The union representing service and maintenance workers at the University of Missouri and University Hospital is seeking a minimum wage of $15 for its workers.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that in advance of negotiations starting Friday, union members staged a rally Thursday in support of the wage hike.
Union field representative Eric Scott noted that voters last year approved a proposition that will create a $12 an hour minimum wage statewide within a few years. He says the city approved $15 an hour for most of its workers.
Scott says the university needs to take steps to give the same kind of compensation to its employees to remain competitive.