Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

NEH Union - AFGE L3403

@nehafge3403.bsky.social

760 followers 29 following 480 posts

Unit of AFGE Local 3403 representing staff at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Local 3403 represents federal workers supporting art, research, and culture across the United States and territories.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · Apr 9

Every grant listed here represents hundreds of hours of work: from our applicants who submit proposals, to the program staff and peer reviewers who read them, to the grant managers who oversee awards.

Are we just supposed to accept the abrupt termination of all this labor? #NEH #humanities

Jessica Otis @jmotis.bsky.social · Apr 8

Want to see the scope of what the NEH grant terminations is? The ACH ( @ach.bsky.social ) has compiled a database: impact.ach.org

NEH Grants 2025

impact.ach.org

1 53 110

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 1h

The National Endowment for the Humanities did so much with such a small a slice of the pie, we were basically working from crumbs.

Yet that service was the very model of resilience - of our staff and our applicants and grantees. #NEH

"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 23h

Again, it is worth keeping in mind when comparing the rate of discoveries that public funding for medicine and the sciences is orders of magnitude larger than for the humanities. We work slow in part because we work on a shoestring.

A pie-chart of federal research funding, using 2023 figures. The funding slices for the NIH (83%) and NSF (17%) are so large that the slices for the NEH and NEA round to 0%.

3 6

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 12h

Thank you for saying this - yes, many former #NEH staff are still looking for work, and it's particularly dire in Washington, DC, where so many civil servants have been cut off from their jobs.

We were the luckiest, though, in having one another as colleagues.

scott b. weingart @scottbot.bsky.social · 1d

So many people reached out in support, often offering whatever they could to help me find my next thing. I know other colleagues at NEH experienced the same.

I'm profoundly lucky to have landed in an amazing new role, when I know many more-talented former NEH colleagues are still looking.

+

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 20h

Didn't mean to set off a debacle here - @scottbot.bsky.social did some incredible work with the (now-obliterated) Office of Data & Evaluation.

At the end of the day, our NEH tiny slice of the pie - whatever pie or chart is used - made an incredible impact in communities across the country.

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 21h

Thanks so much!

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 21h

Thanks!

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 22h

Can we ask, what is the source of this pie chart?

1 1 8

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 1d

"We are all in this together. We need to help each other out if we’re all going to get through this,” - Tom Parrish, managing director of #Berkeley Rep, whose #NEA grant was rescinded this Spring. #California #EastBay #NEH #arts #humanities

Arts in the East Bay

In the face of economic uncertainty and attendance struggles, creative leaders share their renewed vision for the local cultural scene.

www.diablomag.com

1 12

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 1d

"The unknowns are about funding that, ultimately, helps create jobs. It’s about funding that helps strengthen communities. It's about so much more than just a grant being cut." - Elizabeth Rouse, President/CEO of ARTSmemphis #Memphis #Tennessee #NEA #NEH #CPB #arts #humanities

The Future of the Arts

With federal funding cuts looming, now is the time the time to support the arts.

www.memphisflyer.com

4 12

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 2d

We'll say it as well: You matter, and your work matters.

Alt18F @alt18f.bsky.social · 2d

Our thoughts are with the public servants caught up in the latest round of RIF notices. We've said this before, and we'll repeat it now: You matter. Your work matters.

OMB says ‘substantial’ federal employee layoffs have begun

Just before the shutdown, OMB told agencies to draft RIF plans for programs that wouldn’t have alternative funding sources.

federalnewsnetwork.com

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 3d

Read more in this 🧵 here about the so-called "RIFs" of government employees, unlawful then, and unlawful now:

bsky.app/profile/mark...

Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 3d

Russell Vought has announced that "mass firings [RIFs] have begun."

Lawless. The RIFs in the spring were illegal, as Judge Illston outlined. Yes, the conservative SCOTUS supermajority lawlessly signed off. But the Calvinball Court is not doing law.

Congress can stop this. A thread: 1/

'RIFs have begun.' Vought announces start of mass firings during government shutdown

The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.

www.pbs.org

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 3d

The majority of staff at the National Endowment for the Humanities were RIF'ed six months ago today. *SIX MONTHS.* #NEH

The #RIF was not conducted properly then, nor is it being done properly now.

Enough. Civil servants should not treated like pawns. These are our livelihoods.

Nick Bednar @nicholasbednar.bsky.social · 3d

A brief summary of everything I have written on RIFs to date. RIFs are insanely complex and procedurally difficult to implement. Most RIFs are challenged on procedural grounds. 1/7

www.lawfaremedia.org/article/a-pr...

