This time next year, some Memorial Union limited-term employees may find themselves in full-time positions with benefits and higher pay.
If approved by Associated Students of Madison's Student Services Finance Committee, Chancellor Wiley and a to-be-formed campus committee, nine limited-term Memorial Union employee positions will convert to full-time positions, according to a Union statement.
'What we're hoping to accomplish is to provide more full-time employment for more people at the Wisconsin Union,' Union Director Mark Guthier said. 'We're hoping to lessen our dependence on limited-term employees.'
The Union will work closely with the forthcoming campus committee to develop a policy agreeable to both parties, according to the statement.
'We worked on this issue all of last semester, and we think what we've done is not only going to benefit the Union, but also the campus in the long run,' said Union Directorate Vice President and UW-Madison senior Eric Palm.
The Union has taken heat in the past for its employment of LTEs, both from campus groups and area political figures. Union Directorate President and UW-Madison senior Janell Wise said she thinks people often oversimplify the LTE issue.
Allegations of LTEs being paid poverty wages are simply not true, considering most have other financial means, according to Wise.
Currently, there are 122 Wisconsin Union LTEs. According to the statement, 85 LTEs have worked at the Union two years or longer; 69 of them are seasonal, special needs, retired, students or already working full-time elsewhere.
Student Labor Action Coalition member and UW-Madison junior Ashok Kumar said he disagreed.
He denounced the 'poverty wages' paid to Union LTEs and said those employees can essentially be hired and fired at will.
'It's a good first step, but there's no accountability to the students and workers that pressured [the Union] to do it in the first place,' said Kumar, who is running for Dane County Board.
Palm, however, said he remains hopeful for the improved LTE policy.
'I'm excited it happened,' Palm said. 'We worked hard on it and hopefully it'll make a difference on campus.'
