Today, a group of students came to Gerberding to express their disappointment that students were not included in the UW’s decision to bring all employees to Seattle’s $11-per-hour minimum wage that went into effect today. While I understand their disappointment, I want to clarify why we didn’t include students unilaterally in today’s action. Student fees pay for many of the student jobs on this campus. Before we commit to a policy that may increase expenses for all students or potentially eliminate some jobs in order to provide higher salaries for others, we need to consult with our students. That is our commitment to shared governance and important to our relationship with the students we serve over the long term. These consultations are under way and in a matter of weeks, not months, we’ll determine our path forward. We have a steadfast commitment on all of our campuses to providing flexible, meaningful work opportunities for students, a commitment we have demonstrated by adding hundreds of jobs over the past five years. Expect a final communication on this soon.
Ana Mari Cauce
Interim President
Professor of Psychology and American Ethnic Studies