FAMU employees represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) went on an “informational strike” earlier this week to bring attention to their on-going contract negotiations with the university. The union is seeking a “livable” wage for employees, many of whom who have not received a raise in more than 10 years.
AFSCME represents the nearly 500 groundskeepers, maintenance workers, support staff and secretaries at FAMU. The current contract which took effect July 1, 2019, expires June 30, 2022. AFSCME and FAMU began the process of negotiating a new contract in July 2021.
“If Black lives matter, then why do we not matter on FAMU’s campus,” said Andre Crumity, the FAMU AFSCME President, who has worked as a senior fiscal assistant at FAMU for 15 years.
During a session last May, the union was successful in increasing wages for approximately 74 custodial workers, from $10 an hour to $12.50. Those negotiations, however, excluded several other union workers that were also making under $25,000 a year. The university maintained it did not have the funds to provide across the board raises to the other support staff.
A liveable wage is $15 an hour or $31,200 annually (based on 40 hrs a week x 52 weeks a year). Fast food restaurants in Tallahassee are now paying competitive wages in order to recruit and retain employees.
Union representatives pointed out that last year, FAMU President Larry Robinson’s salary increased from $385,000 to about $419,650.
In response to the workers protest, FAMU issued the following statement: “FAMU values all its employees. Negotiations are being handled through the collective bargaining process, which is ongoing.”
