United Campus Workers Southeast Local 3821 has announced a new chapter at the University of North Alabama, making UNA the fourth public university in Alabama with organized campus workers.
The UNA chapter was announced Tuesday, with faculty, staff and student workers saying they are seeking a greater voice in decisions involving wages, benefits, working conditions and university spending.
The new chapter joins UCW chapters at the University of Alabama, Auburn University and Jacksonville State University. According to the union, UCW-Alabama was founded at UA in 2019, followed by an Auburn chapter in 2020 and a Jacksonville State chapter in 2023.
At UNA, organizers said concerns over university spending and working conditions helped drive the organizing effort.
Leah Graham, an UNA professor and member of the organizing committee, said UCW is a “wall-to-wall union,” meaning the organization seeks to bring together employees across classifications, including maintenance workers, administrative staff, faculty and student workers.
“The faculty, staff, and student workers who keep our college and universities running deserve a meaningful voice in their livelihood and the future of higher education,” Adam Keller, a labor organizer for Alabama Arise, said in the union’s announcement.
Organizers specifically pointed to the university’s decision last year to outsource custodial services to SSC Services for Education. According to the union, some workers lost state benefits following the transition.
The group also pointed to UNA’s construction spending, including a $65 million stadium project, as an example of what organizers say are competing priorities for university resources.
“A university that can afford to build a $65 million stadium should be able to afford benefits for essential workers,” Katie Owens-Murphy, an UNA professor and member of the organizing committee, said.
The union also cited complaints from students about campus conditions, including residence halls. Organizers said student survey responses raised concerns about mold, pests, cleanliness and the quality of campus housing.
Beyond working conditions, the chapter said it is organizing around what members describe as stagnant wages and compensation disparities across the university.
The union said most student workers at UNA earn $8.25 an hour, while graduate assistants earn $1,000 per month and pay course fees. It also criticized compensation for adjunct faculty, saying they receive $2,400 per three-credit-hour course.
The union presented those claims as part of its case for organizing and did not independently verify them in the announcement.
UNA’s new chapter is part of an ongoing organizing effort by United Campus Workers across the South. The organization said its chapters have campaigned for higher minimum wages for campus workers, increased base pay for lecturers and academic advisers and the elimination of graduate student fees.
The Alabama chapters have pursued similar issues. The UA chapter, established in 2019, has campaigned for higher wages and improved health care benefits, including access to affordable health insurance for adjunct faculty and graduate workers.
Alabama is a right-to-work state, meaning workers cannot be required to join a union. UNA organizers said that designation does not prevent employees from organizing collectively.
“Even in ‘right to work’ states, campus workers still have the right to organize to improve working conditions and students’ learning experiences,” Justin Joseph, a UNA associate professor and member of the organizing committee, said.
The UNA chapter is inviting faculty, staff, student workers, retired faculty and community members to participate in its organizing effort.
