UVI Student Employees Set To Begin Strike Over Delayed Payments, Meet With Administration

Since announcing their intention to strike as student employees starting March 10, University of the Virgin Islands master’s students Joshua Soll and Zoe Price have had an initial meeting with UVI President Safiya George and key financial department staff.

The conversation was a step forward, with university officials pledging to fix the long-standing issue of delayed payments, but until they see proof that payments are processed on time and that transparency improves, they say the strike will continue.

Soll and Price have been leading the movement for about two weeks now, sharing that for years UVI student employees have faced inconsistent and delayed paychecks, tuition reimbursements, and travel stipends. Some students have waited weeks, months, or even more than a year for money that was promised to them, they said.

“Many are owed thousands of dollars, and for some, the delays have had serious consequences,” according to the students’ public petition. “One student lost their apartment and was forced to leave the island. Another was misclassified as a part-time student, triggering an early repayment demand for their federal student loans. Others have had to borrow money from faculty members just to stay afloat.”