UNC-Chapel Hill workers fear returning to campus amid pandemic

David Brannigan, who has worked for 16 years as a groundskeeper at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said Thursday that it's not feasible to bring maintenance and custodial workers back to campus in a little over four weeks without an extensive safety plan in place.

"Sitting in your office processing grants? That’s not that dangerous," Brannigan said. "Being on campus, emptying trash cans, being around when thousands of students change classes, that exposes groundskeepers, electricians, plumbers, that exposes them to a very great and real danger."

UNC Chapel Hill says 3 feet is enough space for upcoming semester.

Housekeepers could be at greatest risk from the pandemic once the fall semester starts, he said.

"I've made inquiries about what’s being done to protect housekeeping, who are predominantly Black and minority workers," he said. "I've heard nothing."

"We are prioritizing the health and safety of our campus community, including all of our employees, in all of our plans for the Fall 2020 academic semester," Becci Menghini, vice chancellor for human resources and equal opportunity and compliance, said in a statement.