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ITS ABOUT PRIORITIES! Pay your workers a living wage!
For the past 4 years, Students for Staff (SFS) has been leading a living wage campaign at Miami University.
Their goal? Be a part of a campus community that treats its workers with respect and dignity, and one that contributes positively to the local economy and the working people that keep it functioning.
In the past, when the issue of fighting poverty and implementing a living wage has come up, administrators have responded by saying, "Not here, Not now".
SFS and students on campus won't stand for that! Over the past school year, SFS has built more power, a stronger organization, and broader support from on/off campus individuals and organizations because they believe their Miami University is, can, and should be better than minimum and poverty level wages.
Recently, the Graduate Student Association, University Senate, and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown have come out in support of the Living Wage campaign!
As the momentum grows, we need YOUR HELP to email and/or call President Hodge with the following message:
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: You Can Make A Living Wage a Reality at Miami University!
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
Dear President Hodge,
I urge you to accept and implement the Living Wage policy proposed by Students for Staff at the meeting on April 15th, 2008. The eyes of students and leaders across the country are focused on the choice you make this week. This is your chance to make Miami University an example of what a model university can be. Your leadership on this issue is crucial and will be seen as an example of what a sustainable and responsible campus/community relationship can be.
While I hope that you will listen to the well researched and clear asks that Students for Staff are making, I am committed to staying engaged and follow future developments on this campaign and doing what's in my power to raise the profile of this fight for social and economic justice.
Thank you in advance for your support of the students and staff who are the heart and soul of Miami University.
Signed by:
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Campaign Launched:
April 14, 2008
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The base pay rate for a full-time Miami employee is $9.00 per hour, which translates to a yearly salary of just over $18,000 before taxes.
- 32 Miami full-time classified staff live under 100% of the federal poverty line.
- 112 Miami full-time classified staff live under 130% of the federal poverty line.
- 449 of Miami?s full-time classified staff (nearly 1/3 of the full-time classified staff) live under 200% of the federal poverty line.
It is widely known that the federal poverty line does not address the reality of impoverishment. For instance, the federal poverty line for a single wage earner with one dependent is set at $13,200. Since the numbers for the federal poverty line are egregiously low and unrealistic, social and federal aide agencies set other annual salary marks that more accurately define levels of impoverishment. The 130% marker is commonly used for food stamps. Those workers underneath 200% of the federal poverty line are commonly classified as ?low income? workers. Furthermore, the 200% mark is where most social aide agencies stop providing help.
Of the 449 workers below 200% of the poverty line in 2007, we know that they average 2.3 dependents each. For ease in assessment, we have rounded that number down and looked into different living wage calculations for one wage earner and two dependents in southern Ohio.
The lives and families of our campus workers are priceless, we will not stop until we have ZERO workers under the poverty line!
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