"Thanks to all of you for coming out today. On behalf of SUUVA, the Staff Union at UVA, I'd like to thank the other speakers and other sponsors of this rally: the Graduate Labor Union and Student Living Wage Campaign. I'd also like you to join me in thanking Jan Cornell, the President of SUUVA-CWA, who has done an amazing job of getting out the truth-the disconcerting truth-about what Chartered status portends for all of us, especially classified staff. The union's success in calling attention to this issue, in asking the University hard questions, in demanding that it be accountable to staff, in making sure that staff concerns are covered by the press, has been remarkable. This is why we need a union. Because it gives staff a voice. This is why you need to join the union. Because there is strength in numbers. Dues are $10.70/month, payroll deducted. Orange signup forms are right over there.

My name is Susan Fraiman. I teach in the English department, and I've been at this for awhile-campaigning to improve wages and job conditions for the hardworking staff at UVA. Batting cleanup today, I'm not going to say much that you haven't already heard. But I would like to take this opportunity to underline a few key points and reiterate a few key demands. First of all, despite what UVA claims, a Chartered Institution is for all intents and purposes a private institution. Saying that the Charter Initiative is not a move towards privatization is like saying "I did not have sex with that woman." Becoming chartered will unhook us from state monies and state regulations; it will give us an elevated sticker price and elite national profile. Insisting that we are still a public institution under these circumstances is like insisting there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We will not technically be a private institution; we will simply function like a private institution. Do you see the difference? Neither do I.

What exactly does it mean to function like a private institution? First of all, it means that tuition will skyrocket. The administration estimates 8-10% increases each year for the next 5 years. That means a 50% increase before the decade is over. Continuing at that rate, it means doubled tuition rates in less than 9 years. Despite a stated commitment to financial aid, there is no doubt that this initiative will drastically decrease the diversity of the student body. It will also drastically increase the inequality between UVA and other less-selective Virginia colleges, who will receive less state funding without being able to attract high-paying students. My source here is none other than David Breneman, Dean of the Curry School and author of recent study on this trend.

What we will get, in other words, is a two-tiered, economically segregated and in all likelihood racially re-segregated system of university education in this state. As a member of the faculty benefiting from a diverse student population and as a believer in social justice, I find this unacceptable.

Two tiers of university education in this state. As the Charter proposal currently stands, it will also mean, as you have already heard, two tiers of university employees. Current employees will be grandfathered into existing benefits, new hires will be offered inferior packages. Not only will this screw over new employees and increase inequities among staff, it will also motivate the university to "realign" pre-Charter employees, since they will be more costly. If you think we are making this up, read the fine print of the proposal, which specifically states that new employees will not be guaranteed the same level of life or disability insurance and may have to pay some or all of the cost of premiums. The proposal also specifically states that the Workforce Transition Act governing severance pay for terminated employees will no longer apply to Charter Employees. Is this kind of double-standard acceptable? Is the eventuality of a lowered standard for all classified staff acceptable?

So what is SUUVA asking for? We're asking for our own fine print. We're asking for written guarantees that benefits and pay increases will remain at least at current levels for ALL employees, new and old. We are asking for staff as well as faculty representation on the BOV. We are asking for sufficient levels of financial aid. We are asking for nothing less than equal educational opportunities for all students, and equal employment opportunities for all workers. Please join us in opposing the Charter Initiative unless the administration can spell out exactly how it intends to safeguard affordability for students and justice for employees." (Susan Fraiman, October 1, 2004)