The Undergraduate Alliance for Student Worker Success ended the year with important initiative – raising the minimum wage for students working for WCU. To do that they are collaborating with the Student Government Association. ]
UASWS started in the summer of 2022 after current president, Aiás Vysagoth, realized how many of his co-workers needed second jobs to support themselves.
See what Vysagoth, SGA representative and WCU students said about their wage initiative in the video.
Vysagoth is a fifth-year, first generation student studying anthropology.
Initially, he was met with opposition. The union was seen as radical, and many were afraid to be associated with it. Vysagoth even believes the reason he was fired as a building manager was for creating the union, though his employers said otherwise.
“After I realized how upset my employers were that I was trying to unionize I was like obviously I can’t stop,” said Vysagoth.
And he didn’t. Vysagoth continued to promote the union until it eventually it became a recognized student organization. Since, UASWS has hosted events where students who work both on and off campus can come together and talk about their jobs.
When UASWS became an RSO, Vysagoth heavily considered calling it a club to seem less radical. However, he felt the title union was important to maintain.
“It’s important that I say that word … because I want us to be taken seriously.”
Currently, Vysagoth has two main missions for UASWS; to create awareness and up recruitment and to raise the campus-wide minimum wage to $12.
The second mission is proving to be successful. Currently, UASWS has received 219 signatures on its petition to raise wages.
UASWS’ effort to raise wages has also been backed by SGA through the Wage Increase for Student Employees (WISE) Act. SGA Senator, Zach Powell and Vysagoth worked together to create the act.
Currently, UASWS is still collect signatures on their petition as they wait to see if the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and the Chancellor approve the WISE Act.
“If the resolution gets rejected by administration we will demonstrate and protest,” Vysagoth sent in a message.
Some other future interests for UASWS is to begin a newsletter that covers on-campus labor news, UASWS upcoming events and other pieces of national and statewide labor news and history.
Vysagoth intends to graduate May 2024, so to him the pressure is on to make sure his union has created an impact and will be appreciated and utilized by future student workers.
