UW-Madison will raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour for all employees paid hourly starting in the spring of 2020.
For university employees, the current minimum wage is $13.27 per hour, a wage the university sees as not accurately compensating employees in order to keep up with living wages in the City of Madison.
The higher wage will primarily affect employees in animal care, food service and custodial positions. Student and temporary employees will not receive this pay increase, according to the university.
“The increase in our minimum wage is a key part of our strategy for helping the university recruit and retain high-quality workers,” Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in a press release. “Employees who will benefit from this increase make important contributions to our teaching, research and outreach missions.”
The university hopes a higher wage will help them keep workers in a competitive labor market.
UW-Madison announced this proposal the same day Gov. Evers proposed raising minimum wage for state employees to $15 per hour — the current federal minimum wage being $7.25 an hour.
General purpose and program revenue will pay for the raise in minimum wage, costing the university approximately $1.1 million.
