COVID-19 Can't Stop UCWGA

With the announcement that the University System of Georgia was shifting to online instruction to better protect our communities against COVID-19, UCWGA acted swiftly to make sure that all USG campuses were taking equitable measures in regards to rights, pay, and safety precautions for all employees.

To this end, UCWGA issued a press release on March 13 along with a memorandum to the Board of Regents on March 16 calling for equity and solidarity in USG’s COVID-19 response. The union issued a follow-up press release on March 19 about our efforts.

Following these early steps to organize around COVID-19 responses, several UCWGA chapters began their own initiatives calling on university presidents to implement equity measures including 1) emergency paid leave at current wages for all staff; 2) cease layoffs for all employees, including faculty, non-tenured lecturers (contingent faculty), full-time, part-time and hourly staff, graduate assistants, and contracted workers, and reverse any prior lay-offs related to COVID-19; 3) guaranteed pay for all hourly and salaried employees; 4) double wages for essential personnel with the option to use emergency paid leave.

Our collective actions led to some wins on individual campuses, and UCWGA continues to fight for the health and economic wellbeing of our most vulnerable community members across the state.

Please contact usif you feel that you have been working extra hours, are missing pay, in harm’s way at your workplace, or have other concerns. We will continue to keep you updated with new developments.

Current press coverage of UCWGA’s COVID-19 efforts:

Red & Black UCWGA op-ed on 3/16/20 
Red & Black article on 3/25/20 covering non-closure emergency paid leave and policy decisions
Atlanta Journal and Constitution article on 3/27/20 covering our COVID-19 demands for protections

Additional resources (please reach out to us with more state-wide aid efforts):

Mutual aid network in Athens, GA