Group wants better conditions for UF temps

The Alachua County Labor Coalition will host a demonstration Tuesday to support University of Florida employees who have atwill, temporary jobs.

Hourly employees of “Other Personnel Services” don’t receive paid vacation, sick, administrative leave days or paid holidays. When the university is closed for a day, those employees lose money because they cannot work.

The labor coalition will attend the university’s student government senate meeting Tuesday evening to encourage UF to improve its treatment of OPS employees.

There are more than 3,000 hourly non-student OPS positions at the university, most of which are clerical and janitorial. The university doesn’t contribute to OPS employees’ Social Security plans. But OPS employees who regularly work at least 30 hours per week can be eligible for state benefits.

UF spokeswoman Margot Winick said President Kent Fuchs is open to examining the statuses of OPS employees.