Associated Students of Madison Nominations Board Chair Megan Phillips supported a resolution to raise the minimum wage for all campus jobs at a Student Council meeting Wednesday.
The resolution would increase salaries to better match a living wage for UW-Madison tuition, following the track of the national minimum wage campaign Fight for $15.
“The discussion is not a political one, the discussion is using wages as a way to pay back tuition,” Phillips said.
Student Services Finance Committee Chair Devon Maier said Council members need to be “realistic and pragmatic,” about where the increase in funds would originate from, and said he wondered if segregated fees alone could support the wages.
Field said he was still uncertain over how the wage increase would be funded, while Phillips said it isn’t the students’ job to decide.
“First of all, it shouldn’t be on the backs of students,” Phillips said. “It’s not necessarily our responsibility to figure that out.”
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Darrell Bazzell said in a university statement there could be ongoing effects from wage increases.
“Extending the living wage to student hourly employees would carry additional costs in the range of $12 million to $13 million," Bazzell said in the statement. "Because many of these wages are paid with funding from student fees, we would need a thorough discussion with students about potential implications for programs and services.”
The resolution passed 15-1 with three abstentions. It will next be sent to Chancellor Rebecca Blank for approval.
Field said he feared there would be a lack of state funding for the Wisconsin Grant, which is need-based financial aid for UW System students. He proposed a resolution that calls for additional state funding for the grant.
“It’s enough of a problem that thousands of students who are eligible for the Wisconsin Grant, don’t get one now, on an annual basis,” Field said. “They’ve also been decreasing the amount of the award to try and accommodate more of the students that would otherwise fall through the cracks.”
The resolution passed unanimously and will be sent to the Joint Committee on Finance, various legislators and UW System President Ray Cross.
UW-Madison Dean of Students Lori Berquam and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Sarah Mangelsdorf stifled rumors surrounding the potential effects of the proposed state budget and the updated campus strategic framework.
The framework prioritizes the Wisconsin Experience and resource stewardship, which emphasizes the necessity of environmental sustainability on campus.
