On Sunday, the United Campus Workers Virginia (“UCWVA”) chapter at UVA held a town hall on the state of wages for UVA staff and student workers. About two dozen community members gathered in the Central Branch Library’s Swanson Room to speak about their concerns with pay under the University. The union had members present to articulate the goals of their upcoming Living Wage campaign.
UCWVA representatives began with a round of speeches by five members highlighting their newest initiative. A graphic designer for the University — who asked to be referred to only as Julia — introduced attendees to the team assembled to alleviate struggles faced by workers: “We are your local campus workers union, and we are working to make UVA the best it can be. The best school, the best workplace, and the best community partner: through solidarity and collaboration,” Julia explained, “which is why today we are proud to announce the launch of our new Living Wage campaign.”
During this initial presentation, the union emphasized its history of fighting for higher wages, citing past victories for UVA workers’ unions as proof of their efficacy. Though never officially acknowledged by the University, faculty and student workers succeeded in bringing the minimum wage for UVA jobs from $6.50 in 1998 to $15 in 2020 through protests and community outreach. The union’s efforts even included a 2012 hunger strike, which garnered nationwide attention. Though today there is no active bargaining between UVA and its staff, UCWVA says community involvement is necessary to keep wages comparable to the rising cost of living.
Gabriel Costello, a graduate worker, stated that he has observed his colleagues “live paycheck to paycheck while working for one of the wealthiest universities on Earth” as prices in Charlottesville continue to rise. Costello projected to the crowd: “Janitors, TAs, instructors, nurses, facility workers, food service workers, deserve to be cut in on the immense prosperity that they have helped create. The only way this will happen is with a union contract.”
The presentation went on to explain the gap between current pay and the local living wage. With housing and retail prices rising rapidly in the Charlottesville area, a single Charlottesville resident would need to make nearly $25 per hour — $10 or more over the average starting pay at the University — to cover the basic costs of living. After the main speakers concluded, the floor was opened for community members to speak on how this gap has impacted their lives.
“I just feel like I’m always on the edge of being out on the street,” said Sage Bradburn, who claimed that UVA’s policies led to her missing out on raises twice in her 16 years working as a graduate coordinator for the biology department. Bradburn recounted the struggles of raising her child in a one-bedroom apartment due to the stagnation in her income. One of her concerns is how employees may be missing out on benefits due to deadlines in annual raises, which she says are often hidden: “One of the things that HR people don’t tell you is if you change jobs in the second half of the year, you miss the annual pay increase.”
“The University would fall apart if we didn’t have staff people who know the policies, know the regulations, know how to do all the work on the platforms that we use,” Bradburn said, emphasizing that staff should be given a voice concerning the University’s compensation policies. “We want to make sure that everyone who works at UVA can afford to be part of the community of Charlottesville,” she concluded.
While the University has recently faced difficulties with funding, Julia says that relieving the burden of daily expenses on the workers who keep the University running is a “strategic investment”. Without such an investment, staff who feel excluded from the school’s expansion and growing wealth are questioning when they will receive the cut they need to continue contributing to the University community.
UCWVA will be mounting a march for a living wage on October 24th. The march will begin at Bryan Hall at 1 p.m. and will feature the delivery of notecards written by town hall attendees to administrators on Grounds.
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