Beshear ‘concerned,’ wants more information about University of Kentucky layoffs

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he wants transparency on what issues led the University of Kentucky to terminate over 900 dining employees, even though UK says it will rehire those employees.

During Beshear’s news conference Thursday, he expressed concern over whether those employees will be rehired and have bargaining rights, and whether the university had reason to terminate them.

Aramark notified 890 hourly workers and 36 salary workers at UK last month that they were being laid off because UK was ending its partnership with the company, which provides food services to a wide range of universities. UK is ending its contract with Aramark three years early, said Jay Blanton, spokesperson for UK.

“I want to learn more about the steps that UK is taking and why before commenting or criticizing if they had problems with the current vendor, if there were issues with the contract,” Beshear said.

The university is seeking a new company to oversee not only food workers, but also maintenance and custodial staff, according to Blanton and UK’s website.

But the institution has not said if there were issues with Aramark.

“I am concerned about the formation of a new LLC and the proposed move of a lot of public sector employees there,” Beshear said.

Once again, he called on UK to take its workers into account.

“I think we’ve got to recognize the hard work that so many people put in from our universities to other parts of our economy, and to make sure that we’re not just thinking about how those at the top are doing, we’re really thinking about those that work hard every day,” Beshear said.

In April, he criticized UK President Eli Capilouto’s growing authority and said a university’s presidential tenure could “end in a very difficult way.” He also said he was “losing confidence” in the institution’s management after the university hired its incoming law school dean despite opposition from faculty, and offered a job to retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart that came with an almost $1 million salary.

Other layoffs in healthcare, family services

Layoffs within UK due to “restructuring” are also affecting workers who provide HIV/AIDS services and support for low-income parents across Kentucky, according to other termination notices.

June 30 marks the closure of the Kentucky Income Reinvestment Program’s Target4 Project, which has provided resources for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment for eight years, and partnered with UK. Its 61 employees will be laid off. There are plans to create a new, similar program, according to KIRP’s website.

UK’s Targeted Assessment Program, which supports low-income parents facing mental health and family hardships, will lose 36 employees on the same date, also to layoffs.

Blanton said UK will attempt to employ any employees who are being terminated, but it’s not definite.

“The University is working with those impacted by the loss of this funding and the positions about whether there are other job opportunities with the University or whether they prefer to find employment elsewhere,” Blanton said.

This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 4:34 PM.