UVa President Agrees to Meet with Hunger Strikers

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Posted: 6:41 PM Feb 23, 2012 UVa President Agrees to Meet with Hunger Strikers University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan has agreed to meet with student protesters with the Living Wage Campaign to hear their demands for a minimum wage of $13 an hour for all university employees. Email Address: news@newsplex.com

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February 23, 2012

University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan has agreed to meet with student protesters with the Living Wage Campaign on Monday to hear their demands for a minimum wage of $13/hour before benefits for all university employees.

The group went on a hunger strike last Saturday and said they would not start eating again until all employees are paid a living wage. The protest, entering its sixth day on Friday, has grown to almost two dozens students.

In a statement released last week, Sullivan wrote: "The actual current minimum starting pay for an entry-level employee, including the average level of health benefits, is $14.55 per hour, exceeding the students' demand by $1.55 per hour."

However, members of the Living Wage Campaign have said those numbers are misleading. Again, the meeting will be on Monday, Feb. 27.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Leonard on Feb 26, 2012 at 03:24 PM

The use of a cliche (accurate, by the way) has nothing to do with the substance of my statements. UVA should not have to take responsibility for students engaging in risk-taking behaviors. UVA should not cave in to this type of behavior. Or next time the students want something, they'll stage another hunger strike (or other inappropriate form of acting out) until they get what they want.

Posted by: G on Feb 26, 2012 at 10:17 AM

Perhaps you should take some time off and come back when you can discuss an issue without relying on tired, worn out clichés...

Posted by: jim Location: cville on Feb 25, 2012 at 11:27 PM

These are the kinds of tensions that develop when workers have been denied the right to bargain collectively. The workers have no voice. If representatives of the workers could meet and bargain with UVA Human Resources, a dignified process would lead to a mutual understanding. Neither the students nor the President would be involved.

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