The Associated Students of Madison Coordinating Council welcomed speakers from the Wisconsin Union Trustees Wednesday evening, before discussing increasing ASM wages.
Union President Deshawn McKinney and Vice President of Internal Relations Adan Abu-Hakmeh spoke to the council about how the two groups can have an improved relationship this year because they have “historically not been friends,” according to McKinney.
He expressed the Union’s intent to reach out to groups that typically do not feel a connection to the unions. Both trustees emphasized wanting a “living room of campus” for students.
McKinney said his goal was to start conversations early and improve communication throughout the semester.
ASM Chair Carmen Goséy also launched a presentation about changing ASM’s wage system and raising wages to meet federal law and university policy.
Members of ASM are currently paid on a stipend system based on a percentage of tuition. Due to the tuition freeze, however, this system caused ASM wages to fall below the federally mandated $7.25 per hour.
Goséy said that there could be “no discussion” if there needed to be a wage raise, because “federal law supersedes ASM bylaws.” Council members also discussed moving to an hourly wage versus the stipend method, and not only raising the wage to a mandatory $7.25 per hour, but raising ASM wages to $9 an hour to meet the new university-wide standard.
Some council members objected to these changes. Currently, council members may work more than a part-time amount of hours every week, or small amounts between classes, and some were concerned about being able to track this and pay positions appropriately.
Others raised ethical concerns that members of the board are voting to give themselves a raise that, even to meet standards set by federal law, would mean they need to dip into reserve money to fund.
“To raise it up to the federal minimum wage, it will increase the budget by $20,000,” Goséy said.
Student Council will vote on the wage raise at next week’s meeting.
