The University of Alabama chapter of United Campus Workers was established in 2019 to empower employees to address a variety of workplace concerns, primarily higher pay and improved healthcare, and make campus better for faculty, staff, and students.
During the pandemic, our union focused on advocating for safe educational environments, which laid the foundation for our healthcare campaign. Even though the university depended on the labor of adjuncts and grad students to function, these employees often could not even afford to see a doctor with their UnitedHealthcare insurance plans. In 2022, UCW at UA kicked off a campaign to get adjuncts and grad students on the same health insurance as full-time instructors and staff.
By the summer of 2023, with over 500 signatures, our union delivered our healthcare petition to the Board of Trustees. After a number of emails and meetings with HR to discuss insurance, UA switched grad students to a BlueCross BlueShield plan that has more in-network coverage and lower prescription costs - a victory for our union and a good first step in a longer fight for affordable healthcare for all UA employees.
Because healthcare is inextricably linked to the affordability crisis, and with rampant inflation out of control, our union has more recently been organizing for a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). We believe a living wage is a human right and all UA employees deserve compensation that adequately covers the cost of basic needs and ensures an existence worthy of human dignity.
With over 1,000 signatures, we have delivered our COLA petition to both the Board of Trustees and President Mohler, marching to the Rose Administration Building. All UA employees are encouraged to keep signing the petition below and our union will continue to organize around this demand. We welcome all faculty, staff, and students who would like to join us in this and future campaigns: ucwal.org/join
Sign the Petition!