AMHERST — As someone who takes care of and cleans buildings on the University of Massachusetts campus, Sun Chong’s workload doubles when her colleagues call out sick or leave university employment.

“They don’t hire people, so then we have to cover each other,” says Chong, a Northampton resident, holding a sign reading “UMass workers need to eat!” during an all-union rally, appealing for better wages and full staffing, early Thursday afternoon in front of the Whitmore Administration Building.

Chong works as part of a custodial cleaning team known as maintainers. Another maintainer at UMass, Nancy McCullough of Greenfield, isn’t shy to state she occasionally heads to a food pantry to help make ends meet, and hasn’t been able to take her dog on a walk ar a favorite area mountain out of worry about the cost of gas.

McCullough was among those who didn’t see a wage bump and grade level increase that university provided a year ago to other members of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees 1776 union.

“We’re frustrated because last Christmas they had the extra money, and maintainers got nothing,” McCullough said. “It’s not right.”

Chong and McCullough were among about 200 union members, including AFSCME 1776, and workers from the Professional Staff Union, the Massachusetts Society of Professors, the University Staff Association and the Graduate Employee Organization, who joined together demanding more pay and more respect as negotiations get underway or continue for new contracts for staff and faculty.

Members of these unions contend they suffer from stagnant wages, far below what similar workers at peer institutions earn, and that the low pay is causing the crisis in staffing.

Other maintainers, like Kim Ciak of Easthampton, who has been employed by UMass for a little over 10 years, said she has a full-time job but still has to work a second job, while Suk Majhi of West Springfield noted he makes a costly 50-mile commute every day. “I can’t continue to live like that,” Majhi said.

Dan Cannity, manager of media production and instructional technology, said he was told when he was hired that he would be taking an “oath of poverty to work here,” and now a decade later, as a member of the Professional Staff Union, he doesn’t have a reliable means of getting raises. The private sector pays 20% to 30% more for similar jobs, he said, causing vacancies to mount.

The only good options for workers like him, he said, is “to get a raise is to get another job on campus, or leave UMass employment altogether,” Cannity said. “We need fair wages and full staffing.”

McCullough’s experience with food insecurity is not unique among UMass workers. In a recent survey, one out of three clerical and technical staff in the University Staff Association stated they struggle to put food on the table.

“We were shocked, really,” said Mary Malinowski, president of the University Staff Association, which covers 820 employees.

Even though the union has had success in contract talks, including raising the lowest grade from grade 7 to grade 11, it’s not enough.

“Our lowest-paid employees are nowhere near living wages,” Malinowski said, describing it as being stuck between a rock and hard place, as it’s difficult for staff to win promotions, who then have to leave for other unions or leave UMass.

Andrew Gorry, who co-chairs the Professional Staff Union, said UMass only works because its union members do.

“We need fair pay to recruit and retain the excellent staff who do the work to support research, teaching and student services at UMass Amherst,” Gorry said.

Anger at football program

Much of the ire, and boos, at the rally were directed at the university’s handling of its football program, including the recent hire of Joe Harasymiak as head coach, his expected annual salary of $1.3 million, the $1.4 million buyout of recently fired coach Don Brown and the “six-figure” cost of getting the football practice facility bubble inflated.

Kate Hudson, a senior lecturer II in the College of Education and secretary of the faculty union, said negotiations on Friday will be happening at the same time as the football coach is introduced.

“It is outrageous,” Hudson said.

A faculty member since 1999, Hudson recalled getting paid $21,500 at the time and that she had to work two jobs, and even now many lecturers are working two or more jobs. The floor for lecturers is $57,000 a year, less than a $1,000 increase to the floor since 2017.

About half of those at the rally raised their hands when asked if they have a second job.

Hudson said she finds it unfortunate, as she has been a supporter of UMass since coming to Amherst as a child in 1971.

“All through that we’ve been fighting for fair wages,” Hudson said. “We have a strong, equity-focused union putting effort toward non-tenured faculty.”

After speakers, including one asking where some of the more than $2 billion from the state’s Fair Share Amendment is going, the participants walked in a triangle from Whitmore toward the Haigis Mall, chanting “we’re all in this together” “hey hey, ho ho, poverty wages have got to go” and waving signs with sayings such as “UMass wants us ‘here for good’ — so then pay us!” and “UMass staff are going hungry.” Some yelled out “Chancellor (Javier) Reyes, you need to pay us.”

The demonstrators stayed on cleared sidewalks, with snow that had freshly fallen overnight on the grassy areas. The snowfall likely cut into their numbers, as some workers had to be home with their children when schools were closed or delayed — though one child was nearby making snowmen with the heavy snow.

As with similar protests over the years, UMass officials say they don’t comment on active negotiations.

“The university continues to bargain in good faith and has deep respect for the collective bargaining process,” reads a statement issued by Melinda Rose, a campus spokeswoman.

Nick Chavez, treasurer for AFSCME 1776, said he would advocate for his workers, including those who do maintenance work, as well as the skilled tradespeople, dining personnel and grounds crews.

“We fight so hard for people,” Chavez said. “All of them, all 1,400 or so, deserve a raise.”

He also has concerns with Reyes not supporting the unions. “These people are not showing up for us,” Chavez said. “We are hard workers with human needs.”

Chavez added that morale is low, a sentiment confirmed by McCullough. “People are really down,” she said.

While McCullough and others are frustrated with their union, she understands it might be better to direct her ire elsewhere.

“If the university’s to blame, that makes me twice as pissed,” McCullough said.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.