NEWS
Wage increase could violate policy
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by Andriy Pazuniak
Thursday, March 23, 2006
A referendum aiming to raise the wages of workers employed at many University of Wisconsin organizations might violate university policy if approved, according to one UW administrator.
The referendum in question, if approved by a student vote next week, would not allow the Associated Students of Madison to allocate student-segregated fee funding to university agencies that do not pay all employees a "living wage."
The university agencies that would be affected by the referendum are referred to as "auxiliary budgets," and include the Wisconsin Unions, recreational sports and University Health Services.
The goal of the referendum, sponsored by the Student Labor Action Coalition, is to ensure all UW employees are paid a "living wage," defined as a wage equal to or greater than 110 percent of the most recent federal poverty line.
However, Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell said the referendum would, in effect, cut student government participation out of the segregated fee process for auxiliary budgets.
Unlike allocable budgets, which include student organizations, Bazzell said ASM only has the right to make funding recommendations to the chancellor for auxiliary budgets and cannot make direct allocation decisions.
"Students have the right to advise the chancellor, but do not enjoy the right to approve or disapprove those budgets," Bazzell said, referring to auxiliary budgets.
By saying ASM could not make recommendations on auxiliary budgets for organizations that do not pay a living wage, Bazzell claimed ASM would simply be removing themselves from the process.
However, SLAC representative Joel Feingold said it has not been stipulated by the state government or courts whether students have the right to determine funding levels for auxiliary budgets.
"The only thing that has been litigated before has been allocable fees," he added.
Feingold added the issue would have to be resolved by state courts if the UW administration attempts to block the referendum, if approved.
Anonymous (March 23, 2006 @ 7:37am):
We aren't removing ourselves from the process--instead, Bascom has to actively choose to disregard the student body and go behind our backs. Thus it is not students taking ourselves out, it would be Wiley (or his replacement) taking us out.
And I love how BH writes "news" articles to push their agenda. The title alone is anti-SLAC and is intended to encourage a certain vote next week.
Anonymous (March 23, 2006 @ 8:37am):
Even if this was not against UW System and UW-Madison policy, there is no provision to pay for it. The only way is to either raise segregated fees, the cost of services or cut services or all three. It will likely mean laying off staff -- so how is this going to help again?
Anonymous (March 23, 2006 @ 12:46pm):
In fact it is not against UW policy. Currently, LTEs can make up to the rate minimum for classified staff--that unfortunately is less than a living wage. However, by the time this initiative could be enacted, the rate min will have been boosted to above the living wage mark. There goes your illegality argument. Bam!
Anonymous (March 23, 2006 @ 1:05pm):
I work at the memorial union
and its obvious that the administrators make money off of paying sub-level wages,
so for Bazzell or Bozo or any uw administrator to try and subvert the rights of students to determine how their own money is spent means its time to get some different administrators who actually value their students and their decision making process.
Why doesn't Bazzell work a job for $7.25 per hour for the next year, and then lets see what he has to say.
another pissed off lte
Anonymous (March 23, 2006 @ 10:40pm):
Dear pissed off lte:
If you don't like the wages...QUIT!!! Damn...we don't live in the soviet union, you have the right to quit! Why the hell don't you quit? Find another higher paying job? If the standard of living is too high in Madison, MOVE! In Hartford, you can get a two bedroom apartment for 600 dollars a month...the prices are even cheaper in other states like MT and UT. So MOVE. Stop whinning. If everyone quit and no one wanted to work at your wage, then they would be forced to raise the wage. You are keeping the system low. So please, LTE, quit and give your job to someone who will appreciate it.
Thank you
