The Denver UniServ Unit, despite being our flagship unit, has struggled for years with staff turnover and consistency as a direct result of poor management. DUU has burned through double digit numbers of UDs in the last decade due to low pay, disrespect, and incompetent management. During each management hiring cycle, the wants and needs of staff have been ignored, with DUU Council members literally silencing staff representatives on hiring committees and removing them from the room when they push back in the conversation.

Now, after non-renewing the most recent Executive Director (the 3rd in four years), the DUU board has chosen, once again, to disregard the clear demands of staff to have input in the hiring process. The DUU Council has chosen not to post the position externally at all: instead they have chosen to interview a single candidate that they invited to apply with no search committee, no staff input, and no competitive hiring process whatsoever, and with a rushed timeline to prevent staff from objecting in a meaningful way. Despite the disastrous results of past nepotism and neglect of duty, they are at it again (and violating their own governing documents in the process)!

When the members of the Denver UniServ Staff Organization (DUSO) signed and delivered this letter to their Unit Council in protest, they were met with immediate retaliation and are now forced to file ULPs to defend their rights to advocate for themselves and their working conditions.

Please support the hardworking staff in the Denver UniServ Unit and Demand that DUU uphold their values and give their staff a real say in their working conditions. Their demands are as follows:

• Open up the Executive Director Position to External Applicants for two weeks.

• Place at least two DUSO representatives on a search committee to review applicants.

• Place at least two DUSO representatives on the interview committee.

• The two DUSO representatives each have a vote in the final hiring decision.

• DUU Council and DUSO collaborate on a process for future hiring decisions.