Fees
For our labor, and to ensure that wage increases are not undercut by increases in fees, ASEs deserve the full tuition waiver that they are promised. For that reason, we are demanding:
- A tuition waiver that covers ALL tuition, including the building fee.
WSU Admin engaged in false advertising and has been for years. They say when they recruit ASEs, that we will get a tuition waiver. But, the waiver only covers the operating fee, which is one part of tuition. The building fee is the other part, and ASEs are left on the hook to pay this. At every other institution, a tuition waiver includes a waiver of the building fee as well; this is the industry standard.
Not only is having to pay the building fee misleading, it’s also burdensome. It’s real money out of ASEs hard-earned pay that goes right back to WSU—money that we could be spending on rent, food, medication, and the list goes on. Additionally, WSU Admin can raise the building fee at any time which is concerning. We deserve a real tuition waiver, just like ASEs have at other institutions.
“As an RA, I work long hours in the lab on multiple projects which bring multi-million dollar grants to WSU. As a TA, I’ve taught almost 70 students each semester. My work is vital to WSU, yet WSU Admin’s bargaining team keeps dismissing the value we bring to the University.”