To whom it may concern,
It has come to our attention that the University of New Mexico has responded to our proposed wage increases by digging up a state statute that caps public employer contributions to health insurance at 80% and arguing this should now apply to us. The University has suggested that they believe they have the right to start charging us 20% of the cost of health insurance premiums as well as attempt to recoup 20% of past costs. UNM has failed to meaningfully increase minimum stipends in over a decade and graduate workers today are struggling to make ends meet. At a time when 15% of graduate workers take out loans to cover medical expenses, when 65% of graduate workers delay medical treatment due to the prohibitive cost, and when graduate worker parents face the financial burden of adding children dependents to their insurance plans, UNM wants us to pay more for our healthcare plans than we already do. This is absolutely unacceptable.
Let us be clear - the only acceptable response to 10+ years of stagnant wages is to propose a real pay increase, not to look for a cynical opportunity to create new fees and charges.
We, the graduate workers of UNM, demand that the University administration agree to a contract by December 7 which grants us all a significant pay increase, significantly increases the minimum graduate worker stipend, and which does not raise our medical expenses. Anything less than this is unacceptable.
Signed,
