Low Wage Workers at Vanderbilt Win 30% Pay Increase

    In coalition with the Laborers union, Nashville Jobs with Justice, Nashville Peace and
   Justice Center, the LIVE student organization, and numerous Middle Tennessee congregations,
   Workers Interfaith Network has been pushing Vanderbilt University to raise their
   workers up to a living wage.

    In March of 2007, Vanderbilt workers took a big step toward the living wage by bargaining
   a new union contract that raised the lowest paid workers' wages by 30%.  
   The Laborers International Union represents about 600 Vanderbilt workers,
   and the contract that was just negotiated sets the wage floor for many
   more of the university's 20,000 employees. Previously, many
   janitorial and food service workers at the university earned just $7.55 an hour.
   One Vanderbilt housekeeper, Mary Hampton, even had to live in a homeless
   shelter with her daughters after their father stopped paying child support.

   The combined efforts of workers, people of faith, students, and the union won
   a contract moved starting pay from $7.55 to $8.50 an hour immediately.
   Minimum pay will be raised to $9.25 an hour in November of 2007, and to $10.00
   in November of 2008. Pay raises were made retroactive to when the contract
   expired in November of 2006, so worker will receive a substantial bonus
   in their next paycheck.

   All those involved in the campaign have pledged to keep the pressure on Vanderbilt
   until all workers at the university are paid a living wage.