The Elm Student Newspaper
Student Club Investigates Campus Wages
By Robert Dix
Elm Staff Writer
The Living Wage Campaign at Washington College is making a campus-wide effort to improve the wage scales of college employees in an effort to improve community life.
The Living Wage Campaign, www.livingwagecampaign.org, says its goal is to pass local ordinances requiring private businesses that benefit from public money to pay their workers a "living wage"-enough money to live at least above the poverty line in a given area.
Research done by the Peace and Social Justice Club (PSJ) shows that the actual living wage at WC has not changed in the last ten years, while the costs of living have.
"The college has so much that it should be giving back to the community, yet the college has done very little to give back to this community and to validate their lack of action," said freshman Brandon Riker.
The college's expenses have gone up and are expected to continue going up. Freshman class president Spencer Dove told PSJ that the college expects an increase in medical bills as well as the recent increase in energy costs.
"The costs have gone up undeniably, and they are affecting our community," said sophomore Andrew Mehdizadeh.
This is why, Riker said, that taking on a Living Wage Campaign at WC is the right thing to do.
Faculty secretary Cindy Licata explained, "It's a known fact that Washington College is one of the top three employers in Chestertown." However, the pay scales at WC are lower than entry-level positions in public schools.
Licata said, "The costs of living have gone up tremendously, you can't buy a house, or find a place to live in Chestertown with the salary I receive from Washington College.
"You know it's a hard time when your own son has to help you out," continued Licata.
The college does raise the salary of its employees every year, but it is not keeping up with the rising costs of living.
Licata said, "It feels bad when you go to another university like Salisbury University and you discover that their entry level salary is actually more than what I currently earn at Washington College, after more than nine years of working here."
Low wages affect employees in a number of ways.
As PSJ president David Hosey said, "If we do nothing, the college will be permitting its employees to live in poverty and lose their self-respect."
Licata said, "The college has been trying; it has to be recognized that this will be a slow process. If faculty secretaries like myself have it bad, then those in catering and maintenance are suffering too."
On Martin Luther King Day, WC president Baird Tipson said, "I can't believe that Dr. King would be pleased that the gentrification of Chestertown has forced many low- and moderate-income people, black and white, to live elsewhere because they can't find affordable housing."
Some people cannot afford to live in Chestertown not just because of gentrification, as members of PSJ reiterated, but also because of the rising costs of electricity, oil and other basic needs.
This is why Hosey said that the living wage is so important. "I hope that the administration will find a way to recognize the needs of the people and finally take action," he said.
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