UW raises minimum wage to $11 per hour for all student workers
(UW Press Release) T
he University of Washington announced today it is increasing the minimum pay for its student workers to $11 an hour, effective April 1, 2015, consistent with its announcement March 31 that it was moving 70 non-student staff earning below $11 to the new level. Approximately 2,600 student workers are affected.
This will create an number of problems. For example current state law does not permit the UW to raise student fees a sufficient level to cover the costs of the wage increase. Some cuts will have to be made despite calls by the $15 movement to “Let’s keep up the pressure and ensure student workers are on a path to a $15 minimum wage, like all other Seattle workers, and for the cost of the raise to come from reducing bloated administrative salaries, NOT by increasing student fees or reducing programs.”
“I am grateful to student leadership and the Services and Activities Fee Committee for their work on this matter,” said UW Interim President Ana Mari Cauce. “I know they faced some hard choices, but I am pleased that we can now increase the minimum wage of all of our student workers — regardless of their source of funding. In doing so, we are acknowledging the spirit of Seattle’s effort and our commitment to treat every employee fairly. Future increases may be more difficult to accomplish, but with continued input from our students we will make every effort to be in synch with the city that is so much a part of our identity.”