Some FAQs

Featured image: Milwaukee Journal, 1967 (Milwaukee Public Library)

What is a union?

A union is a group of co-workers who organize for better working conditions in their workplace.

What is a wall-to-wall union?

A wall-to-wall union is a union for all co-workers in a workplace. In a wall-to-wall union, different workers (like students workers, faculty, and staff) may have different issues they are organizing around, but all co-workers are part of the same union. By organizing in solidarity together, wall-to-wall unions can make more change in their workplaces.

What is United Campus Workers?

United Campus Workers (UCW) is a network of a dozen local unions in states across the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest. Local unions take on issues in the different contexts of their different campuses. Local unions in the UCW network are part of a federation of local unions called Communications Workers of America (CWA). CWA is one of America’s largest and most diverse unions. As a federation of local unions, CWA is a democratic union ruled by its members in their local unions.

How do I get involved?

• Join our email list
• Share some of our news with your co-workers
• Tell us about yourself and we will be in touch with you
• We announce union meetings over our email list
• We announce public meetings at our homepage
• Consider joining us

Who can join UCW-WI?

All campus workers at Marquette University and across the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Why should I join UCW-WI?

UCW-WI organizes for fair wages and contracts for student workers, faculty, and staff at Marquette University and across the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When you join us, you are choosing to organize together in solidarity with all your co-workers—which is always more powerful than doing so alone—to better our collective working conditions across our campuses. If we work together, we can create a better, fairer, more just university for ourselves and our co-workers and students alike. We hope you will consider joining us.

How much are dues in UCW-WI?

Being a wall-to-wall union where members may receive very different compensation, we ask members to pay dues at different rates depending on their compensation. If you make less than $20K/year, then your dues rate is $7.25/month. If you make $50K-$60K/year, then your dues rate is $26/month.

What do dues support in UCW-WI?

Dues support materials, organizing, technology, and legal services. The university has strong financial resources and ready access to communication and legal expertise. But we have stronger arguments and evidence to support our arguments. Dues help us communicate our arguments on and off campus.

What if I cannot pay dues right now?

We understand being asked to pay dues may affect different members in different ways at different times. If you cannot pay dues right now, then we hope you will email us at [email protected].

Do you have other questions for us?

We hope you will emai us at [email protected].