Dear Citizen,

Labor Initiative in Promoting Solidarity (LIPS) is a student-led community-based group designed to unite workers, students, faculty, and community members of Ithaca College and the city of Ithaca. Our purpose is to educate the community as well as ourselves about labor issues and initiate improvements in economic and social justice nationally, regionally, and locally.

Our first initiative is an All Campus Living Wage. We ask that all Ithaca College campus employees have a living wage. Currently all except dining services employees start at a living wage of $12.10 per hour. Dining services employees are paid at least $8.19 per hour. The goal is to see dining services receive the same minimum compensation package as Ithaca College direct-hire employees.

Our goal is to have language in the contractual standards that Ithaca College sets with its subcontractors or direct contractors that requires that a living wage be paid to employees: equal benefits to Ithaca College direct hires; as well as job security, right to organize without coercion or interference to promote or deter organization. Compliance with such standards would provide employees with respect and dignity in the workplace.

Thank you for your attention to this plea. Any contribution will be greatly accepted with LIPS appreciation.

If you are willing to support this movement for fairness we would appreciate it if you would give us your signature.