By Satoko HasegawaStaff Writer
Student employees with jobs in the Love Library have a new reasonto come to work: higher wages.
As of July 1, student employees are paid the California Stateminimum wage of $5.75 per hour, rather than the federal minimum wageof $5.15 some were earning before.
However, some students said even the higher wage doesn’t cut it.
“We do a lot of work here compared to the people in otherdepartments who are getting paid more,” said undeclared sophomoreAjit Verma. “Without us, the library couldn’t run.”
Last year, University President Stephen Weber agreed with arequest by the Associated Students to increase the pay of studentworkers to the state minimum wage, but the policy did not take effectuntil July 1.
In July, about 60 students out of 371 workers were being paid thefederal minimum wage. Sally Roush, vice president of business andfinancial affairs, said many students are paid between $6.70 and $8.She said the library has a review policy for increasing hourly wagesbased on experience, assignment and performance.
However, some student workers, especially on the third floor, saidthey are not paid enough for their work.
Verma said he works 16 hours a week at $5.75 an hour and knowsworkers at the Circulation Desk who earn $6 an hour and thinks heshould earn the same amount.
“A whole quarter,” Verma said. “We are getting ripped off here. Iwant at least $6 per hour. That will be good and fair, I think. Iwouldn’t mind more.”
Undeclared freshman Alicia Orneles, who also started working stackmaintenance on the third floor this semester, said she agrees withVerma.
“I’m not satisfied with our current wage,” Orneles said. “We don’tjust sit down at a desk and do nothing. We are always busy and have alot of things to do. We have a lot of bills to pay off throughout thecampus, so we need to work.”
Orneles said she thinks student assistants should get paid atleast $6.50 an hour.
When food and nutrition senior Myra Posas started working in thelibrary in 1994, her wage was $4.25 per hour. She worked for twoyears on the third floor in Government Publications and Maps and alsoworked stack maintenance for one semester.
Now, Posas works on the fifth floor locating journals and helpingcustomers, and earns $7 per hour. She said the minimum wage increaseis good news for students who work in busier departments.
“I know the third floor’s (stack maintenance) needs workconstantly,” Posas said. “The new workers at the floor get hard workwith the minimum wage.”
Other student assistants said they agree — the current wage is afair price.
“The job itself is not really that hard,” said business juniorHope Abad, who works on the fourth floor. “And the time is veryflexible and convenient. I can find a better job, but it’s workingfor me now because of time and flexibility.”
Most student employees said even though they like their jobs, theywould appreciate a higher salary.
“Higher wage will at least make us a lot happier,” Verma said. “Wewill do our work more. And there will be more people willing to do(the library job). I guess it will be better and easy to findemployees.” for some
