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Vanderbilt Univeristy

Campaign background: Vanderbilt student activists formed LIVE to demand that all campus employees make at least the living wage as defined by WOW's Self-Sufficiency Standard for Tennessee. During the 2004-2005 school year, LIVE organized a major rally with campus service workers' union, LIUNA. The result of this student-worker action was a raise in the minimum pay at Vanderbilt to $7.55 per hour. While this was a huge improvement from the previous $6.50 per hour minimum, campus workers and members of LIVE knew that $7.55 is not good enough, and they continue to struggle for real living wages at Vanderbilt!

As LIVE's campaign for living wages grows stronger and louder, LIVE students have also done a ton of work to support the growth of campus workers' union. In Tennessee, one of the southern states with anti-union "right to work" laws, supporting workers' unions is especially vital to ensuring workers have a voice. During the 2005-2006 school year, LIVE helped LIUNA organizers bring many more campus workers into the union, especially low wage earners. LIUNA reps were often barred from campus by the university administration, so students played a critical role in making sure workers could connect with the union.

More powerful and experienced than ever, LIVE looks forward to another year of living wage activism!

Campaigns News & Updates:

Oct 20, 2005 - Living Wage in the County Capital of the World! - LWAC campus tour update

Oct 19, 2005 - Vanderbilt Campaign Update! - posted by Marion of LIVE

Have something to add about this campaign? Please e-mail us at
lwac(at)livingwageaction.org