Welcome back to the start of a new academic year! My name is Anne Elias (she/her). It is an exciting time for our staff union, University Staff United, and I’m proud to introduce myself as USU’s Vice President.
Our upcoming community picnic on Monday, September 16 is a great opportunity for us to take a bit of time out from the hectic past few weeks to get to know each other more and talk about what your priorities are for our union. You may not have had a chance to RSVP yet but there is still time! I’m looking forward to seeing the many members I’ve had a conversation with over the past months, and the many members I have yet to meet.
In my two and a half years as an organizer with USU, I’ve talked with many of my staff colleagues about their concerns. One theme that sticks with me from these conversations is that even on the Ann Arbor campus, pay is simply too low for many staff to support themselves and their families, which has forced many of us to move further from our workplaces. Staff have shared how this has impacted them: commutes have become longer, more expensive, and you’re missing out on time at home. Merit increases between 1-3% for Flint and Dearborn are dismal annual reminders, exposing the lack of respect top Ann Arbor campus administrators have for ALL university employees. We know that management can afford to pay us fairly!
As UM staff, I am an instructional designer with the university library, with lots of involvement in work related committees. However, I’m a USU organizer because I recognize that no work-sponsored committee can replace the power of a labor union, especially in the face of campus inequity, rising cost of living and healthcare, absent public health protections, and a glaring lack of parity between Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn staff. Find out how members are getting involved in our fight for better pay, advancement opportunities, pay increases, and equitable coverage of our expenses: RVSP for our community picnic on 9/16 – stop by between 5:30pm – 8:30pm for some food, what’s next for our union, and meet other USU members. You can also follow USU on Facebook and Instagram. You are what makes USU and UM great!