Advocating for workers at Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University

UCW-Arizona unites Arizona's diverse public university workforce to address the critical issues we all face.

Our mission is to champion and defend the interests and well-being of all university workers, as well as to build and sustain social and economic justice in our workplaces and communities.

We have FOUGHT FOR and WON

Wage Increases

  • ASU full-time non-tenure eligible faculty got a new starting salary of $60,000

  • ASU full-time non-exempt staff received raises, bringing them up to $20/hr

  • ASU grad students have received raises averaging 13% for the past two years, up from 6.5% in the four years prior to UCWAZ.

  • UA staff minimum wage was increased to $15/hr, two years ahead of the timeline

  • UA student minimum wage was increased to $14.50/hr

  • Grad student fees bundled with tuition at UA (means paying RA/TAs don’t have to pay fees)

Job Protection

  • Saved 50 faculty jobs in the UA Writing Program from being “non-renewed” in May, 2023

  • Got two employees reinstated after university retaliation regarding Palestine Teach-in during November, 2023

Shared Power in University Governance Structures

  • UCW members in leadership positions in Faculty Senate, Student Government, and Staff Council to move our agenda through “official channels”

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WHAT WE DO AS A UNION

We accomplish our goals as a union through a combination of organizing university workers, mobilizing on important issues, and performing community and political action.

MOBILIZING

For university workers, mobilization is a three-part process of building a structure to support taking action, educating ourselves about problems facing our universities, and taking collective action to solve collective problems.

We mobilize around the shared issues we care about, such as stopping unnecessary pay cuts and layoffs, ensuring our health and safety, dismantling structural racism and other forms of oppression on our campus, as well as protecting public higher education from private and corporate entities.

ORGANIZING

We grow our movement for workplace justice through organizing. We do so by asking everyone—including you— to join and build our union membership. We can no longer act alone. Now is the time.

Central administrators continue to ignore our concerns and the safety and well-being of its workers, students, and the surrounding community. We ask each university employee to join UCW Arizona and join the fight to protect and improve the university we love.

COMMUNITY & POLITICAL ACTION

We are building collective power to improve higher education and our working conditions. The problems we face aren’t unique. But the state of Arizona is at the bottom of the list in support for higher education and student financial aid, and at the top of the list in privatizations that compromise our public purpose. Our state spends more on prisons than it does on all of its colleges and universities combined.

None of these things will change overnight, since there are powerful forces arrayed against us. We unite with other community groups who have been taking action to influence elected officials to support public higher education and its workers —the people who make public higher education work.

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Are you afraid of being fired at any time for any reason, basically at the whim of the senior leadership? 

This organization is for you. 

Do you wonder why graduate students in other departments are treated so differently than in yours? 

This organization is for you. 

Are you tired of being ignored by the senior leadership when you request transparency in university decision making?

This organization is for you. 

Join our wall-to-wall union of faculty, staff, and student employees, building our collective power to advance academic justice in fulfilling our universities' public missions.

JOIN US

Everyone who works or has worked in higher education in Arizona can join the United Campus Workers of Arizona, Local 7065.

Interested in joining but not affiliated with a public university? You can join as a non-voting community supporter!

Follow Us on Instagram!

