FAMU staff start new labor union to address wages, staffing, and safety concerns

On Monday, a group of about 20 FAMU staff (non-faculty) protested at the roundabout at FAMU Way and Railroad Avenue to raise awareness about their concerns. The group said they were taking a stand to improve their working conditions and launching a new labor union on campus. The FAMU Chapter of United Campus Workers (UCW) aiming to address a need for higher wages, adequate staffing, and workplace safety issues. This initiative comes after the employees have been without an active union since the end of 2023.

"We’re not getting treated fairly under the university’s current administration, and we don’t like that," said FAMU Maintenance Specialist O’Terrian Wilson, who has been instrumental in establishing the new union chapter and has worked at the university for over nine years.

Wilson and other employees have made several attempts to meet with FAMU's interim President, Timothy Beard, but have not been successful. Efforts to get a comment from the FAMU administration on Monday were also unsuccessful, as officials refused to return repeated calls from the media.

The new union, UCW, is part of the larger Communications Workers of America labor union. Wilson mentioned that UCW at FAMU has registered 50 employees since they began organizing last March. "FAMU is a pretty decent place to work. We all like it here, there are just some things we would like addressed," Wilson added.

Back pay for severe weather cleanup

One of the primary concerns raised by the staff is the issue of unpaid wages. According to Wilson, staff who worked to clean up campus after tornado and hurricane damage in 2024 have not been compensated correctly. "FAMU required us to be here. We didn'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 got the school up and running," he said.

Higher base pay is also a significant demand. A compensation study conducted by FAMU in 2024 revealed that the base salary for staff is approximately $34,800, which is 90% of the market median of $38,800. While the study describes this as competitive pay, Wilson believes it should be closer to the 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," he said.

The FAMU Chapter of United Campus Workers is focused on advocating for the rights and welfare of non-faculty staff, including maintenance workers, electricians, and grounds crew. As they continue to organize and raise awareness, they hope to bring about positive changes for all employees at FAMU.