KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Faculty and academic staff at the University of Kansas announced efforts to unionize on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses.
The union, named United Academics of the University of Kansas, would represent over 1,500 full-time and part-time tenured and non-tenured faculty.
UAKU said it hopes to improve working conditions for educators and learning conditions for students.
“KU has long enjoyed high rankings for academics and recognition as a premier research university, but that status is at risk," said Lisa-Marie Wright, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Sociology. "Faculty and academic staff need a voice in decisions, especially when the student experience is at stake."
UAKA cited several alleged issues at the university for beginning efforts to unionize.
Among those include recent attempts to suspend tenures and reliance on short-term contracts for teaching faculty, among other things.
UAKU will begin collecting union authorization cards over the next few months and later conduct a secret-ballot vote to officially for a union.
KSHB 41 reached out to KU for comment on the union efforts. Here is what the university has to say:
"University of Kansas leaders look forward to continued conversations with faculty and instructors about ways to move the university forward."
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