University of Georgia Living Wage

We, the undersigned, recognize that a living wage is a right for all University of Georgia employees. We call on Mike Adams to make the recommendations outlined in The Ad Hoc Committee for the Pay and Benefits of Low Wage Employees Report the top priority this budgeting season. We look forward to seeing the steps that Mike Adams takes on this issue. Outlined below is a concise summation of The Ad Hoc Report recommendations:

1. We recommend that hourly-wage workers who are residents in this area be paid a minimum of $10.50 per hour, to be followed by cost-of-living adjustments.
2. We recommend that the University of Georgia implements a tier based payment system for employee health benefits.
3. We recommend that workers who work more than 35 hours per week for six months be reclassified as regular employees with full benefits.
4. We recommend that pay rates for temporary employees be the same as the rates paid to regular employees performing similar work.
5. We recommend that the Minimum Hiring Rate at the University of Georgia be raised to $24,000 by January 1, 2010.
6. We recommend that the University administration provide a high-level summary report annually to the University Council regarding the level of the minimum hiring rate and the manner in which staff salary compensation is being addressed.
7. We recommend that the Human Resources Division undertake a reform of the classified staff compensation plan, as the current plan is outdated and based on a civil service model, which is over thirty years old.
8. We recommend that the Human Resources Division annually review temporary employment situations and develop procedures to facilitate the movement of temporary employees into regular, benefit eligible positions after a period where employes have had consecutive years of employment.