Statement from President Sullivan on Living Wage
Living Wage Coalition Response to President Sullivan
April 20, 2011
University of Virginia students held a rally Wednesday afternoon to promote a wage increase for the University's lowest-paid employees.
The student-run Living Wage Coalition insists that all workers be paid enough money to support their families and live in Charlottesville. Wednesday's events included a protest outside President Teresa Sullivan's office in Madison Hall.
On Tuesday, Sullivan issued a statement entitled "Commitment to Lowest-Paid Employees" that detailed a five percent increase in minimum pay from $10.14 to $10.65, effective July 1. Furthermore, her office has requested the 2011/2012 budget include a pay increase for the University's lowest-paid employees that will kick in with salary increases scheduled for November 25, 2011.
"I am committed to improving the salaries of our lowest-paid employees, and I hope to be able to do so in concrete terms when I present my first budget to the Board of Visitors in June. The competitive position of the University requires that we attend to issues of compensation," said the newly inaugurated president.
The University will revise the current subsidy for employees earning less than $40,000. It will extend the program to include employees earning less than $42,000, reflecting the five percent increase on July 1.
In a response to President Sullivan's letter, the Living Wage Coalition expressed its displeasure with the stated five percent increase.
"This deceptively obscures the fact that this increase is not a raise at all. This increase is state-mandated to make up for the new 5% loss of employee income to the Virginia Retirement System."
President Sullivan's statement and the Living Wage response are attached above and can be read, in full, here and here.
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