Pictured above on the steps of South Building, Marsha Tinnen and Barbara Prear formed the UNC Housekeepers Association in the spring of 1991 to advocate for better pay, benefits and working conditions. Mobilizing their fellow housekeepers and allies across the UNC community in rallies and marches , they ultimately spearheaded a lawsuit against UNC for racial discrimination, a case which made it to the Supreme Court by 1995.
In Hill Hall in November 1996, 300 housekeepers voted to accept a settlement from the university. The union victory inspired other people of color working for the Town of Chapel Hill in their own fight for better conditions. Today, the Employee Forum exists at UNC-Chapel Hill as a direct consequence of the HKA’s work.
For more, see Daily Tar Heel and WUNC articles reflecting on the 20th anniversary of this victory. UE Local 150, the NC Public Service Workers Union, has a written history of the protest.