With the start of the fall semester, the United Campus Workers of Georgia is
beginning its “living wage campaign” at the University of Georgia in Athens.
The implementation of new guidelines for the Fair
Labor Standard Act (FLSA) at UGA in 2016 was the impetus for starting the union
organizing effort. According to UCWGA, over 3000 workers were affected
negatively by UGA's administrators implementation of FLSA.
Since then, the organizing campaign has taken on new
issues affecting UGA employees.
On August 11, the labor union sponsored a Living Wage
Picnic at the Bishop Park Pavilion in Athens.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage
calculator for the state of Georgia and open records acquired by UCWGA,
revealed that for UGA employees, annual salaries differ drastically among
staff members. Service and maintenance workers may not always make a living
wage.
The
Red and Black newspaper reports that “other rights UCWGA has fought
for include free parking for employees. The labor union held an event in June
asking UGA to alter its parking pass system — previously, there was no free
parking on campus, and all employees had to pay a maximum price of $40 per
month for a spot that is not guaranteed to be in their desired location.”
This fall the university is offering a $10-per-month
park-n-ride parking lot. The park-n-ride allows UGA employees and students to
buy a parking pass and then take the campus bus to their desired location from
6:55 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.
UCWGA is part of the Communications Workers of America and
is designated as CWA Organizing Local 3265. The local has expanded its efforts
to include organizing workers at Georgia Gwinnett College.
The efforts in Athens and in Gwinnett County may take on
added interest as the Georgia Republican candidate for governor, Brian Kemp, is
a graduate of UGA and continues to reside in the Athens area.
