Student Council took a step toward tackling the University's minimum wage controversy by unanimously passing a resolution to create an ad hoc committee on University employee wages.
Council College Reps. Justin Pfeiffer, Nick Jabbour and Mario Sculatti sponsored the bill, which creates a committee of representatives and other interested students, faculty and staff to study the issue of University wages and present their recommendations to Council.
The resolution calls for the committee to draft a proposal on wages to go before University administrators, after an "intensive study" of the issue.
For the past several years, many University employees and students have lobbied the administration to raise the University's minimum wage to a more "livable" $8 an hour.
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Recently, both Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville have enacted "living wage" policies for their employees.
The University has said in the past that it does not have the power to raise the minimum wage, because that authority lies with the state government.
Pfeiffer said he hopes the committee will formulate its proposal within the next four to six weeks, so Council members can pass a formal resolution and begin lobbying the administration with its proposal before the end of the semester.
Pfeiffer said he supports a living wage on both "moral and biblical" grounds.
Council President Joe Bilby said he is pleased Council members decided to examine the issue.
"This is an issue that has concerned many students in the past couple of years," Bilby said.
College Rep. Craig Gallaer said he thinks the resolution is a "move in the right direction."
Gallaer said he feels it is important that Council members focus on issues that matter to all University community members, not only students.
First-Year Council President Preston Lloyd said he also feels Council members should tackle issues that affect faculty and staff, rather than limiting themselves to only student concerns.
"The staff are just as much a part of the community as students," Lloyd said. "It's important to protect that community"
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