Just because Local 171 Steward Mark Thomas claims something does not mean it is true. In his letter to the editor, Thomas once again is disingenuously claiming limited-term employee abuse at the Wisconsin Union and is using this as leverage to oppose the student-led effort to pass Wisconsin Union Facilities Improvement Plan this Spring. The plan aims to renovate and preserve the historic ambience of Memorial Union, and build a new more functional, appealing and energy-efficient green south campus union.
Once and for all, let us state the actual facts about LTEs employed at the Wisconsin Union.
Not all LTEs work full-time. That's why they are LTEs. Mr. Thomas would have you believe that every LTE is working the maximum amount of hours allowed and is working a full-time equivalent and is getting paid the minimum. That is simply not true.
The vast majority, approximately 80 percent, of LTEs employed by the Wisconsin Union are seasonal: Hoofer sailing instructors and pier installation workers, Union Theater ushers, additional help during the busy summer season, including students who are not in summer school, and special needs workers.
In fact, of the 68 LTEs currently working at the Union, more than half actually qualify for benefits. So, the situation is hardly as pervasive and abusive as Mr. Thomas asserts.
Also, over the past several years, the Union has been working to either convert these positions to full time positions, or hire students to perform these jobs.
In addition, Union Council, the Union's ruling body that has a student majority, has already adopted a new policy establishing new guidelines for hiring LTEs and monitoring their status to ensure compliance, and has already committed $150,000 in the Union's budget for next year to convert some LTE positions to full-time, with all the corresponding benefits.
Though Mr. Thomas is fully aware of the actions the Union has taken to address LTE's in the past semester, he still continues to mislead and misrepresent. While Mr. Thomas accuses the Union of blowing smoke, he's actually yelling fire where one does not exist.
