Julie Kushner

Kushner was a secretary for three years, after graduating from the University of Wisconsin.^[6] She subsequently joined the United Auto Workers (UAW), a labor union. During her tenure as vice president of UAW's district 65,^[5] Kushner advocated for clerical and technical workers at Columbia University.^[12] The effort for the UAW to represent Columbia's clerical workers took five years,^[13] including a contentious representation election held in May 1983.^[14] Certification for UAW's district 65 to represent Columbia's clerical and technical employees was granted in February 1985.^[15][16] 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."^[17] In 2000, as a subregional director for UAW, Kushner worked to form a union of postgraduate researchers at New York University.^[6][18] By 2002, efforts to establish a union for adjunct instructors at NYU were underway.^[19] The UAW won a representation vote held in July of that year.^[20] During Kushner's tenure as a subregional director, the UAW represented adjunct faculty at New School University, as well.^[21] Following NYU president John Sexton's 2005 decision to pull recognition of the graduate student union at the school,^[22] Kushner participated in an August 2006 protest against the decision,^[23] which was reversed in 2013.^[22][24] Prior to her June 2018 retirement from the UAW,^[25][26] Kushner aided the UAW's efforts to organize a graduate student union at Columbia University.^[27]

Prior to campaigning for political office, Kushner was co-chair of the Connecticut Working Families Party for eight years.^[25][28] 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,^[29] labor unions,^[30] and The News-Times.^[4] Her campaign was backed by the Connecticut Working Families Party and the Democratic Party.^[31][28] Kushner defeated incumbent Michael A. McLachlan in the general election.^[32][33] Following her upset victory,^[33] Kushner was sworn in on 9 January 2019.^[26] Kushner announced that she would run for reelection in January 2020,^[34] and defeated Susan Chapman in the general election.^[35][36]