Julie Kushner Explained

Julie Kushner
State Senate:Connecticut State
District:24th
Term Start:9 January 2019
Predecessor:Michael A. McLachlan
Residence:Danbury, Connecticut
Education:University of Wisconsin
Party:Democratic Party
Otherparty:Working Families Party
Children:3

Julie Kushner (born c. 1952) is an American politician and retired trade unionist. She worked for United Auto Workers, and was elected to the Connecticut State Senate in 2018.

Early life and family

Julie Kushner's parents were Sheldon and Marcia Kushner.[1] The Kushners lived in Iowa during the 1950s, when Julie Kushner was born. She had a sister, Cathy, and brothers, Michael and Benjamin.[2] [1] Kushner was raised in a Jewish family in Hamburg, Iowa, where her father was a grocer. In the 1960s, her family returned to her father's hometown, Lincoln, Nebraska.[3] Following primary school in the Hamburg Community School District,[4] Kushner attended Lincoln's Irving Junior High School,[5] [6] and graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School.[7] She attended five colleges, graduating from the University of Wisconsin. Kushner moved to New York City with her first husband in 1977. Before the relationship ended, the couple had two children.[8] Kushner later remarried to Larry Morgan,[2] with whom she had another child.[8] [9] Kushner and her family moved to Danbury, Connecticut, in 1993.[9]

United Auto Workers

Kushner was a secretary for three years, after graduating from the University of Wisconsin.[8] She subsequently joined the United Auto Workers (UAW), a labor union. During her tenure as vice president of UAW's district 65,[10] Kushner advocated for clerical and technical workers at Columbia University.[11] The effort for the UAW to represent Columbia's clerical workers took five years,[12] including a contentious representation election held in May 1983.[13] Certification for UAW's district 65 to represent Columbia's clerical and technical employees was granted in February 1985.[14] [15] During a two-day strike in mid-November 1991 organized by Columbia's clerical workers, Kushner stated, "Our people are fed up with the refusal of Columbia to acknowledge that our members are underpaid and unfairly treated. So we're raising the stakes both for Columbia and its allies."[16] In 2000, as a subregional director for UAW, Kushner worked to form a union of postgraduate researchers at New York University.[8] [17] By 2002, efforts to establish a union for adjunct instructors at NYU were underway.[18] The UAW won a representation vote held in July of that year.[19] During Kushner's tenure as a subregional director, the UAW represented adjunct faculty at New School University, as well.[20] Following NYU president John Sexton's 2005 decision to pull recognition of the graduate student union at the school,[21] Kushner participated in an August 2006 protest against the decision,[22] which was reversed in 2013.[21] [23] Prior to her June 2018 retirement from the UAW,[24] Kushner aided the UAW's efforts to organize a graduate student union at Columbia University.[25]

Political career

Prior to campaigning for political office, Kushner was co-chair of the Connecticut Working Families Party for eight years.[24] During her 2018 campaign for the Connecticut State Senate's 24th district seat, Kushner was endorsed by the Connecticut branch of the League of Conservation Voters,[26] labor unions,[27] and The News-Times.[28] Her campaign was backed by the Connecticut Working Families Party and the Democratic Party.[29] [30] Kushner defeated incumbent Michael A. McLachlan in the general election.[31] [32] Following her upset victory,[32] Kushner was sworn in on 9 January 2019.[33] Kushner announced that she would run for reelection in January 2020,[34] and defeated Susan Chapman in the general election.[35] [36]

