters found that Brown has double digit leads with independent voters, moderate voters, suburban voters, and women.

COLUMBUS — Dr. Amy Acton is statistically tied with presumptive GOP nominee Vivek Ramaswamy in the race for Governor of Ohio, while holding a double digit lead in net favorability, according to polling conducted by Hart Research on behalf of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. The survey of 800 likely voters also found, in stark contrast to the opinions of many political commentators, that voters are more likely to support Dr. Acton for Governor after being reminded of her experience protecting Ohio’s public health during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A memo detailing the poll’s findings can be read here. 

Librarians and library workers at Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) are coming together to form our union. We deserve a voice in the policies that affect us, and we will use that collective voice to make our library system stronger, more accessible, and more equitable.

Rather than respect the choice of a supermajority of workers, CML management has decided to oppose our union by sharing anti-union propaganda that is more typical of a for-profit company, not a public institution.