Tallahassee--Dozens of workers with AFSCME Local 3343 at Florida A&M University took the fight for fair wages and respect directly to the Board of Trustees on Thursday after the school offered a ZERO PERCENT pay increase after several months of ardous contract negotiations. "FAMU is clearly not willing to negotiate in good faith," said Andre Crumity, President of Local 3343. "We work hard to make this University function properly yet we are deciding which bills we can afford to pay each month. We don't deserve to live like that and we'll continue to fight for what we deserve."
"We are Worth More Than Zero" was the message as dozens of FAMU employees crammed into the standing room only Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, March 7. During Public Comment, Crumity addressed the Board directly: "How can you claim to "Rise to the Top" if your support staff is ignored in each year's budget? How do we rise to the top if we come to work each day worried about being able to pay our bills?"
Local 3343 Vice-President Jason Finley has been employed with the registrar's office for 8 years. "This is absolutely ridicuous. We know they have the money to pay us fairly. My co-workers work hard day in and day out and without us, this University ceases to function. FAMU needs to remember that."
FAMU support staff plan to continue to make their voices heard in the coming weeks on campus and in the community with the expectation that FAMU will reenter negotiations with Local 3343 in good faith.
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