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Do you support flat dollar raises for campus workers?

FLAT DOLLAR RAISES
Percentage raises are unfair because they disproportionately benefit the people who already make the most. While the President would receive nearly $10,500, many secretaries, custodians, and teaching staff would get as little as $1000. Over 30% of Tennesseans working full time make less than the poverty line. In a time of unprecedented income inequality, we shouldn't be using our community tax dollars to make the rich richer while the poor get poorer. What we need is a flat dollar raise.

EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK
Knoxville was rated the third worst city in the US for working women, with a 38% wage gap between women and men's incomes. A 2005 study found that UT women faculty made only 75% of their male peers' salary. We know that many of UT's lowest paid positions are worked primarily by women. Percentage raises will only worsen the gendered wage gap. Flat dollar raises will start to close it, helping everyone who doesn't make enough to get by, while also overcoming unequal pay to women for their work.

UNITED CAMPUS WORKERS
www.ucw-cwa.org

Do you support flat dollar raises for campus workers?

General Assembly Passes Budget, Pay Raise

Last year, a minimum raise was provided by both systems, 2500 TBR workers who made less than $12.82 an hour received at least $750, and at UT, workers won increases in base pay to $8.50 and a flat minimum raise of $1000 for other employees, providing UT's lowest paid workers almost $2500 more a year.

These were important steps. It would be a shame for campus workers to see less than these minimum raises in 2012. With rising food and gas prices, and higher out-of-pocket insurance expenses, the cost of working for higher education is more than many UT and TBR workers can afford. All of us have the human right to earn at least a living wage.

United Campus Workers is urging all higher education employees to contact our system chiefs, and ask that they distribute this raise as an equal dollar amount. It is the decent thing to do.

Contact UT President DiPietro: HERE

Contact TBR Chancellor Morgan: HERE

General Assembly Passes Budget, Pay Raise

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Contingent and Adjunct Caucus blog is launched

Contingent and Adjunct Caucus blog is launched

Pray for TTU | Interfaith Witness | One Tech Family | Fairness for All

There will be an interfaith prayer vigil for Tennessee Tech, President Bob Bell, and Tech custodians on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 5pm on the Tech Quad. As many of you may have read, the university has taken the next step towards outsourcing custodial jobs to Service Solutions, part of the UK-based conglomerate Compass Group, and are now in negotiations with them. We invite you to join us on MONDAY, February 13th at 5 PM (CENTRAL) on the Quad to pray:
*For leaders to make the right decision and keep custodians in the Tech family,
*For custodians to have strength and courage, and
*For faculty, staff, and students who will also be affected by this decision. The university isn't outsourcing just a group of people, they are outsourcing our family.

Off-campus folks can find parking along 8th and 9th St or Jefferson Ave (parallel to Dixie Ave). The Quad runs between Derryberry Hall (William L Jones Dr off Dixie Ave) and 7th St.

Pray for TTU | Interfaith Witness | One Tech Family | Fairness for All

Tennessee Tech Moves to Outsource Custodial Services, Balancing Budget with 80 Workers’ Lives

Much could have been done to avoid this bad outsourcing decision. As campuses around the state and country utilize student fees to generate energy savings through efficiency, Tech as an institution – under the leadership of Dr. Claire Stinson, Vice President for Business and Planning, and President Bell – is headed for the shoals. Just last Wednesday, Governor Bill Haslam announced, “Increasing energy efficiency in state government will help us be even better stewards of both taxpayer dollars and our environment.” Compared to other schools like ETSU and UT Knoxville, which made cutting supply costs and energy expenses a key part of their response to the budget crisis of the recession, Tech chooses instead to cut costs on the backs of some of the least paid people on campus. “I can’t support my household on minimum wage – it’s just not possible,” said another custodian, the sole wage earner for her family. "Plus we know there are ways to stop this, and things that can fill the budget gap, like the energy savings that the students themselves chose."

In addition, outsourcing with Service Solutions is exactly the decision that the Knox County School Board just voted against. In their meeting November 2, board members voted 5‐4 not to enter into a contract with Service Solutions, despite heavy lobbying. Years ago, UT Knoxville canceled their contract with Service Solutions after a disastrous beginning. Why is Tech buying into the losers?

Despite what Tech officials project about cost savings with this outsourcing move, past experience has shown that the costs come back. The cost to the Cookeville community by a major employer from lost jobs and lost health insurance strains the already fragile social safety net. In addition, Tech will spend money on employee turnover, repeated training, and contract overages, and the state will be charged immeasurable money in the way of buildings deteriorating from poor upkeep. Taxpayers are handing over tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure to a company whose mission is to realize its own short‐term profits.

Tennessee Tech Moves to Outsource Custodial Services, Balancing Budget with 80 Workers’ Lives