Everyday, UVM staff are working hard to provide a broad range of excellent services to support our students and Vermont communities to learn, grow and thrive. However, despite the work we do to keep the University moving forward the UVM administration continues to significantly undervalue its own staff.

Year after year UVM is breaking its own enrollment records with Fall 2021 being the highest first year enrollment in school history. This increased enrollment is generating many millions of dollars in new revenue for a University that has already built up significant cash reserves over the last 5 years. Nonetheless, over the past decade, rather than provide livable wages for staff, the office of the president's salary was increased over 50%. Currently President Garimella makes more than $634,000 in total annual compensation, earning more in a day than many staff earn in a month.

Meanwhile, staff at UVM have only received a raise above the cost of inflation once in the last 5 years and more than 500 staff do not earn $20/hr at the state's largest University and second largest employer. Many staff are forced to work second and third jobs to pay our bills, while some experience food and housing insecurity. This is absolutely unacceptable and we know UVM has the resources to do better.

For these reasons, coupled with ever increasing workloads, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the UVM administration to retain and recruit the staff needed to provide the level of support, programming, instruction that students, parents, and the community should expect.

Please support over 1350 UVM Staff in our campaign for Livable Wages, Justice, Equity, and Accountability at UVM and our first-ever contract negotiations by adding your name to this petition and sharing with your friends, family and co-workers.