- A new chapter of the United Campus Workers union at FAMU had its first public event Monday with 50 registered employees.
- UCW-FAMU is aiming for higher pay and compensation they say they're missing from severe weather cleanup in 2024.
- Watch now to hear from workers in the union.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A rally on the hill fronted by Florida A&M University staff members.
I'm Alberto Camargo, your College Town neighborhood reporter.
This group behind me — a new union representing FAMU grounds crew, maintenance workers, electricians and more.
I'm learning what this group wants — and how they plan to get it.
This is the FAMU chapter of United Campus Workers.
It's a union for non-faculty staff like maintenance, electricians, and grounds crew.
U-C-W is a part of the larger Communications Workers of America labor union.
Maintenance specialist O'Terrian Wilson says UCW at FAMU has registered 50 employees since starting to organize last March.
"I'm glad I have people that see the vision, that want to make things right. I always tell people there is strength in numbers. When we have strength in numbers, we get things done that way."
Wilson says it's the first union for staff at FAMU since a previous union was decertified in 2023 due to low membership.
Union member Kevin Timmons says the year and a half since then without a union was a wake-up call.
"FAMU is a pretty decent place to work. We all like it here, there are just some things we would like addressed."
Timmons says staff who worked to clean up campus after tornado and hurricane damage in 2024 have not been paid correctly.
He says the university was closed for days, and that should have meant administrative pay for cleanup staff on top of their hourly wage — but it has not been received in full.
"FAMU requires us to be here. Sometimes we don't get rightfully compensated for the time that we're here. We're being asked to leave our families and come here and make sure that we get the school up and running."
Higher base pay is also a demand.
A compensation study done by FAMU in 2024 says base salary for staff is about $34,800 dollars — that's 90% of the market median of $38,800.
The study calls that competitive pay — Wilson says it should be closer to that median.
"Just to be told like, hey we don't have anything for you, or we can't do this, we can't do that, we know that's not true. We just want to fight for better wages, because I think we deserve it."
I reached out to FAMU about Monday's rally.
University officials declined to comment at this time.
Union representatives say the next steps are launching a campaign for what members identify as priority — like fighting for a liveable wage.
At FAMU, Alberto Camargo, ABC27.
