The United Campus Workers of Virginia, a statewide union representing workers at the University, Virginia Commonwealth University, William & Mary and Virginia Tech, rallied in Richmond’s Capitol Square Jan. 17 to demand collective bargaining rights and advocate for systems reforms in higher education. Following a morning of lobbying sessions with state legislators, the union called for legislative action to address issues such as delayed graduate worker pay and the high cost of living near the represented universities, the Cavalier Daily reports.

The central demand of the rally was to allow for collective bargaining, the process of negotiation between employers and groups of employees to establish provisions for wages, benefits and working conditions. Union members emphasized that without this legal right in the state, public-sector workers and higher education employees alike lack a formal instrument to address issues such as insufficient or delayed pay, suppression of free expression and inadequate workplace conditions. Rally speakers argued that collective bargaining would allow workers to secure fair contracts — holding higher institutions accountable to treating their employees fairly.