The University of Memphis announced this week to faculty and staff that beginning in June 2021, the University will raise the minimum wage for employees to $15 per hour.
“President Rudd and his staff deserve recognition and appreciation for their hard work on a sustainable financial model that allows the university to raise the minimum wage for all employees to $15 per hour,” TSEA Executive Director Randy Stamps said. “This effort is a strong sign of respect and support for the important work done by the University of Memphis’ Higher Education employees.”
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency in 2020, the University of Memphis experienced many challenges, including a loss of $50 million. For the University to navigate the financial uncertainty from COVID-19 and still meet its commitment to employees is remarkable and deserves recognition.
“President Rudd has remained consistent with his commitment to raising employee pay and improving benefits since day one, despite unrelenting criticism and demands from local groups who now seek to take credit for the university’s efforts,” TSEA Executive Director Randy Stamps said. “We appreciate the incredible work President Rudd and his staff have done over the last seven years to raise the minimum wage for workers from $8.75 per hour to $15 per hour.”
TSEA has enjoyed a positive working relationship with President Rudd since he became President of the University in 2014. Last year at this time, President Rudd announced a series of increases in the minimum wage for University employees toward the goal of $15 per hour. At the time, we expressed our gratitude to him in person for keeping his promise to TSEA, and we are now pleased to see the University reach this important goal, especially after the challenges presented by the pandemic.
As a reminder, the University of Memphis is also considering the need for compression movement, which affects numerous employees. We will continue to keep you updated on this developing story.
TSEA meets regularly with Higher Education Representatives on the hill, including the University of Memphis. During our meetings, we discuss employee pay, salary compression effects on employees, employee benefits, and the need to extend paid FMLA to Higher Ed employees. TSEA is also the only employee representative on campus officially recognized by the University of Memphis and its leadership.