Notes and References

  1. News: ...has birthday dinner... . 30 July 2020 . Hamburg Reporter . 27 May 1954.
  2. News: Deaths: Sheldon Kushner . 30 July 2020 . Jewish Press . 25 September 2009.
  3. News: Local businessman Kushner dies at 81 . 30 July 2020 . Lincoln Journal Star . 10 September 2009.
  4. News: Second grade . 31 July 2020 . Hamburg Reporter . 18 February 1960.
  5. News: Talk around town . 30 July 2020 . Lincoln Star . 3 December 1966.
  6. News: Talk . 30 July 2020 . Lincoln Star . 23 December 1966.
  7. News: Howard . Lucille . Lincoln Girls Visit Israel In Summer . 30 July 2020 . Lincoln Journal Star . 18 October 1969.
  8. News: Hoffman . Jan . PUBLIC LIVES; Behind the Wheel, an Organizer in Pearls . 29 July 2020 . New York Times . 25 April 2000.
  9. News: Activist Grandmother From Danbury To Challenge For State Senate Seat . 29 July 2020 . Danbury Daily Voice . 19 January 2018.
  10. News: Serrin . William . WOMEN ARE TURNING TO COLLECTIVE ACTION AS A KEY TO POWER AND PROTECTION . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 31 January 1985.
  11. News: McFadden . Robert D. . CLERICAL WORKERS STRIKE COLUMBIA ON PAY ISSUES . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 18 October 1985.
  12. News: UNIONS IN NEW YORK REGION SEE A WHITE-COLLAR FUTURE . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 4 August 1986.
  13. News: Serrin . William . COLUMBIA FACES THREAT OF STRIKE OVER UNION VOTE . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 31 December 1984.
  14. News: Workers at Columbia End Threat of a Strike . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 1 February 1985.
  15. News: THE CITY; Union at Columbia Wins Certification . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 9 February 1985.
  16. News: McFadden . Robert D. . Classes at Columbia Are Moved Off Campus During 2-Day Strike . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 15 November 1985.
  17. News: Arenson . Karen W. . U.S. ALLOWS UNIONS OF POSTGRADUATES . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 2 November 2000.
  18. News: Arenson . Karen W. . 2 Unions Vie to Represent N.Y.U. Adjuncts . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 27 May 2002.
  19. News: Arenson . Karen W. . When Are Teachers Auto Workers? When They're N.Y.U. Adjuncts . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 10 July 2002.
  20. News: Cardwell . Diane . An Adviser to Ferrer Is Elevated to Director . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 1 May 2005.
  21. News: Greenhouse . Steven . Kaminer . Ariel . With New Agreement, N.Y.U. Would Again Recognize Graduate Assistants' Union . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 27 November 2013.
  22. News: Skalka . Liz . 57 NYU Graduate Students Arrested During Union Rally . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 30 August 2006.
  23. News: Greenhouse . Steven . N.Y.U. Graduate Assistants to Join Auto Workers' Union . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 13 December 2013.
  24. News: Pazniokas . Mark . Working Families co-chair Julie Kushner running for state Senate . 29 July 2020 . Connecticut Mirror . 18 January 2018.
  25. News: Harris . Elizabeth A. . Columbia University Says It Won't Bargain With Graduate Student Union . 30 July 2020 . New York Times . 30 January 2018.
  26. News: CTLCV Endorses Julie Kushner for the Connecticut General Assembly . 29 July 2020 . Connecticut League of Conservation Voters . 1 October 2018.
  27. News: Melendez . Yeny . Julie Kushner fights for working people . 29 July 2020 . Associated Press . 3 November 2018.
  28. News: Endorsement: Julie Kushner for the 24th District . 29 July 2020 . The News-Times . 1 November 2018. Alternative URL Republished by the Associated Press
  29. News: Dignan . Clare . Hamden Working Families candidates stirring controversy among established parties . 29 July 2020 . New Haven Register . 6 October 2019.
  30. News: Farrell . Lindsey . Derogatory' puppet ad criticized . 29 July 2020 . The News-Times . 28 October 2018.
  31. News: Murdock . Zach . Danbury state Senate race offers opposing views of Connecticut's 'crossroads' . 29 July 2020 . The News-Times . 17 October 2018.
  32. News: Murdock . Zach . Democrat Julie Kushner upsets Sen. Mike McLachlan . 29 July 2020 . The News-Times . 6 November 2018. Republished by the Houston Chronicle
  33. News: Phaneuf . Keith M. . Kara . Jake . Lawmakers find hope in diversity, bipartisanship as 2019 legislative session opens . 29 July 2020 . Connecticut Mirror . 9 January 2020.
  34. News: Perkins . Julia . Kushner runs for re-election to State Senate . 29 July 2020 . The News-Times . 22 January 2020.
  35. News: Former First Selectman to run for State Senate . 29 July 2020 . WLAD . June 2020.
  36. News: Perkins . Julia . Kushner claims victory in Senate race, Miner holds firm lead . 24 November 2020 . The News-Times . 4 November 2020.

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