TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — On Thursday afternoon, United Campus Workers of Arizona held a rally at the University of Arizona demanding shared governance and accountability from leadership.
The rally was held at the start of the Arizona Board of Regents meeting, also taking place on the UA campus Thursday. Following the rally, some participants planned to speak at the ABOR meeting with a list of demands. One of their main demands is holding those who are responsible for the university’s financial crisis accountable.
In a release, UCWA states:
“UA workers are bracing for waves of layoffs in the coming years that will disproportionately impact staff due to the extreme financial mismanagement at the hands of President Robbins and his senior leadership team.”
Undergraduate student Rhys Williams spoke at Thursday’s rally and said, “Students, faculty and campus workers weren't the ones who made these decisions. Therefore, we shouldn't be the only ones bearing the brunt of the repercussions. We believe that it should be divided equally.”
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Another demand by the group is to see union representation on the hiring committee for the university’s next president.
UWAZ includes staff, faculty and students from the state's three public universities. They say their mission is to defend the interests and well-being of all university workers.
“We want to make sure the (Arizona) Board of Regents knows what students, faculty and campus workers really think and how we believe that our input should be included into the financial action plan,” Williams said.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
