Fight over diversity spend halts universities’ staff raises

Leaders of the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature withheld pay raises for Universities of Wisconsin (UW) employees while approving raises for other state workers on Tuesday 17 October in an ongoing fight over the school system’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) spending, writes Harm Venhuizen for Associated Press.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who co-chairs the legislature’s employment relations committee, has promised to block pay raises for UW employees until the school system cuts its so-called DEI spending by US$32 million.

Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, said not voting to approve the UW pay increases was “as dumb as it comes … These people deserve raises,” Evers told reporters after the vote. “It’s been passed by the legislature and to have it be hijacked at the last minute by one person, that’s wrong too.”
Full report on the AP News site