Our official statement on the Arizona Supreme Court's April 9th near-total abortion ban ruling: "Recently, as a result of a 4-2 ruling, the state of Arizona effectively joined 16 other US states where abortion is virtually outlawed. The United
Our official statement on the Arizona Supreme Court's April 9th near-total abortion ban ruling: "Recently, as a result of a 4-2 ruling, the state of Arizona effectively joined 16 other US states where abortion is virtually outlawed. The United Campus Workers of Arizona, UCWAZ, vehemently oppose this decision. UCWAZ affirms the right to an abortion and stands in solidarity with those disproportionately affected by this ruling, including women, working class, racial, and sexual and gender minorities. The decision reinforces a patriarchal structure in which bodily autonomy is granted only to those in positions of power, furthering the control our jobs extend over our private lives. The labor movement has long been a space of liberation, and we remain committed to fighting for a future in which reproductive justice is afforded to all. Reproductive care is healthcare. Reproductive rights are workers’ rights." In solidarity, Fellow Workers at UCWAZ
The circus will be in town next week! Mark your calendars, folks! 📍 The Student Union at the University of Arizona, Tucson AZ. 📅 Thursday, April 18th. Time TBA. 🎟️ Free entry for all students, staff, and faculty. We will rally outside the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) meeting and flood the public comments section. Members, sign up to volunteer at https://tinyurl.com/27zty3hz, or at the link in bio. *Video created by friend of UCWAZ @bencerboo*
The Arizona Board Of Regents (ABOR) is meeting again in two weeks, and we will be there! We invite workers, UCWAZ members and, the community to join us at the next ABOR Meeting at the University of Arizona on April 18th. We plan to rally outside the
The Arizona Board Of Regents (ABOR) is meeting again in two weeks, and we will be there! We invite workers, UCWAZ members and, the community to join us at the next ABOR Meeting at the University of Arizona on April 18th. We plan to rally outside the meeting and flood the public comments section, though ABOR meeting time has not yet been announced. We will continue to show up to these meetings to fight legislation like HB 2735 and HB 2178 that diminish free speech and erase shared governance at Arizona’s public universities. We know that our presence at these meetings works to put pressure on those in charge. We encourage members to sign up to volunteer using https://tinyurl.com/27zty3hz, or at the link in bio. @azregents - see you soon! #ABOR #ArizonaBoardOfRegents #UnionStrong #UCWAZ #ChopFromTheTop
We at UCWAZ are proud to join the calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. You can read our full statement at https://tinyurl.com/yx5sh58t, or at the link in bio. #PermanentCeasefireNow #Union #U
We at UCWAZ are proud to join the calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. You can read our full statement at https://tinyurl.com/yx5sh58t, or at the link in bio. #PermanentCeasefireNow #Union #U
Students at ASU - make sure you vote on March 26 & 27 for candidates who believe change is possible will advocate on your behalf!
Students at ASU - make sure you vote on March 26 & 27 for candidates who believe change is possible will advocate on your behalf!
Sign our petition to Governor Hobbs! We are urging her to veto six bills that would drastically limit free speech and erase shared governance at Arizona's public universities. Read more about the legislation and sign the petition at https://tinyu
Sign our petition to Governor Hobbs! We are urging her to veto six bills that would drastically limit free speech and erase shared governance at Arizona's public universities. Read more about the legislation and sign the petition at https://tinyurl.com/2m2eay94, or go to the link in our bio. #ProtectFreeSpeech #ProtectSharedGovernance
📌 Opportunity for ASU Students: Want to run for student government? Apply now! All positions come with a stipend and are open to any student in good standing with a 2.6 GPA who is enrolled in at least one credit at ASU. Applications close at 11:5
📌 Opportunity for ASU Students: Want to run for student government? Apply now! All positions come with a stipend and are open to any student in good standing with a 2.6 GPA who is enrolled in at least one credit at ASU. Applications close at 11:59 on Friday, February 23rd. Visit Sun Devil Sync to nominate yourself before 2/23/2024! Apply at https://asu.campuslabs.com/engage/ or by using the link in bio. #studentgovernment #ASU
Student leaders speaking out against layoffs and other austerity measures at Mobilization Monday!!
🚨 Today is the day! All out to protect UA workers!🚨 Join us 12-1 pm on the UA Mall to demand an end to layoffs and the hiring and compensation freeze. We won’t pay for the mistakes of Pres. Robbins, Senior Advisor Rulney, and ABOR! #ChopFr
🚨 Today is the day! All out to protect UA workers!🚨 Join us 12-1 pm on the UA Mall to demand an end to layoffs and the hiring and compensation freeze. We won’t pay for the mistakes of Pres. Robbins, Senior Advisor Rulney, and ABOR! #ChopFromTheTop #LaborAgainstLayoffs
Ensure your voice is heard and the student perspective is represented within the union's executive committee!
Ensure your voice is heard and the student perspective is represented within the union's executive committee!
The sit in at the UA College of Education in support of faculty members put on administrative leave continues today! For more information, see the link in our bio and @ua_edu_sit_in
The sit in at the UA College of Education in support of faculty members put on administrative leave continues today! For more information, see the link in our bio and @ua_edu_sit_in
Sit-in continues today!
Sit-in continues today!
Our official statement on the Arizona Supreme Court's April 9th near-total abortion ban ruling: "Recently, as a result of a 4-2 ruling, the state of Arizona effectively joined 16 other US states where abortion is virtually outlawed. The United
The circus will be in town next week! Mark your calendars, folks! 📍 The Student Union at the University of Arizona, Tucson AZ. 📅 Thursday, April 18th. Time TBA. 🎟️ Free entry for all students, staff, and faculty. We will rally outside the Arizon
The Arizona Board Of Regents (ABOR) is meeting again in two weeks, and we will be there! We invite workers, UCWAZ members and, the community to join us at the next ABOR Meeting at the University of Arizona on April 18th. We plan to rally outside the We at UCWAZ are proud to join the calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. You can read our full statement at https://tinyurl.com/yx5sh58t, or at the link in bio. #PermanentCeasefireNow #Union #U Students at ASU - make sure you vote on March 26 & 27 for candidates who believe change is possible will advocate on your behalf! Sign our petition to Governor Hobbs! We are urging her to veto six bills that would drastically limit free speech and erase shared governance at Arizona's public universities. Read more about the legislation and sign the petition at https://tinyu 📌 Opportunity for ASU Students: Want to run for student government? Apply now! All positions come with a stipend and are open to any student in good standing with a 2.6 GPA who is enrolled in at least one credit at ASU. Applications close at 11:5
Student leaders speaking out against layoffs and other austerity measures at Mobilization Monday!!
🚨 Today is the day! All out to protect UA workers!🚨 Join us 12-1 pm on the UA Mall to demand an end to layoffs and the hiring and compensation freeze. We won’t pay for the mistakes of Pres. Robbins, Senior Advisor Rulney, and ABOR! #ChopFr Ensure your voice is heard and the student perspective is represented within the union's executive committee! The sit in at the UA College of Education in support of faculty members put on administrative leave continues today! For more information, see the link in our bio and @ua_edu_sit_in Sit-in continues today!

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Contact Us

Looking to connect to learn more about becoming a union member? Reach out to us at info@ucwaz.org.

Looking for a media contact for quotes, stories, and statements? Reach out to us at info@ucwaz.org.