After two days of online voting, UW-Madison students have elected five new student representatives to the Associated Students of Madison and passed a controversial referendum that could possibly raise segregated fees.
In the contest for class representatives, freshmen chose Tim Vlieststa and Sol Grosskotf to represent their class, with Lauren Uhl coming in as a runner up. UW-Madison graduate student Ryan Rusk will represent non-Letters and Science graduate students.
Two spots on the Student Segregated Fees Committee were also open. UW-Madison junior and political science major Kellie Sanders won one of these spots, while UW-Madison freshman David Lapidus secured the other. UW-Madison freshman Olivia Pszeniczny was runner up for the SSFC position.
Also on the ASM ballot was a referendum to decide whether to increase the wages of limited-term employees working at the campus' student unions, recreational facilities and University Health Services. Currently, the employees have a minimum wage of $7.30 an hour. The referendum, which passed 1,379 to 612, will raise the minimum wage of limited-term employees to $10 an hour.
The difference in wages amounts to a $650,000 total, according to Wisconsin Union Director Mark Kennedy. Kennedy said this could mean a $9-per-student increase in segregated fees. If segregated fees do not fund the wage increase, Union programs could be cut or the price of services and food could be increased.
The Student Labor Action Coalition sponsored the referendum and maintains the referendum will not increase student segregated fees.
