Workers Union at UNC Chapel Hill
2026 demands
9 April 2026
The Workers Union at UNC Chapel Hill UE150 met in March and voted on our 2026 demands to the University. The text below was ratified on April 9th.
1. Living Wage: UNC must pay all workers a living wage with secure benefits. The living wage in Orange County, NC with no dependents is $52,800 yearly. The university currently pays PhD workers $21,600 yearly, undervaluing our work by nearly half and forcing workers to subsidize the function of the university through second or third jobs or through familial support. We demand a $52,800 minimum stipend, an annual cost of living amount adjustment, along with strengthening healthcare coverage, reinstating childcare benefits, and affordable on-campus housing. Better benefits result in greater worker safety and thus, better outcomes for workers and students.
2. Meet and Confer: We demand an active role in determining university policy in the form of bi-monthly meetings between the chancellor and the Union. UNC must also be transparent and accountable to workers in all policy decisions, both those related to how financial commitments are reached, and those regarding budget allocations and market investments. UNC must publicly support the repeal of Right-to-Work anti-worker laws including N.C.G.S. 95-98, which prohibits state employees from collective bargaining.
These demands represent the minimum for a dignified working environment at this University. They represent a just and fair exchange for the effort and care we put into our work for this University. Our labor is necessary for the functioning of this University, and we demand it be respected.
Solidarity, The Workers Union at UNC Chapel Hill (Graduate Workers UE150)
1 “Living Wage Calculator - Living Wage Calculation for Orange County, North Carolina.” n.d. https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/37135.
2 The Graduate School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2026. “Stipend and Benefits Information - Graduate School.” Graduate School. March 25, 2026. https://gradschool.unc.edu/funding/stipends/.
