​Over the past six years, the Gov. Tony Evers administration has completely remade the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, appointing members who, as a group, are an improvement over the regents of Scott Walker, who were openly hostile to the UW System and public higher education. Unfortunately, many of the regents still prioritize corporate interests over the interests of UW workers and the education of our students. For example, the current Board has ignored AFT-Wisconsin's statewide call to issue a policy where administrators on our campuses are required to meet regularly with the elected leaders of our unions to talk about working conditions (meet and confer). Faculty and staff working conditions directly impact the educational experiences of our students. Improved communication via a meet and confer relationship can lead to better informed decision making and better conditions for everyone.

With two board appointments available in May, we publicly call on Gov. Evers to appoint two individuals who will represent the needs of all UW system workers and prioritize education over corporate interests. Thus, we call on Gov. Evers to appoint Greg Jones, President of the Dane County NAACP, and Michael Rosen, retired economics instructor and former president of the union at Milwaukee Area Technical College.