PSU-AAUP President, Jose Padin, was in attendance at the 4/11/17 Board of Trustees meeting in support of a $15 Minimum Wage.  Below is the letter submitted to the Board of Trustees.  

A full list of PSU-AAUP Positions and Endorsements may be found here.

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

American Association of University Professors

April 11, 2017

Pete Nickerson

Board of Trustees Chair

Portland State University

Dear Pete:

On behalf of the Portland State University-AAUP, the association representing full time faculty and academic professionals, I write in support of the proposal to make $15 the minimum hourly wage for all PSU employees.

We support this proposal because it reflects a number of our defining values as an institution, and few things are more gratifying than being part of a community whose practices are aligned with its values.

I would highlight some of the values that informed our decision to support this proposal:

• We pride ourselves in pioneering sustainable environmental and social practices. Social sustainability entails an ethical obligation to a decent standard of living for all who contribute to our community. Unfortunately, as a society we have allowed the federal and minimum wage to erode to a point where it is far from providing a decent standard of living.
• We at PSU pride ourselves in going against the current when it is the right thing.
• Students are many of our campus employees. Many are supporting families, working long hours, accumulating debt, depending on government support, and even living from food pantries. As an employer, we can help remedy this by raising our campus minimum wage.

Please communicate our support for the $15 minimum wage proposal to the rest of the Trustees. We appreciate your dedication and service to our university community.

cc: Trustees