Union, living wage initiatives pass

UW–Madison students voted “yes” on a pair of fall election initiatives that would renovate and upgrade Wisconsin Union facilities and potentially raise wages for student hourly employees.

According to the Associated Students of Madison Student Election Commission, the Student Union Initiative passed by more than 700 votes, 1,691 to 915. The “living wage“ initiative passed 1,418 to 996.

ASM reported a total turnout of 6.59 percent of eligible student voters.

“We are ecstatic that students voted positively and thought beyond their pocketbook,” says Wisconsin Union President Shayna Hetzel. “We’re very proud of all of our student volunteers who helped get the word out, and equally proud of the Wisconsin student body, acting in the spirit of their predecessors of the 1920s who helped build Memorial Union. Now, we can all proudly say that we are indeed preserving the past and building the future.”

The Student Union Initiative will preserve the stature of Memorial Union — while significantly upgrading and renovating the nearly 80-year-old building — and will build a new “green” student union on the current site of Union South.

The initiative will improve accessibility of Memorial Union, as well as bring fire and safety conditions up to code and upgrade working conditions, install modern communications technology, and increase meeting and storage space.

Importantly, the level of commitment by students means that this renovation can happen comprehensively, instead of one project at a time, which will guarantee that the building can retain its historic ambience, Hetzel says. Slightly more than half of the funding goes to renovating Memorial Union.

The passage also approves constructing a new south-campus union that will be roughly twice as large as the current Union South. Based on student input, it will be a “green” building — one that is environmentally sustainable — and will serve as a hub for activity on the south end of campus. Above all, since students will be funding more than half of the project, the new south-campus union will remain a student union.

Students voted to pay an additional $48 per semester for two years starting in fall 2007. Two years later, the amount will go up $96 per semester for no more than 30 years. This will amount to approximately 58 percent of the project, with the remainder coming from operating revenues and gifts. If more donations are forthcoming, the student contribution will decrease.

For more details about the plan, visit http://www.unionvote.wisc.edu.

The living-wage referendum aims to raise student hourly wages to a minimum of $10.23 in campus units funded by non-allocable segregated fees, including University Health Services (UHS), the Wisconsin Union and Recreational Sports.

The $10.23 figure is 110 percent of the federal poverty rate for a family of four as defined by the city of Madison. Campus administrators are studying the impact and feasibility of implementing the initiative.

“We’re open to establishing a dialogue with student leaders on wages paid to student workers,” says Vice Chancellor for Administration Darrell Bazzell, who notes that students advise the chancellor — but do not ultimately have the authority — to approve non-allocable, segregated-fee-supported budgets.

For complete ASM election results, visit http://apps.asm.wisc.edu/ER_Results.htm.