UCW and UVA Resident Advisors speak out over plan to return to grounds

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Classes at the University of Virginia are scheduled to start in person on September 8, but that decision hasn’t come without some scrutiny from organizations around the UVA community.

“You know, the university especially likes to start so many other emails with, ’We’re living in unprecedented times,’ and so we decided to take unprecedented action,” United Campus Workers (UCW) member Andre Zazzera said.

Some members of UCW, as well as the members of the UVA Resident Staff (RA), aren’t thrilled about the decision to bring students back to UVA Grounds.

One RA who wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of losing their job asked, “If you know that people are going to come and they’re going to be infected then why would you reopen?”

Members of both organizations believe the university isn’t putting health as a top priority.

“The university is advertising an on-grounds experience, but that experience comes at the cost of human lives,” UCW member Stephen Marrone said.

Following the university’s decision, statements were put out by both organizations.: The RA’s made a list of demands for this semester, which included asking for more PPE (personal protective equipment).

The United Campus Workers are demanding the University of Virginia reverse course altogether: “We are going to continue putting pressure, as much pressure as we can, on the university administration to reverse this decision before case numbers start to really spike. Before people start getting sent to the hospital, and before people start dying,” Zazzera said.