Open Letter and Campaign Resources
As staff, faculty, facilities workers, graduate student workers, and undergraduate student workers at the University of Louisville, our experiences matter. Over the past few years, those experiences have included inadequate compensation across job classes that does not reflect the true financial security of this institution; a lack of transparency when it comes to major decisions affecting workers (e.g., COVID work policies, College of Arts & Sciences restructuring); and disruptive leadership changes at multiple levels combined with a central administration that is dismissive of workers’ concerns. Rather than provide for its workers, the University undermines their ability to complete their jobs; instead of creating promise for the future, the University promotes dissatisfaction and uncertainty.
We believe in the value of the services we provide–research, teaching, cleaning, administration, and more–and the benefits of higher education, but not at the expense of unjust working conditions. That is why we, as members of the UofL chapter of United Campus Workers (UCW) of Kentucky, call on the University to begin to adhere to the Cardinal Values promised by our "Community of Care." To that end, we put forward a platform with three demands: Transparency, Compensation, and A Seat at the Table.
More details about our platform TBA.
University of Louisville Has the Money
United Campus Workers of Kentucky’s analysis of U of L’s finances between FY17 and FY21 reflect that the institution is in an overall strong financial position. Discussions of restructuring the College of Arts & Sciences have included assumptions from upper-level administration that budgetary problems are driving the need for restructuring. While there may need to be change in Arts & Sciences, our analysis reflects that there is not a budgetary crisis and the financial position of the University in no way reflects a need for staffing, instructional, or departmental cuts within the College. Read our full report here.