Chancellor Endorses Living Wage for All U of A Employees

News Statement — For immediate release — For more information

A point in the 10th and final section of the University of Arkansas chancellor’s “Focus on the Future” planning analysis recommends all employees have a living wage of $30,000 a year. This is earning strong praise from the school’s union.

Professor Bret Schulte, president of UA-Fayetteville Education Association/Local 965, applauds Chancellor Joe Steinmetz for committing “the University to providing Living Wages ($30,000/year) to all university employees.”

“We are looking forward to the plan he promises to unveil in the next few months. We are encouraged by his commitment to the employees that make the University of Arkansas the premier institution of higher education in the state — and for rising to the challenge universities are meant to address, the promotion of fairness, social improvement, and prosperity for all,” Schulte said Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

[Update] The university announced the 10th section on March 11.

Local 965, representing the faculty and staff of the University of Arkansas, has waged a Living Wage campaign since spring 2018, gathering nearly a thousand signatures in support of a minimum hourly wage of $14.42 per hour for UA employees. That hourly rate, drawn for a year of 40-hour work weeks, comes to just under $30,000.

The key paragraph from Action Item 10 of Steinmetz’s white paper reads as follows:

“It bears mentioning that we’ve also been alarmed by high turnover in some positions. We need to have competitive wages. In order to be a more responsive workplace, we’ve conducted an ongoing evaluation of our labor market rates to remain competitive. We are now working on a plan that we hope to unveil soon and begin to implement on July 1. A part of that plan is a commitment to providing a living wage, as best we can, for our employees. Our ultimate goal is to raise the minimum yearly salary for all full-time appointed U of A employees to $30,000.” 

Professor Mike Pierce, Local 965 vice president, called the Focus on the Future inclusion “great news,” adding, “Of course, the proof will be in the details as they are unveiled.”

“Local 965 continues to advocate for a safe and equitable workplace,” Schulte said. “We believe a Living Wage will aid in recruiting and retaining the very best employees to aid in the U of A’s mission to be a global leader in research, teaching and scholarship.”

The union has represented U of A staff and faculty since 1962.