Dear Chancellor Zeppos,

We are Living Income for Vanderbilt Employees. This letter is written in regards to the No Cuts Campaign aimed at protecting Vanderbilt's lowest wage workers from layoffs, hour cutbacks and loss of benefits.

We have previously met with Jerry Fife, Mark Bandas and Judson Newbern to better understand the administration's position on the issue. We appreciate the willingness of the administration to engage in a dialogue with us as well as their genuine concern for the welfare of these workers. However, we were disappointed with the aforementioned administrators refusal to unequivocally guarantee the job security of Vanderbilt's lowest-wage workers.

We recognize that requesting communal solidarity and financial stability may appear unrealistic given the current financial climate. However, it is precisely during these times of crisis that Vanderbilt, the second largest employer in Tennessee and one of the most prestigious universities in the nation, must step forward as a leader in its own community by recognizing the dignity and prioritizing the well-being of all: student, faculty, and staff.

Workers are terrified by the potential repercussions of job loss. The market has frozen for low-wage labor and the loss of a Vanderbilt job may not be balanced by openings in other industries. To state it bluntly, if Vanderbilt workers lose their jobs it is unlikely they will find another means of supporting their families. The consequences for these families' futures as well as the futures of their neighborhoods would be devastating. Over the past few weeks, the Vanderbilt community has rejected and recognized any course of action that involves labor cuts as contradictory to its standards and ethics. More than 800 students, faculty and staff have signed a petition demanding that the University seek opportunities for financial relief other than labor cuts against its most vulnerable workers.

As students we stand ready to sacrifice and are willing to entertain any initiatives that would save the university money, provided a direct assurance that the money saved will be used to protect the jobs of our lowest-wage workers. We hope that this sentiment is mutual amongst the administration.
This is why we ask you, Chancellor Zeppos, to guarantee that no Plant Operations or Dining workers experience layoffs, hourly reductions or loss of benefits on account of budgetary cutbacks for the remainder of this school year and 2009-2010. We ask that you pledge to maintain the same work force as previous years, subject to negotiation with the labor union.

We have been told that the administration is doing everything in its power to avoid cutbacks. We are hopeful that creative, positive collaboration between the administration, faculty, and student body will reduce costs to the extent that renders layoffs unnecessary. However, assuming all other cost-cutting opportunities have been exhausted, we ask that you, Chancellor Zeppos, make a commitment to take a salary reduction within seven days of reaching such a determination as a last-resort measure to prevent additional layoffs. In doing so, you will set an example of shared sacrifice for the Vanderbilt community, the Nashville community, and the national community which has been so riveted by recent job loss numbers. Heads of elite private universities such as Washington University in St. Louis and University of Pennsylvania have made substantial financial sacrifices for their Universities and have set the precedent for such an action. Therefore, this request is neither unrealistic nor without merit.

We ask that you respond to this letter with a clear statement on whether or not you agree to our request. We appreciate your dedication as a leader of this University and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Living Income for Vanderbilt Employees

live.vanderbilt@gmail.com