General

second Vanderbilt Living Wage Demonstration

Saturday, 13 November 2004
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Organizer: Living Income for Vanderbilt Employees

Following the success of Wednesday’s demonstration to support a living wage, Vanderbilt students will hold a second rally and teach-in during the ongoing union negotiations.

The rally is organized by the student group Living Income for Vanderbilt Employees (LIVE) and will occur at 2:00 p.m. on November 13th at Vanderbilt Sarratt Student Center on the steps facing Vanderbilt Place. The rally is a sign of solidarity between those employed for poverty wages by the university and the rest of the Vanderbilt community.

In response to Wednesday’s rally, the Vanderbilt administration has consistently claimed that the workers’ benefits package is the redeeming factor of the university’s compensation plan. However, according to workers and faculty, the benefits package has been deteriorating over the past few years, placing a larger financial burden on employees. As low base wages have stagnated over the last three years, the employees are, in fact, receiving less total real compensation than they were several years ago.

In a professional survey of staff, the majority found that their pay does not “compare favorably with similar positions in [their] job market.” Vanderbilt received a significantly lower rating on this issue than the national average of comparable institutions.

In the spring of 2003, Chancellor Gordon Gee claimed that Vanderbilt is the “gold standard for employment.” Reality more closely resembles a “gold standard” of exploitation. Living wage supporters are rallying November 13th for a just compensation policy during Vanderbilt’s contract negotiations.

Location:
Sarratt Student Center, steps facing vanderbilt place