From: House Progressive Caucus To: President Garimella and Dr. Julie Roberts Re: Salary negotiations at UVM June 15, 2020

Dear President Garimella and Dr. Roberts,

Income inequality is the gaping wound now glaringly exposed by our current economic crisis. Despite noble plans in the 1980s to collapse the wealth gap, we instead face inequality not seen since the “Gilded Age” of the 1890s.

We had a glimmer of hope when Ben & Jerry’s launched with a commitment to keep all workers within a reasonable salary range. Their initial business plan required that the top earners make no more than five times the hourly wage of the lowest paid worker in the company. It was a visionary goal. After all, how does anyone truly believe that an hour of her time is six or ten or twenty times more valuable than an hour of her neighbor’s time? Sure, some have more education and/or more experience. But a factor of five seems like quite enough to satisfy those extras. Sadly, even Ben & Jerry’s had to abandon its guidelines when an employee they wanted simply refused to accept the offered salary. It was big news. Some of us stopped buying their ice cream.

Today the issue is higher education. Unlike ice cream, we can’t just say no. The executive salary “arms race” that has played out over the past 30 years has changed everything. Once, college administrators were recognized as staff who support the true enterprise of a college – the teaching. The power structure, then, was rightly based in the faculty. Now we have highly-paid administrators dictating terms to those who are the heart of the college experience.

We are seeing this happen everywhere in higher education. First, Vermont Law School stripped tenure from its faculty. The Vermont State College System recently threatened to shutter three of its four residential campuses. Now we have the University of Vermont announcing a plan to cut lecturers’ pay by 25%. Adjunct faculty have been employed increasingly over the past three decades to reduce costs while the number of administrators increased and their compensation ballooned to match the nation-wide arms race for administrative compensation.

At UVM, after factoring in inflation, salaries of the ten highest-paid employees have increased dramatically, while the average workers’ earnings have seen a modest decrease. The President of the University makes a salary of $480,000, while the average College of Arts and Sciences lecturer makes $57,000 -- a salary that keeps them just above Vermont’s livable wage calculations. The proposed 25% workload and salary reductions will drive many lecturers and their families below livable wage earnings.

The Progressive Party remains committed to our long-time vision of maintaining livable wages for all and reducing the gap between rich and poor. We are one people. We are not servants and lords. This country said no to aristocracy when we fought the Revolutionary War. Progressives still support that vision. We call on the UVM administration to open its financial books and engage in collaborative, progressive planning for any necessary cost-saving measures with employees of the University, United Academics, all unions representing staff.

Sincerely,

Rep. Robin Chesnut-Tangerman Rep Rep. Rep. Diana Gonzales Rep. Zachariah Ralph Rep. Rep.