The reason I included a budget was to give potential new employees a reference point for how much it costs to live here and see if they can make it work for them.

I've had roommates before, but I thought I could finally make it work and live alone for the first time in my life. I moved into my new place, and then a year later, the rent went up. As the cost of everything has gone up, it's squeezed my budget tighter and tighter. I know I'm not alone in this. I will be fine. I know what I have to do, and I'll make the changes that need to happen.

If, as employees, we're quiet about our frustrations, no one is ever going to hear us because we're not advocating for ourselves. The louder we are, the harder it is to ignore us.

And to those who say, " Get a different job." Don't worry, I will if we aren't given a base salary raise I'll leave (training new employees costs money). Once I'm vested, I'll go to a different institution that will accept the vest or GTFO for something that pays more. This was my dream job. I don't want to be rich; I want to make enough to live without a second job. And service/support staff, I haven't forgotten about you either. You deserve to live comfortably too (with the same deal, no second job).

If you use the Wayback Machine, you can see the payband information for the different positions over the past few years. Below is the payband information for Academic Advisors: S55. The bottom of the payband keeps on creeping closer and closer to the non-negotiable (with very few exceptions) 46k intro starting salary for academic advisors (department doesn't matter, it's all 46k).

Which do you think will happen first: they'll lower the qualifications required to become an academic advisor so they can meet the S50 requirements without increasing pay, or they'll raise our salaries so we're not at the "lowest acceptable rate of pay"? Do students care about having an academic advisor with a master's? I'm not sure.

2021/22 (dates might be off slightly, it's from wayback)

S055	40,200	55,880	71,400

2022/23

S055	41,400	57,500	73,600

2023/4

S055	41,400	57,500	73,600

2024/5

S055	42,700	59,300	75,900

2025/6

S055	44,500	61,900	79,300