Sample Alumni Letter
Dear President Casteen,
As an alumnus/a of the University of Virginia, I urge you to implement a living wage of $10.72/hr (adjusted annually for inflation), plus benefits, for everyone working for the University, whether directly employed, hired as casual labor, or subcontracted to outside firms.
It is unconscionable for people to be working full-time and receive wages which are inadequate to support a family living in Charlottesville. The University should be a model employer, and set an example for young future leaders of the business and political worlds.
Regulatory intervention is not essential to achieve adequate working conditions when an employer has the resources. The University should take the high moral ground on this issue, rather than deferring to "market" forces. Surely, a university with the twentieth largest endowment in the nation can afford to pay its workers a living wage. I am ashamed that the University of Virginia is taking the position it has and will not make any further financial contributions unless it makes this issue a priority.
Sincerely,

Sample 2006 Grad Letter
Dear President Casteen,
As a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Virginia, I urge you to implement a living wage of $10.72/hr (adjusted annually for inflation), plus benefits, for everyone working for the University, whether directly employed, hired as casual labor, or subcontracted to outside firms.
It should be embarrassing to the University to be among the richest educational institutions in the nation and yet not pay its workers enough to live on. The University demands the highest level of achievement from its students, chooses faculty with only the finest academic credentials, and employees staff members who work tirelessly to keep the students fed, buildings immaculate and Grounds pristine.
In our time here you have challenged us to live up to our highest potentials, and now we are asking you to do this same. This means that UVA shouldn?t just be comfortable paying a "decent" wage or a wage that is consistent with "market trends," but rather should strive to pay wages that acknowledge the high basic cost of supporting a family in Charlottesville.
I believe that the University, as the largest employer in the region, has the opportunity and obligation to be a leader in addressing the 25% poverty rate in Charlottesville. I am ashamed that your administration is taking the position it has and I refuse to make any financial contributions unless it alters its stance. I will encourage my fellow graduates to do the same.
Sincerely,