A group of UNC staff rallied on Wednesday and delivered a petition asking for more health and safety protocols to be taken during the academic school year.

According to ABC11, UNC housekeeping workers held a demonstration on Wednesday as they delivered a petition with more than 300 signatures of workers and students to UNC Housekeeping Director Herb Richmond.

“It’s not just about the students, it’s about the workers,” said Penny Elliot, a UNC housekeeper crew leader, told the outlet. “I think that is what’s getting mixed around that the university is concerned with the students’ health but they’re not concerned with the workers’ health.”

Some of the petition’s demands include the university provide adequate protective equipment for staff, like one mask, face shield, gloves and a gown, per shift where necessary. It also asks for daily COVID-19 symptom screening for all staff and students on campus, two additional weeks of sick leave for all university employee and full administrative leave for all university employees including the temporary workers.

According to the North Carolina Public Service Workers Union, some workers are being asked to work with as few as one or two masks per week despite multiple staff members having already tested positive with the coronavirus.

UNC has said it will not be testing students and faculty upon their return to campus ahead of the semester beginning August 10. 37 total people within the UNC athletics department and programs have tested positive since returning to campus starting June 1.

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