United Campus Workers-Communications Workers of America Local 3865

United Campus Workers Background

In 2000, a core of campus workers, students, and community allies launched an organizing drive for living wages and decent working conditions on the UTK campus. Beginning with no national union backing and few resources beyond the workers’ initiative and student solidarity, UCW has grown to a current membership of nearly 1,800 higher education staff and faculty on public university and community college campuses across Tennessee, and has helped charter a sister local in Georgia.

UCW-CWA currently employs three full-time and two part-time organizers, a bookkeeper, and an administrative and communications staff member. Our members continue to lead struggles for human rights, dignity, respect, and power in the South – and recently won a major victory in the University of Tennessee System campuses opting out of outsourcing. We work tirelessly to fulfill our mission to advance and defend the interests of all Tennessee higher education staff and faculty, as well as promoting solidarity, democracy, and advancing social and economic justice in our workplaces and in our communities.