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Protect Free Speech and Workers' Rights at the University of Miami
A serious injustice is occurring at the University of Miami.
Students and faculty decribe employees of UNICCO, a contractor hired by the University to provide janitorial and landscaping services, working in conditions that University of Miami Law School professor Richard Fischl says, "ought to shock and embarrass the entire South Florida community."
A recent survey of workers revealed that nearly half receive no protective equipment to do their jobs; that which they do have is severely inadequate. Most have had no training or even knowledge of the chemicals with which they are working, and significant percentages of workers suffer from headaches, eye irritation, back pain or other bodily pain, difficulty breathing, depression and anxiety, skin irritation, and even nausea as a result of their jobs.
A study released by the Chronicle of Higher Education also showed that out of 195 colleges in the United States, the University of Miami ranked second lowest in terms of wages and benefits for their service employees. Many earn no more than $51 a day. They have little time off, no health insurance or benefits, and no mechanism to ensure job security at work.
Use this form to send a letter to University of Miami President Donna Shalala and Vice President Roosevelt Thomas urging them to address this injustice and ensure that every member of the University of Miami community is given the dignity of having a fair wage and adequate benefits.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Support UNICCO Employees
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
The UNICCO employees at the University of Miami deserve better lives. They play a key role in making your university a world-class educational institution by taking their duties seriously and working diligently to make the campus function safely and efficiently. Some have spent decades serving the University of Miami community.
UNICCO, unfortunately, has not treated these valuable members of the University of Miami community with the respect they deserve. These workers often find it difficult to meet their individual needs and the needs of their families on salaries that amount to poverty wages. They are also denied affordable health insurance.
When workers began organizing to change these conditions, Unicco responded with a vicious harassment campaign. This must stop. I think we would agree that every member of a world-class institution like the University of Miami community deserves respect. Don't treat your campus service workers any different and give them the justice they deserve.
I stand with the growing movement of students, faculty and workers on your campus calling on your administration to ensure that UNICCO employees on your campus receive living wages and affordable health care. I urge you to ensure that Unicco respects workers' civil right to choose to form a union.
As a center of excellence and one of the largest private employers in the Miami community, the University of Miami should be a model of the highest standard of employment practices. The University of Miami and the Miami community needs your leadership. Help show that there is no room for poverty wages and civil rights violations on any campus by supporting the employees of UNICCO as they seek a living wage.
Sincerely,
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