Statement Re: Wage Increases for Non-Bargaining USM Staff

This is not AFSCME Local 1072 versus our colleagues who aren’t represented by a union. It's every worker at this university versus leadership that decides who's worth a raise and who is not.

Our union didn't leave anyone out: by law, we can only negotiate for the people we represent. We have sought to change the law to allow supervisory employees throughout the university system to collectively bargain. The only opposition to testify against this legislation was, in fact, the University System.

This year, like in years past, our members organized and won raises through our union contract. What UMD chose to do with everyone else’s pay was UMD's decision, not ours. If our non-union colleagues want the same protections, we'll stand with them. We understand that many campus workers both inside and outside of our union are experiencing hardship in these times. But don't blame the people who organized and won raises that give them a chance to make ends meet. Ask the people who decide everyone's paycheck why they’re not giving the raises to all of us and why they continue to oppose expanding union rights to additional campus staff.