1 6

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 4d

So many problems and assumptions have been made in this discussion that have taken away from the real battles that need to be fought to protect NEH funding and protect staff, most of whom were summarily dismissed from the agency without cause. It's admittedly been rather hard to watch.

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 4d

We tried to make this point the other day: $250k for a non-digital Collaborative Research grant is not unheard of; there are also many non-dig institutional grants elsewhere at NEH that exceed that (take Documenting Endangered Languages, which funded up to $450k for dictionaries and grammars!)

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 6d

Agreed (esp re your examples!), but Collaborative Research grants do have huge range of funding amounts. Some awards from the past few years (you'll need to sort by "Award Period"): apps.neh.gov/PublicQuery/...

1 1

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 5d

...and a long six months. We hear you!

1 2

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 5d

We think they're talking about the university comms dept but that's probably cut as well.

1 4

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 6d

That's a good point - they possibly are at a disadvantage, similar to lots of small institutions that don't have that institutional support. But that's part of what made our work as staff so great - we loved helping people strengthen their projects no matter where they were coming from. 😔

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 6d

- Independent scholars can indeed apply for NEH Fellowships.
- These are a little different as Chair's awards are at the invitation of the Chair (so basically solicited).
- Even w/o home institutions, some of their publications are...also revealing. We'll leave it at that.

1 1

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 6d

By the by, it might also be interesting to analyze what [unreviewed and unannounced] recent awards (and some institutions) come up in a search: apps.neh.gov/PublicQuery/...

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 6d

1 3

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 6d

Also, a large percentage of the award will most likely go to the university's Indirect Cost Rate.

$250k doesn't go far, which any NEH staff member could tell you...but they fired most of us, so...

1 8

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 6d

FOIA away and learn more! www.neh.gov/about/foia

1 4

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 6d

"What I do know is that we need the #humanities now, perhaps more than we have ever needed them, because we live in a time when so many of us have forgotten this crucial truth: We are a fangless, clawless, furless species, & we survive only in community." - @margaretrenkl.bsky.social #NEH #Tennessee

Opinion: With humanities funding vanishing, stories and those who protect them remain our greatest hope

www.sltrib.com

1 17 41

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 7d

The cuts at the National Endowment for the Humanities go far deeper than any of these agencies - almost 70% of 179 people were terminated, despite no change to the agency's budget.

There were no savings here - only idealogical destruction. #NEH

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 7d

How much smaller the federal workforce is now vs. a year ago
Ed Dept 42%
OPM 33%
HUD 31%
Treasury 29%
Defense (civilian jobs) 22%
Small Biz Admin 21%
Energy 20%
Interior 15%
HHS 14%
SSA 11%
EPA 10%
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How Much Smaller Is the Federal Work Force? Shutdown Plans Offer a Clue.

The number of federal employees has been trimmed by thousands since President Trump took office, according to contingency plans drawn up by federal agencies.

www.nytimes.com

57 110

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 7d

"This far-reaching economic impact (of #NEA and #NEH) stabilizes and revitalizes communities, from rural towns to urban centers, and strengthens small and large businesses, fostering thriving local economies." - Jennifer Dorning, Pres. of the Dept. for Professional Employees, @aflcio.org

American Theatre @americantheatre.org · 7d

It’s a good thing that unions and employers have a shared interest in the robust funding of the NEA and NEH—because it’s going to take a united front to make it happen, writes Jennifer Dorning, president of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO.

www.americantheatre.org/2025/10/06/f...

Federal Funding for Nonprofit Arts Is Going to Be a Team Effort

It’s a good thing that unions and employers have a shared interest in the robust funding of the NEA and NEH—because it’s going to take a united front to make it happen.

www.americantheatre.org

4 11

NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 8d

"Among the funding that has been cut off are grants of $10,000 to $25,000 that the organization received annually from both the National Endowment for the Humanities and the federal Education Department." #NEH #LGBTQ #history #humanities

archived: archive.is/EkFXH

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 9d

For more than five decades, the Stonewall National Museum, Archives and Library in Florida has chronicled the LGBTQ community by collecting and sharing its history. But the museum is facing a hostile political environment and a financial crisis that may force it to find another home.

Stonewall National Museum Chronicling L.G.B.T.Q. History Faces Deep Cuts

The Fort Lauderdale museum, one of the country’s oldest L.G.B.T.Q. institutions, is looking to its rich archives for lessons in how to survive a crisis. Here’s a look inside its collection.

nyti.ms

1 6