To All Potential and Current Charlottesville City Council Members, Democratic and Republican:

I write from the Staff Union at UVA/ Communications Workers of America (SUUVA/CWA).

I ask if all of you, when elected, will support the living wage campaign--at UVA and within the city of Charlottesville. This campaign has been in our city for many years now. The University of Virginia still refuses to pay a living wage to some of their own employees and to most of their contract workers. This is unacceptable. These hard workers are part of our community. They live here, pay taxes, raise their children, shop here, pay car taxes and perhaps most importantly-vote.

The UVA Living Wage Coalition, the United Students Against Sweatshops, SUUVA/CWA, and GLU-CWA (Graduate Labor Union) ask for your support in the coming year. The University is the largest employer in our area. Because they refuse to pay a living wage ($10.00 + health care) our social services are being strained to the max. It continues to astound me that a wealthy university cannot pay a wage that people can live on. UVA's president John Casteen continues to blame it on "state laws", Jerry Kilgore, the legislators. This is a cop out. If President Casteen truly cared about his community and his employees he would go to Richmond himself and change any so-called laws that he feels impedes him to pay a living wage.

It all seems fairly simple to me. Any vendor wanting to do business with any state agency would be required to pay a living wage. Period. We have bigwigs on the UVA Board of Visitors. Yet not one of them, with all their power, has put forth a bill for a living wage for Virginians. I realize it is political. That the state Chambers of Commerce don't want this to happen. I understand all the roadblocks. However, with folks living in shelters, under bridges, in cars with their kids, I find it difficult to understand why our politicians don't want our citizens to do better for their families.

So in the coming months I ask all of you to stand with us, to stand UP with us, to insist on a living wage for all workers in Charlottesville, Albemarle and all surrounding counties. We are ramping up this initiative. We will not let it go away. If you want to represent citizens in our area, I suggest you get behind a living wage. Even if certain potential city counselors work for UVA. It is time for everyone to stop being afraid of the big pink elephant at the end of Main Street. And of the big political machine in Capital Square in Richmond. We refuse to let Charlottesville become part of the "rush to the bottom" and "WalMarting".

Jan Cornell (electronic mail, March 5, 2004)
President
Staff Union at UVA