Undergraduate student government officials submitted a proposal for review Sunday that would prevent future councils from raising their own stipends.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council voted this past summer to increase councilmembers’ monthly stipends from $355 to $672 a month. The decision saw backlash from the student body, including a call by a coalition of student groups for councilmembers to defer their stipend increases and pass an amendment barring immediate stipend increases.
Members of the internal vice president’s office have been working on an amendment to the USAC bylaws. Initially, the proposal was supposed to go to the council around last week.
The proposed amendment would add a clause to the financial policy of the USAC bylaws. The change would prevent any policies altering USAC member compensation from taking effect until after a new council is elected.
Currently, USAC stipends are tied to the minimum wage. But during discussions about the amendment, USAC President John Joanino and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Jessica Trumble had said they wanted to add a clause that would tie stipends to the consumer price index instead.
The amendment forwarded to the USAC Constitutional Review Committee would not tie USAC stipends to the consumer price index, said Internal Vice President Avi Oved.
Oved said he hopes the Constitutional Review Committee will meet about the proposal this week. He added that the proposal could go to the council for a vote as early as next week if the review committee approves it.
Compiled by Kenneth Surajat, Bruin contributor.