Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Holds Firm to Oppose UW Pay Raises Over DEI Dispute

Wednesday, October 18th, 2023 -- 1:01 PM

(Bob Hague, WRN) Still no raises for UW System employees.

The legislature’s bipartisan Joint Committee on Employee Relations this week approved a 6% pay increase over two years for many state workers. Senator Melissa Agard said that some 36,000 UW employees were left out.

“This is a sad moment for our state, when the majority party is actively holding our workers hostage because they cannot fathom the ability to focus on equity and diversity.”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is standing firm, until the UW agrees to cut positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion. “All this mumbo jumbo about saying somehow we're against the university system, we're trying to actually have some kind of control for the taxpayers.  Because when I talk to people, they do not want an ideological agenda.”

Senator Howard Marklein represents UW Platteville. “I've got a lot of custodians and food service personnel and people there that  are not going to get a raise under this proposal.”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who opposes UW system diversity, equity and inclusion programs, said he’s just looking out for taxpayers. “Almost 1400 positions have been added at the UW system as enrollment is the same or declining. We are seeing a massive increase in the number of bureaucrats funded by somebody else.”

Vos has vowed to hold up the UW raises until the system agrees to drop DEI efforts.

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