Our Mission

UCW has been working to create positive change for staff and faculty on Tennessee’s public college and university campuses for over 20 years. Since 2003, we have been affiliated with the Communications Workers of America, a nationwide union representing over 700,000 members in education, healthcare, public service,  communications, airlines and more. By coming together and standing up for one another, we’ve won major victories for ourselves, our coworkers, and our communities. With 2,200 members across Tennessee, UCW is a powerful voice for higher education employees across our state!

Right now the future is uncertain. Our state government has made deep cuts to funding, has pushed for radical privatization, and attacks academic freedom and progressive programming. Our campuses are being run like cut-throat corporations and Wall Street, not like the bedrock public institutions of education and service they ought to be. More and more, campus across Tennessee rely on low-wage labor at the expense of full-time jobs with benefits, regular raises, job protections, and the respect we deserve.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. UCW is standing up for change, from right on campus to the halls of the legislature. Join us!