Laura Murphy, Dutchess Community College United Educators
Laura Murphy, a history professor at Dutchess County Community College and president of Dutchess Community College UE, has dedicated her career to advancing equity in higher education. Her commitment to labor activism was shaped by witnessing her father’s struggle as a New York City teacher who lost his tenure after participating in the 1975 teachers’ strike.
Murphy’s union involvement progressed from her first awakening at a faculty meeting where she connected her academic knowledge of labor history to her own workplace conditions. She has served in multiple leadership roles, including secretary, vice president for full-time faculty, and on every bargaining team since joining the executive council.
Under her leadership over the past decade, the union has strengthened solidarity across constituencies and achieved significant equity advances, including integrating part-time staff into the bargaining unit, implementing an equity pay model for adjunct faculty based on 80% of full-time salaries, and establishing a promotion system for part-time faculty to advance to professor ranks. A milestone achievement came last year when, under Murphy’s leadership, the Dutchess CC UE reaffiliated with NYSUT after operating as an independent union for many years.
Murphy advocates for increased public funding for both SUNY and CUNY systems while emphasizing community college equity. She believes in fighting for resources that enable reasonable workloads and excellence in education, recognizing that educators’ dedication to their mission makes them vulnerable to exploitation unless they stand together.