During the past few days there has been a flurry of reporting about the campaign that Workers and Students United has spearheaded to encourage the University to guarantee its lowest paid workers an indexed living wage. We are thrilled by the excitement that this campaign has generated for a broader, more inclusive vision for our University community - one that values the roles of workers and staff just as much as those of students and faculty.
A "living wage" is calculated to reflect the basic needs of an average family: a family of four with two full-time working adults and two dependent children. The calculations account for a family's basic expenses in seven categories: housing, food, transportation, health care, childcare, taxes and a miscellaneous category that covers things like utilities and clothing. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) calculates that in Charlottesville - where the cost of living is significantly higher than average - a family needs at least $4,000 per month to meet these needs. This means that both working adults need to earn a minimum of $11.44 per hour. This figure assumes basic employee benefits, such as health insurance.
It is important to understand that this figure is a bare minimum. For example, the EPI's estimates for food work out to only $1.50 per meal. Housing is estimated at a mere $847 per month, including the cost of heat. And these calculations don't leave room for irregular expenses, such as medical emergencies. Nor do they account for families that live on a single income, or who have elderly parents to care for. It is not uncommon for even full-time workers to find that little additional costs put them over the edge and out on the streets. According to the Bureau of Labor, today in America there are over 9 million full-time workers who fall under the federal poverty line.
The University currently guarantees a minimum wage of $10.14 per hour. This figure represents a substantial improvement from a few years ago, and we thank the administration for its part in raising the bar. But there are still 326 direct employees at the University that earn less than a living wage of $11.44 per hour. Many of them have to work two jobs just to make ends meet, and we have encountered more than a few of them in community soup kitchens.
And that's just "direct" employees. The University also has thousands of "contracted" employees - such as much of the dining, construction, and janitorial staff - who make even less, as low as $9.00 per hour, and often receive no benefits whatsoever. This is unacceptable. We believe it is a matter of honor to ensure that our contracted employees receive the same basic wages that we ensure for our direct employees who do the same tasks. It should not be too much to ask that we hold all employees to the same standards.
The City of Charlottesville adopted a living wage ordinance for both its direct and contracted employees, who are now guaranteed a minimum of $11.44 per hour. We are calling on the University to follow the City's lead and instate a living wage indexed to inflation. We are pleased that members of City Council, including Mayor Dave Norris, have supported us in this effort. We believe that a living wage is not a matter of charity but a matter of justice; it is about making sure that people earn enough for their hard work so that they do not need charity. We believe that no American who works full-time should have to rely on food and housing subsidies from taxpayers' coffers.
Our purpose, however, is not to antagonize the University administration but to begin constructive dialogue with them. We have received excellent education from this institution, and we are eager to put it to work to better our community. We have been heartened by conversations with Colette Sheehy, vice president for management and budget, and Chief Human Resource Officer Susan Carkeek, who have expressed enthusiasm for the prospect of improving the lives of the employees that work so hard to make our prestigious university all that it is.
We have also encountered some hesitation on the administration's part, mostly concerning the legality of a state entity instating a living wage ordinance. On this matter we have consulted with legal experts who assure us that the Board of Visitors would be entirely within its rights to put such an ordinance in place. Indeed, in addition to the City of Charlottesville, other locales like the City of Alexandria, Arlington County and the City of Richmond have all done exactly that. We are excited about encouraging the University to follow suit.
Some suggest that, given the context of the economic downturn, now is not the time to raise wages. We argue that this is precisely the time to raise wages, as workers who make less than $11.44 per hour are the ones who have been most negatively affected. Furthermore, raising wages for the working class is one of the best ways to stimulate a local economy. Economists who have studied the effects of minimum wage hikes in New Jersey, Sante Fe and Baltimore have shown that it actually decreases unemployment. Also, a living wage has been found to cut business costs by reducing turnover and increasing productivity. These findings have been defended by Nobel laureate economists Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz.
Where will the money come from? The administration estimates that it would cost around $900,000 per year. This is a pittance compared to the money we shell out for much less important things, such as bonuses for underperforming coaches. We recognize that the money won't just appear; but we are eager to be innovative about shifting the priorities of our current budget to put existing money where it's needed most. If we can't manage this task, then our expensive educations have come to naught. We call on the administration to accept our invitation to work together to achieve this.
A living wage is not just about a number: A living wage is about a richer, more just community, where workers are treated with dignity for their part in making our University excellent. A living wage rejects the notion that a product or service can be valued apart from the labor that goes into making it. A living wage, in the end, is about democracy; it is about making budgets and businesses and economies work for the everyday people whose lives they effect.
We want you to join us in carrying this banner. If you have any questions or want more information, please e-mail living.wage.at.uva@gmail.com.
Jason Hickel is a member of Workers and Students United. He is a doctoral candidate in the College.
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