United Professionals

I have been promoting the Forgive Student Loan Debt movement in a number of groups to which I belong on LinkedIn.com. Hint: Here's another way you can help us attract attention and also start your own discussions. These professional groups have a tendency to respond quite energetically and immediately to discussions started by their fellow peers (there are endless types, ranging from alumni organizations, and industry groups, to pet lovers, and so forth). I've found this site to be an indispensable tool for promoting this movement and articulating our demands in a positive, professional manner with my peers.  

In any event, today has been one of those great days. I've received a lot of emails thanking me for my efforts, and a slew of messages from people asking me how they can get involved. That type of positive feedback means a lot to Rob and to me. It's obvious that our movement is gaining momentum, so we need to keep this good, hard work up!

I wanted to share a comment from one person in particular. Her name is Karen Southall Watts, and she works for an organization called United Professionals. Karen and I belong to the same group on LinkedIn called HigherEdJobs.com.

In response to my posting about the movement and my blog, Ms. Southwall Watts wrote:

"Wow, I thought I was one of the few people thinking about this. I really found your letter and blog to be well thought out and moving. One of my first bits of online writing was a piece for United Professionals (www.unitedprofessionals.org) months ago where I suggested that schools tell financial aid officers to stop telling students that education loans are good debt'. I also mentioned, in one of my early posts, that forgiving student loan debt would be a real economic stimulus as it would take a huge unmanageable burden off the shoulders of our "white collar" workers. You've given me another blog to watch."

I encourage all of you to explore their site and donate a little money to them and to us.

Thank you, again, Karen!

Information about United Professionals from their website -

Who they are:

United Professionals is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization for white collar workers, regardless of profession or employment status. We reach out to all unemployed, underemployed and anxiously employed workers -- people who bought the American dream that education and credentials could lead to a secure middle class life, but now find their lives disrupted by forces beyond their control.

What's their mission:

Our mission is to protect and preserve the American middle class -- and the opportunities it represents for millions of people who are currently in poverty -- now under attack from so many directions, from downsizing and outsourcing to the steady erosion of health and pension benefits. We believe that education, skills and experience should be rewarded with appropriate jobs, livable incomes, benefits and social supports.


What they do:

UP fosters positive social change and delivers value to members through information, advocacy and service. UP also provides a wide range of unique benefits, including on-line support, employment and networking leads, community and regional networks, voluntary supplemental insurance, liaison with community groups and advocacy training.

UP is involved in regaining a sense of fairness in the workplace for all American workers. Our goals include advocacy for creating legislation to address issues such as health care, paid sick leave, age discrimination, layoffs, and underemployment and to lobby for the passage of such legislation by Congress.