Layoffs at UK, plans to rehire food workers, Gov. Beshear’s reaction: What to know
The University of Kentucky is parting ways with food service provider Aramark and shutting down two health programs, resulting in layoffs for more than 1,000 employees by June 30, though most of those aren’t expected to be permanent job losses.
Gov. Andy Beshear is now asking for transparency about the changes and what they mean for affected workers.
Here’s what to know about the changes:
- More than 900 dining employees at UK will be terminated from Aramark on June 30 as the university ends its 15-year contract early, but UK says it plans to hire all the laid off staff members through a new food service company.
- Gov. Andy Beshear said he is “concerned” about whether the workers will be rehired and retain bargaining rights, calling on UK to consider its workers in the transition.
- UK’s Targeted Assessment Program, which supported low-income parents facing mental health issues, substance use disorders and intimate partner violence, is ending due to discontinued funding, eliminating 36 positions on June 30.
- Union workers and faculty protested UK’s Integrate Blue plan, which would reassign marketing, communications and IT staff to Beyond Blue Corporation, citing lack of transparency about pay, benefits and union representation.
- The Kentucky Income Reinvestment Program, an HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment partnership launched in 2018, will close June 30 and lay off 61 employees, with a replacement nonprofit called the LINK Project set to launch July 1, 2026.
The summary points above are based on the reporting of Herald-Leader journalists. The roundup was produced with the assistance of AI. Herald-Leader reporters and an editor reviewed this story for accuracy. You can read more about our AI policy here.
This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 10:39 AM.