The Undergraduate Senate passed a resolution to support shuttle bus drivers in their attempt to unionize with a vote of 11-2 at their meeting on Sunday. Although the shuttle drivers voted 9-8 in favor of unionization, "AU has been spending a lot of money trying to stop it," said Class of 2009 Senator John Cipriani, who sponsored the resolution.
Cipriani addressed the motives behind the drivers' desire to unionize.
"I don't think the issue is salaries, how much they're paid ... I think the issue is disrespect" from the administration, he said.
Travis McArthur, a columnist for The Eagle and a member of AU Solidarity, spoke with shuttle drivers about their concerns and what prompted their decision to unionize.
"The central issue is the respect; there's verbal abuse" from managers and the administration, he said.
Cipriani criticized the university's efforts to prevent the drivers from unionizing.
"They're spending thousands of our tuition dollars on this," he said. "It's very expensive to do this."
Cipriani emphasized the Senate's ability to send a message on behalf of the students.
"The university seems to be out of control lately with some of the administration policy," he said.
After debating the resolution, the Senate held a five-minute recess to discuss the issue in depth.
The Senate amended some of the language in the resolution, but the idea behind it remained.
"I think we have a good resolution as it stands," Cipriani said upon passage of the resolution. "We have some power right now - let's do something good and support the bus drivers."
Undergraduate Senate meetings are held every Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in Kogod 118 and are open to the public.
-EMILY BLANCK
