Union criticizes UA on covid-19 safety

FAYETTEVILLE — The UA-Fayetteville Education Association/Local 965 union has called for staff and faculty to be able to choose to work remotely, criticizing the university in a statement for having “not taken common-sense steps to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 on campus.”

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville pushed forward with plans for much more in-person instruction than a year ago, beginning fall semester classes on Monday with an indoor mask mandate in place and crowds of students once again on campus.

The union group has 54 members among UA faculty and staff, the group’s secretary said last month.

The union, in a resolution published on its website Tuesday, cited the recent statewide peak in covid-19 hospitalizations while also giving examples of the university’s “inadequate” response.

The resolution noted that UA launched its vaccine incentive program less than two weeks before the start of fall classes — with the first prize drawing not until Sept. 1 — and that sorority and fraternity rush events have been allowed despite a scientific study linking such events last year to the spread of coronavirus.

Mark Rushing, a UA spokesman, in an email said the university has worked to reduce the spread of covid-19 by sanitizing air flow in buildings and establishing quarantine and isolation requirements for those sickened or exposed to the coronavirus, among other measures.